Local News
David Greaves now at the helm of JNF Winnipeg
By REBECA KUROPATWA
David Greaves has recently been appointed executive director of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Winnipeg, another positive step on his noteworthy journey in supporting Israel and the Jewish community.
It was almost 20 years ago, in 2002, that Greaves founded the Israeli National Bobsleigh Team. That sparked his decision to become an Israeli citizen.
“Seeing the Star of David amongst all the other countries, wherever we happened to be – Germany, North America – it was always really powerful to me,” said Greaves. “That sort of ignited something or added fuel to the Jewish pilot light that was inside of me. And it led me to want to be more involved in community when I got back to Winnipeg.”
Greaves worked with the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg (JFW) and the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba (JFM) before deciding six years ago to open Protexia, a consulting business that helps charitable non-profits take their fundraising performance to the next level.
“But, I’ve always said that, as much as I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go back to a desk job, I felt if the right opportunity came along, that I would consider it,” said Greaves aboutj his new role with the JNF.
“I was grateful to bump into Larry Vickar recently, and he mentioned that this position at JNF was available, as Ariel Karbelnikoff had left.”
Greaves decided to put his business venture aside to take on the role at the JNF, though he is keeping Protezia going, managing it from afar, with his colleagues running the day-to-day operations.
While Greaves still volunteers as head of the Israeli National Bobsleigh team, he is now also focused on Israel during his working hours – something he describes as “a dream come true.
“It’s been a really great feeling to see people comment or send messages like, ‘It’s a perfect fit,’ ‘I’m so happy for you,’ and ‘I couldn’t think of anyone else for this job.’ Those kinds of comments reassure me that I made the right choice…and also, that people know me as someone who is committed to Israel.”
With the Winnipeg JNF telethon that took place on February 2nd and the JNF Gala coming up this spring, Greaves has his work cut out for him. Yet from the local and national JNF staff, he has received tremendous support.
“The staff here is great,” said Greaves. “I’m really happy and grateful that they have their acts together, so to speak. They are well versed in everything…if I need something, they know where to find it.”
This year, the JNF Gala is set to take place on May 26, with a performance by Israeli singer/songwriter, David Broza, accompanied by members of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO). The evening will honour Dr. Ted Lyons in support of the Beit KKL-Canada House Community Centre that is being built in Sderot.
“It’s kind of an after-school community center for tweens and teens that allow them to focus on some specialities they might be interested in, like science and technology,” said Greaves. “There’s a few being built across the country. There’s one in northern Israel (Nof Hagallil) where Ted [Lyons] and his wife visited a few weeks ago.” A short video of the Nof Hagallil build is available here: https://youtu.be/mYjeOePIS0o.
“They [the Lyons] were just overwhelmed by the kids and the people they talked to,” said Greaves. “They also went down to meet the mayor of Sderot, to see the land where the JNF Canada has taken on the project to build this facility.”
More than anything, Greaves is aiming to work on community cohesion in his new role.
“At the end of the day, we have a responsibility, as the organizations or the fundraisers in the community, to help facilitate the amazing donor community that we have here,” he said. “So, wherever it is that our donors want to have an impact, all of us have to work together to make sure that our donors can do what they want to do.
“The more people we have donating and supporting Jewish causes – and I include Israel in that, the better community we are, and the stronger community we are. That’s going to be my message going forward as I talk to all the other agencies and organizations that do the same thing that I do. We are really all in the same boat.
“I’m excited about the leadership of our community and about the generation that’s taking over now from the generation that’s done amazing work for us until now.”
Local News
Nakba exhbit at CMHR – you can see it right here and make your own assessment
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted June 26, updated July 19) The Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Exhibit for Human Rights opened to the public June 27. The morning before the exhibit was set to open to the public, (it had a private opening for invited guests the evening of June 26) we received a press release from the CMHR. That press release gave a very detailed description of what was in the exhibit, along with photos (supplied by Annie Kierans of the CMHR).
There is also a link right at the beginning of the press release that will allow you to watch the same videos that anyone attending the exhibit can watch. We reprinted what was sent to us without making one edit. We leave it to you to form your own opinion as to whether the exhibit is fair in its presentation, and whether it is lacking “context” – which is an accusation that has been levelled at the exhibit’s organizers by some representatives of Jewish organizations.
We have received many emails in reaction to the exhibit. If you have an opinion and would like to see it published on this website, you can send it to jewishp@mymts.net, but please indicate whether you would be willing to have it published on this website.
