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.”
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First year medical student Tim Rozovsky founds new association for local Jewish medical students
By MYRON LOVE In the face of a concerning surge in antisemitism over the past nearly three years, I am happy to report a good news story in that regard. Tim Rozovsky, the founder of the new Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba, reports that he and his fellow Jewish students enrolled in the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine are not experiencing any significant issues involving antisemitism.
Hopefully, the matter of the notorious Med school Valedictorian who used his podium to attack Israel was a one-off.
“My goal in forming the Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba,” says the first year medical student, “was to create a safe, supportive environment for my fellow Jewish medical students.”
He reports that the current first year class at the school has eight Jewish students – an increase over more recent years – with maybe a dozen more in the other years.
For a new medical student, Rozovsky already has an impressive resume. He was born in Russia and grew up in Israel. After the completion of his army service in 2018, the then-22-year-old rejoined his parents, Dr. Katya and Alexander, who had moved to Winnipeg a few years before.
Prior to coming to Winnipeg, Rozovsky had completed a personal trainer program out of The Academic College at Wingate in Jerusalem. Some readers may know the young man from his work as a Master Personal Trainer at the Rady JCC.
Shortly after arriving here, he enrolled in a kinesiology program at the University of Winnipeg. He graduated with a BKin Honours in 2023 and did post graduate work at the University of Manitoba. Last fall, he received his MSc in Physiology and Pathophysiology – earning two gold medals, along with 32 awards and scholarships in the process.
Rozovsky says that it was his mother who inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. Dr. Katya Rozovsky is an associate professor at the University of Manitoba and an attending radiologist, specializing in pediatric diagnostic imaging.
(Tim also adds that his wife, Irina Gelzin, whom he married about a year ago, is training to be a nurse.)
Insofar as the Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba is concerned, Rozovky reports that the group gets together multiple times a year. One of its programs was a joint Chanukah celebration with the Jewish Physicians Association of Manitoba.
There was also a joint program with the Christian Medical and Dental Students’ Association of Manitoba.
“More recently, we have been helping prospective Jewish medical students with their applications,” he says. “Hopefully we will be able to get together over the summer with the incoming Jewish students.”
As to his own future plans, Rozovsky notes that it is too early for him to be deciding on a specialty. “My goal,” he says, “is to work hard and get good grades and become the best doctor that I can be.”
Local News
Gray Academy to Represent Manitoba at National Reach for the Top Competition
By NOAH STRAUSS Posted June 6) Gray Academy’s Reach for the Top team is headed to Moncton, New Brunswick, to represent Manitoba at the National Reach for the Top tournament.
Reach for the Top is a Canadian school league that quizzes teenagers on a variety of different topics, from science and history to pop culture. Reach started out in 1961 in Vancouver, where a local CBC station broadcasted the new show; it eventually became a national broadcast starting in 1966. Alex Trebek, who famously hosted Jeopardy!, started out by hosting Reach for the Top.
Gray Academy’s very own team, made up of Grade 7 and 8 students, will travel to Moncton, New Brunswick, to compete as Team Manitoba. By winning the provincial Reach tournament, they secured their spot in the national competition.
Faculty members at Gray Academy are very supportive of the program. The Jewish Post spoke with three different staff members at the school. Coach and high school teacher Danielle Miller says she is excited for the trip; although she will not be accompanying the team herself, shehas coached them all year.
“This year we had over 20 students come to the club to join us, they practice twice a cycle at lunch,” Miller said. Due to the large turnout this year, two teams had to be formed. At lunch practices, students split into two teams of four where each player has a buzzer. The two teams compete to see who can answer the most questions correctly.
One of the two teams did exceptionally well at various tournaments throughout the year and will be traveling to nationals as the sole team representing Manitoba.
Co-coach Micah Doerksen described Reach as a great academic competition where young minds are tested on various topics through quick,fast-paced questions.
High school guidance counselor Lindsey Leipsic said, “We have athletes, non-athletes, we have students who are really involved and students who are not as involved at school, and we have quiet leaders, and we’ve seen friendships be built in Reach.” Some of her favorite memories of Reach involve seeing students from across Winnipeg come to Gray Academy and bond with one another. Lev Chisick, who is competing at nationals, agreed, saying, “Moncton is going to strengthen our school spirit and make us a better team.”
As the junior team makes their way to Moncton, the senior team will head to provincials. Later this week, students from the senior team will travel to Virden, Manitoba, to compete at the provincial level. The team qualified after placing high enough at their most recent tournament, which took place at St. Paul’s.
Confidence is high as the school heads into these final tournaments. When Nath Goldenberg, who is also competing at nationals, was asked what he is most looking forward to, his answer was short and sweet:“Winning.”
