Local News
Dora Ben-Zhion now at the helm of Grandma Alla’s
By REBECA KUROPATWA
For many who have had the opportunity to taste Grandma Alla’s baking and cooking, you may already know how good it is.
But, what may be news is that Grandma Alla (Golinkin), retired last July. Fortunately, her assistant, Dora Ben-Zhion, has gradually stepped into filling in for all of Grandma Alla’s baking fans’ needs – baking up a storm, especially over the holidays.
Born in Russia, at the age of 10 Dora moved to Petah Tikva with her family. Instead of doing army service, she did national service (Sherut Leumi).
In 2013, Dora moved with her family to Winnipeg and began working at the Winnipeg Convention Centre kitchen, before joining Chabad four years ago.
“I started to work just two times a week as a helper,” said Ben-Zhion. “Eventually, I was working all week, doing more baking than anything else. And, once Alla left, I was promoted to kitchen manager. I do the baking and we have a chef who does all the other dishes we offer.”
Their all-Kosher menu is extensive, with many Jewish and beyond favourites, but it also includes a lot of Israeli dishes that Chef Dov Korkh has been adding to the menu. Items are either Kosher-parve or Kosher-meat. There are no menu items containing dairy. The kitchen also offers gluten-free and nut-free options, with their main focus being on customer satisfaction and meeting/exceeding their expectations.
“We did some Chanukah specialties like sufganiot, latkes, and Chanukah cookies,” Dora noted. “We also do hamentashen, rugalach, honey cakes, and cookies…different kinds, depending on the holiday or the customer request. My favourites are sweet things – I love sweet.”
Dora described her home kitchen as being a place of a bit of happy mayhem, with her love for baking and sweets, and her husband’s obsessive insistence on not eating any baked goods and sweets. “He only eats steak and protein,” she said.
According to her husband, Ron, “Her [Dora’s] baked goods are out of this world, and if I wasn’t on a Keto-style diet, I would definitely be her biggest customer!”
With Corona-19 and gathering restrictions, all events that Chabad’s kitchen ordinarily caters have been cancelled. So, instead, their focus has shifted to takeout only.
But, Ben-Zhion is not complaining, as she gets plenty of return clientele along with new customers daily. “We’re still busy, but not like last year, because we don’t have events to cater,” she said. “But the extra time has given us an opportunity to rethink what we offer and tweak the menu.”
For more information and/to see the kitchen’s menu, visit
https://www.chabadwinnipeg.org/media/.
Local News
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
Local News
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.
Local News
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.”