Local News
Banner year for ‘the Beach’ day camp
By SIMONE COHEN SCOTT Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba August 2nd, 2021 Winnipeg Beach Day Camp has come a long way. Around 1953 I was a counselor there, and if memory serves me, it had been founded only a year or two earlier.
Over the decades, having enrolled my kids, grand-kids, foster kids, and now a surprise grandchild, (no great-grandchildren yet) I have noted an evolution in style and attitude. Add to that the fact that this year appears to be a bumper year in enrolment (probably due to Covid 19’s lifting of various restrictions on kids playing together), it seems an appropriate time to focus attention on this staple of ‘the Beach’, (once but no longer known as ‘Jew Beach’, due to all other Lake Winnipeg resorts being restricted).
I enrolled my granddaughter Katra, who lives in Vancouver, at the day camp for the full seven weeks. Delivering her each morning I soon noticed the rapid growth in attendance. Parking for drop offs became more challenging. The line-up for temperature checks and hand sanitation every morning grew ‘way beyond the roped off area. But once past that bottleneck, the kids, mask free, could dash, unhampered, into their designated spots under various trees. This year Katra is an ‘intermediate’, re-acquainting with last year’s friends, one from as far away as Toronto.
Jacqui Cohen is the Camp Director, and has been for the past two years. Immediately I was impressed with how efficiently she handled her position. She was the first line of greeting, checking in all the children, welcoming the new ones with comments of reassurance, and recognizing returnees with personalized remarks. A terrific people person I thought, as standing in line with Katra I observed her each morning, but as the weeks progressed and I saw the extent of the camp programming she was handling, intertwined with government regulations, both general and virus necessitated, my esteem soared. Sitting down with her the other day, at a picnic table screened from the rest of the camp by a clump of bushes, I got to know her better. For the past two years Jacqui has been at McGill, studying philosophy. Possibly due to the critical thinking and writing skills she gleaned from these courses, she realized that, for her temperament and life goals. she would be better served by becoming a teacher, and so come this fall, she’ll be taking Education at the University of Winnipeg. A career in teaching will bring her into line with her mother and grandmother, both teachers. (Jacqui’s mother is the ‘other’ Simone Cohen.) Days upon days filled with children is not daunting to Jacqui; her past experience includes four years of BB Camp at Lake of the Woods.
Whether or not day camps would be allowed this year was an up-in-the-air question until almost the last minute. I myself was apprehensive; how would I manage with a six-year old child if I couldn’t leave her somewhere for five hours every week-day? Meanwhile camp organizers were experiencing fluctuating proposed regulations: initially they expected to be able to enrol 25 children, this dropped to 10, then shrunk to none. Despite the uncertainty, management and staff for the camp, including its board, proceeded exactly as if it would be a ‘go’, and so it was. Their faith paid off: activities are well-planned; counselors are well-trained; systems are innovative and run smoothly.
In total, 200 children are enrolled for the summer. Beginning the season with 15 participants, by week four there were 71 in attendance, the highest in years. Publicity outreach before the summer included Facebook, notification to schools, and distribution of brochures. Winnipeg Beach Day Camp is attracting participants from further away than the immediate area. Fifteen percent are from Gimli, many from elsewhere in the Interlake, even a few from Matlock. Registration requests included fundraising, as a new building was necessary this year, and projected additional facilities and equipment are in the works. Most donations were in the neighbourhood of $100, with several larger amounts. Appreciation for the camp translated into generosity. They are only a few thousand short of their goal of $15,000. Sale of lunch boxes, T shirts, and baseball caps, were introduced this year. Plans for next year include in person presentations in the schools, if things are back to normal.
Speaking of fundraising, one of the best known features of the camp that has run for years (I can remember it from the ‘50s) is the Penny Carnival. The day of that coin is long gone, but the tradition is fixed; the name has stuck. Instead, for the past several years, strips of tickets have been sold. “Attendance this year was amazing,”says Jacqui. “There were always 100 people on the site.” (Covid restrictions allowed for 150.) This surge was due mostly to word of mouth – parents of course, but also past campers who summer at the Beach and its environs, and have made it an annual outing. Last year’s Covid restrictions prevented the event -the only cancellation ever.
Support from local merchants is strong. Pizza Fridays are a tradition, supplied at a special price by Pizza Place in the town. Between the special price to the camp and the still bargain cost to the campers, the small margin becomes part of the development budget, no doubt for equipment such as the bouncy castle sometimes featured. (Who knew there were such things as bouncy castles?) These last few years Pizza Place has had a vested interest; the owner’s 3 grandchildren participate for the full seven weeks. Until Covid 19, each midsummer Interlake Garden Centre invited the children to a ‘field trip’ at their greenhouses. There, they would be shown various plants and seeds and do a little planting of their own. This year an amended presentation was brought to the campsite, with flowers, pots, and potting soil, tying in with their end of season sale. Beyond participation from the local merchants, for the past five or six years on Ice Cream Day, Eva’s Gelato in Winnipeg has provided ice cream for sale at the camp. Generally, though, fundraising strategies are worked out together with the camp’s board of directors, which Jacqui commends as forming a “very strong team”.
There is a good rapport with the Town, which issues the permit for the camp, as well as with Provincial Parks, technically the locale, which is responsible for many features, for example the camp’s toilet facility. (Much of the Interlake region became a Provincial Park in 1969.) The camp, for its part, is very careful when planning extra events so that they not conflict with those
held in the area, such as Boardwalk Days. There is interaction, too, with Gimli, as occasionally the entire camp will locate for the day in the sprinkler spray park there. Other activities and special days include tie dye day, the Gimli Aquatic Park (before Covid), the bike parade (a tradition)…..and…..and…wait for it…Prairie Exotic…when a fellow brings around assorted creatures such as spiders, snakes, even a hedgehog. I’d skip that day but Jacqui assured me that kids who abhor these critters end up with at least respect for them. A new attraction planned for the near future will be paddle boards, funds permitting, and it seems they will.
Just as my talk with Jacqui was winding up, one of the counsellors, together with a camper, sought her out behind the privacy of the bushes. What transpired boosted even further my confidence in the competence of camp personnel. The student suffers from diabetes and that day could not regulate her system with the remedy she had with her. Jacqui immediately reached the mother on the ‘phone. The symptoms were described; the mother would bring insulin immediately after lunch. Should she eat her lunch, or any of her snacks? Yes, she could if she wanted. The smoothness with which all this was handled was impressive. Jacqui explained to me that as the camp’s intention was to include every child wishing to attend, the pre-opening training sessions readied the personnel for such eventualities. I asked her if she had had to scramble to find last minute counselors as enrollment soared. “No,” she replied, “we established a high ratio of staff to participants at the beginning and were always able to maintain that standard.”
Good job, people!
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.