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Cathy Moser and Jeff Itzkow launch campaign to raise money in support of pioneering Israeli treatment using  psychedelic drugs to treat PTSD

Jeff Itzkow & Cathy Moser in Tel Aviv

By MYRON LOVE Psychologist Dr. Cathy Moser and her husband, Jeff Itzkow, a healthcare policy analyst, are leading a campaign to raise money for the Jerusalem Foundation’s new Resilience Centre in Israel’s capital.  Aided in fundraising by longtime friends Donna Weinstein and Gina Chodirker, the Winnipeg couple is pledging to double every dollar donated to the Centre up to $100,000.
According to the Jerusalem Foundation, estimates suggest that over half  a million Israelis are suffering from PTSD as well as other psychological issues since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and ensuing wars. 
“It is not only Israeli soldiers who have been traumatized,” Moser observes.  “Everybody in Israel knows someone who was affected by the attack on October 7.  This past year has triggered trauma from past wars as well as intergenerational trauma from the Holocaust.
In response to this tsunami of trauma that has hit Israelis, soon after the October attack the Jerusalem Foundation founded the Resilience Centre – operating out of the Shaare Zedek Hospital.  The Resilience Centre utilizes a range of treatments for trauma therapy – including the pioneering use of the psychedelic drug ketamine.
Cathy Moser has been treating patients for the past 40 years. During that time, she says, she has treated victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and other horrific life events.  Conventional tools and treatments can successfully treat trauma, but some (traumas)are so barbaric and complex that no matter how skilled a clinician is, we cannot restore one’s “lifeforce,” she points out.
 “In the last few years, I have dedicated myself to learning how to treat the most severe cases of PTSD,” she reports.  “I have learned that there are excellent outcomes with the use of psychedelic drug treatment, and the research in this area is flourishing.”

She points out that people affected by PTSD are typically unable to change the faulty thought patterns caused by witnessing and being impacted by trauma.  “While years of Cognitive Behaviour and other therapies can ameliorate the condition, it remains a vulnerability factor forever.  The psychedelic medicines enable people to let go of the shame and blame that they feel and see the ‘bigger picture’, and their own behaviour in a more rational fashion.”
She says that she first became aware of the potential for using psychedelic drugs in treating PTSD patients last year when she heard an interview with a  cancer patient by the name of Janis Hughes talking about using psilocybin (aka magic mushrooms) to treat her existential anxiety about dying from cancer.
“She said that she had been diagnosed for terminal cancer, given 6 months to live, and couldn’t stop crying for the first 3 months,” Moser reports.  “She had heard that Psilocybin would help, but there was no one to treat her in Winnipeg.  I thought to myself: ‘I can do the training; and pray that it won’t be too late for Janis.’   It turned out that someone who does this kind of work (outside of Health Canada) heard her on the radio and helped her.  I had the honor of meeting Janis  half a year after her diagnosed death prognosis, and she is happily working as an advocate for legalizing psychedelics for therapy. “
Moser subsequently trained with Therapsil, a non-profit organization dedicated to accessing psychedelic medicine and Ppsychotherapy for Canadians.

In her continuing efforts to make a difference, Moser reports, she connected with the Jerusalem Resilience Center.  “I spent time with the team in Israel this past summer and witnessed their treatment efficacy   There are less than a handful of legal psychedelic treatment centers in Israel, and this is a main one.”

At the Jerusalem Resilience Center, she met  Dr. Sinai Oren, the director,  and his team in August. “The staff psychologist had been treating one patient who was a tank operator whose brigade experienced an unexpected attack,” she recounts.  “Tanks have a manually activated deflection device for protection.  Tragically, a decision to move forward occurred seconds before the deflection device was fully engaged, and the tank was blown up. Most of his friends were killed, and he was injured. 
 
“All the therapy in the world was not going to help this guy forgive himself because, under these circumstances, there is a default network that won’t allow the brain to see the situation objectively.  All of the sights and sounds and smells associated with the experience will forever trigger feelings of helplessness, inadequacy, shame and pain that were felt at that moment.
“While conventional therapies will help the individual see the triggers coming and lessen the intensity of responses. the tendency is to regress under challenging life circumstances. Hopefully, using  ketamine can make a difference for this individual.”

The response to Cathy and Jeff’s appeal has been pretty good, Cathy says.  “We have already raised about $40,000 from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation from Vancouver, ” she reports.
She is encouraging readers to donate what they can – no matter whether it’s $18 or $180 or $1,800.  The Jerusalem Foundation can send out Tribute cards for special occasions, or you can send a note of support to friends and family in Israel.  She is also offering to send any donor who is interested two CDs that she produced to help her clients, friends and family overcome stress and anxiety. One CD is about stress management; the other is about overcoming anxiety. (email cathy.g.moser@gmail.com to request the link to receiving the CDs). 
 