Here is what we received the morning of June 26:
Winnipeg, MB — June 26, 2026 — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will open a new exhibit tomorrow that explores human rights violations related to the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian Canadians.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present will be on display in the Rights Today gallery on Level 5 until 2028. Featuring personal stories told through artifacts and video testimonies, the exhibit presents Palestinian Canadians reflecting on their ongoing struggle for human rights. The small exhibit reveals enduring patterns of loss and resilience, helping visitors understand more about this contemporary human rights story.
Palestinian Canadian stories are now included alongside many other stories of forced displacement and human rights violations featured in the Museum’s galleries. Each of these stories contribute to our visitors understanding of human rights and help the Museum fulfill its mandate to foster reflection and dialogue.
Exhibition highlights
Personal stories and artifacts: Experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian Canadians sharing their journeys of displacement and memory through a series of five artifacts. Cases display artifacts like property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, accompanied by short videos that deepen understanding of the impacts of displacement.
Powerful artworks: In her painting Bound Together in Gaza, Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist, captures the struggles and resilience of her generation shaped by conflict. Her work pays homage to Guernica, Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Curfews and Closures, by Rajie Cook, bears witness to life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when curfews and closures were expanded and further limited basic rights and freedoms.
Cultural heritage: Discover traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. Tatreez motifs and colours are tied to place, family history and regional identity. Patterns are associated with particular towns, villages or areas of Palestine. In this way, tatreez is a form of storytelling: a way of preserving memory, sustaining identity and expressing resilience across displacement and exile.
Poetry and reflection: Engage with Mahmoud Darwish’s evocative verses, inspiring personal reflection on exile, voice, and responsibility. Visitors can take a card containing Darwish’s poem and add a personal note, fostering ongoing dialogue beyond the exhibit.
Contemporary context: Witness striking images of current events in Gaza and the West Bank, connecting past displacement to ongoing struggles.
Quotes:
“No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.” -Fouad Sahyoun, a Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit
“We developed this exhibit with a clear awareness that Palestinian Canadian voices have too often been marginalized, silenced or spoken over — and that anti-Palestinian racism affects whose stories are heard and whose suffering is recognized. That is why we intentionally centred Palestinian Canadian voices throughout the exhibit.” -Isabelle Masson, Curator of Palestine Uprooted
“Human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient, when the question of who deserves the dignity of having their rights recognized is genuinely contested. These are the moments where having a national museum for human rights is most important.
There are people who believe this exhibit should not exist in its current form. There are people who believe it should have existed sooner. There are people who will visit this exhibit and feel that it does not say enough, and others who will feel it says too much.
We have listened to every one of these voices. We have reflected. And we have renewed our resolve to continue the difficult, sometimes contested, and often controversial work of building understanding about human rights. We are a museum grounded in Canada’s human rights framework, whose mandate requires us to bear witness to the full complexity of the human story. We are proud to open this exhibit because the story it tells will help achieve that mandate, and because this story belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
- – Isha Khan, CEO
Local News
A photo that’s being circulated on the internet about me
For those of you not familiar with nutjob Michael Kalo – the psycho who created the notorious “$hitler’s List” years ago and the same psycho who went after Ben Carr, well – now he’s obviously taken a strong disliking to the stance I’ve taken on the Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (You can read elsewhere on this website how I simply posted the entire exhibit as it is – and asked readers to form their own opinions.)
Kalo likes to send out emails to various individual using phony names – such as Frank Ostrowski. When people ask me (or asked Ben Carr) why we don’t take action against him, my answer is: What’s the use? He only basks in the attention.
So Michael – enjoy the attention you’re receiving. I know how much of an embarrassment you are to your wonderfully talented daughters.
Local News
Ami Hassan returning as owner of Falafel Place
By BERNIE BELLAN In a surprise move – and after more than a six-year absence as owner of Falafel Place (Corydon at Wilton) the legendary Ami Hassan has decided to return as owner of one of Winnipeg’s most famous eateries.
Long known for his sometimes irreverent attitude to his customers, e.g., “If you’re finished, get out!”, Ami decided to return to running Falafel Place after having retired years ago (or so he thought) from running the Corydon Avenue restaurant.
We asked Ami whether he’ll be sending a special invitation to Julia Roberts to come visit him at Falafel Place. He asked again: “Who’s Julia Roberts?” (Just kidding – he really does know how Julia Roberts is.) Read the story how Ami told her to leave the restaurant and come back later at Julia Roberts turned away from Falafel Place
Ami did note that when customers saw him inside the restaurant one recent day as he was getting it ready for the reopening Monday, August 10, over 20 of them came in asking him if he was open already.
We asked Ami whether the menu will be the same as it was when he last ran the place and he said everything will be the same.
Falafel Place will be open 7 days a week from 7 am – 2 pm. Remember, if you’re finished – get out!