“I know that many of us have lost our core sense of well being,” she observes.  “If you find yourself stressed out or overly anxious by what is going on in the world, it is important to engage in these types of self-care practices.”
Readers who want to make a donation to the Jerusalem Resilience Center can go online and type in  https://jerusalemfoundation.org/  hit DONATE – and in the box that asks that for the project to which you would like to donate, specify the Jerusalem Resilience Centre.

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Thank you to the community from the Chesed Shel Emes

We’re delighted to share a major milestone in our Capital Campaign, “Building on our Tradition.” Launched in November 2018, this campaign aimed to replace our outdated facility with a modern space tailored to our unique needs. Our new building is designed with ritual at its core, featuring ample preparation space, Shomer space, and storage, creating a warm and welcoming environment for our community during times of need.

We’re grateful to the nearly 1,000 generous donors who contributed over $4 million towards our new facility. A $750,000 mortgage will be retired in November 2025, completing this monumental project in just seven years.

We’re also thrilled to announce that our Chesed Shel Emes Endowment Fund has grown tenfold, from $15,000 to $150,000, thanks to you, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s FundMatch program, and Million Dollar Match initiative in 2024. Our fund helps ensure that everyone can have a dignified Jewish funeral regardless of financial need.

As we look to the future, our goal remains to ensure the Chevra Kadisha continues to serve our community for generations to come. Our focus now shifts to replenishing our savings account and growing our JFM Endowment fund.

We’re deeply grateful for your support over the past several years.
It’s our privilege to serve our community with care and compassion.

With sincere appreciation,

Campaign cabinet: Hillel Kravetsky, Gerry Pritchard, Stuart Pudavick,
Jack Solomon, and Rena Boroditsky

Murray S. Greenfield, President

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Winnipeg Beach Synagogue about to celebrate 75th anniversary

By BERNIE BELLAN (July 13) In 1950 a group of cottage owners at Winnipeg Beach took it upon themselves to relocate a one-room schoolhouse that was in the Beausejour area to Winnipeg Beach where it became the beach synagogue at the corner of Hazel and Grove.
There it stayed until 1998 when it was moved to its current location at Camp Massad.
On August 2nd members of the synagogue will be holding a 75th anniversary celebration.


As part of the celebration anyone who is a descendant or relative of any of the original members of the first executive committee (as seen in the photo here) is invited to attend the synagogue that morning.
If you are a relative please contact Abe Borzykowski at wpgbeachshule@shaw.ca or aborzykowski@shaw.ca to let Abe know you might be attending or for more information about the 75th anniversary celebration.
We will soon be publishing a story about the history of the beach synagogue, which is something I’ve been writing about for over 25 years.

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Vickar Family cuts ribbon on new Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre

By MYRON LOVE In the words of Larry Vickar, the Shaarey Zedek’s successful Dor V’ Dor Campaign “is not only a renewal of the synagogue but truly a renewal movement of Jewish life in our community.”An integral part of that renewal movement was the creation of a daycare centre within the expanded synagogue.  On Monday, June 23, Larry and Tova Vickar cut the ribbon, thereby officially opening the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre in the presence of 100 of their family members, friends and other supporters of the project.
The short program preceding the morning ribbon-cutting began with a continental breakfast followed by a welcome by both Fanny Levy, Shaarey Zedek’s Board President, and Executive Director Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze. In Elbaze’s remarks, she noted that Larry and Tova wanted their family (including son Stephen and family, who flew in from Florida) and friends at the event to celebrate the opening of the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre, “not because of the accolades, but because, as Larry put it, he hopes that their investment in the congregation will inspire others to do the same.”
“When Larry and I spoke about what this gift meant to him and the message he wanted people to take away,”  she continued, “I couldn’t help but connect it to the teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi whose book – Age-ing to Sage-ing – changes the whole way we look at the concept of ageing and basing it on our ancestral teachings.”
She explained that his concept of “Sage-ing” is based on three key ideas – Discover your meaning and purpose; accept our mortality and think about the legacy you want to leave.
“Larry spoke about these exact concepts when we met,” she said.
Elbaze also noted the presence of Shaarey Zedek’s newly-arrived senior Rabbi Carnie Rose, former Rabbi Alan Green, and area MLAs Mike Moroz and Carla Compton.
Larry Vickar expressed his great appreciation for all those in attendance.  “Tova and I are deeply moved to stand here with you today for this important milestone in our community”, he said. “We are grateful to be surrounded by all of you, the people we care about, our family and friends… you who have touched our lives and played some part in our journey.”

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