Local News
Former Canadian Jacqui Vital tells Winnipeg audience story how her late daughter Adi fought heroically against Hamas terrorists on October 7
By MYRON LOVE As B’nai Brith Winnipeg reminds us every year during Holocaust Remembrance Week,”to every person there is a name.”
When we hear or read numbers – 500,000 people murdered in Syria’s decade long civil war – or an estimated 300,000 dead in Yemen’s civil war – or 25 million Sudanese at risk of starvation, they are just numbers without meaning for most of us.
The same could be said for the 1,200 Israelis massacred by Hamas and their minions on October 7, 2023. For me, personally, the face and name that I put to that horrendous mini-Holocaust was -from the very first news reports, our community’s Vivian Silver. We had known each other since we were seven. We went to school together. In later years, I had grown close to her parents, Meyer and Ros, through our common shul membership, and I would see Vivian at shul when she came to visit. I admired her efforts to foster harmonious relations between Jewish and Arab Israelis and Israelis and Palestinians.
I now have another name and face to picture when I think of the October 7 massacre.
On Tuesday, August 26, I was among 200 fellow Winnipeggers in attendance at the Shaarey Zedek to hear Jacqui Vital tell us about her daughter, Adi. Adi, we were told, had fought valiantly against the terrorists despite impossible odds and died heroically.
“I want people to know that my daughter is not just a number,” Vital said. “She was a wife, a protective and strong mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend. She was a born leader imbued with the spirit of volunteering. She was always true to herself. And she loved the land and people of Israel.”
Jacqui Vital has dedicated the last two years to keeping alive Adi’s memory by speaking about her wherever she can.
Vital’s appearance in Winnipeg – part of a cross-Canada tour – was co-sponsored by the Shaarey Zedek, the Asper Foundation, Bridges for Peace Canada, and the Rady JCC.
Vital was introduced by Kelly Hiebert, a Westwood Collegiate teacher who is dedicated to educating his students about the Holocaust. The speaker began her presentation by reviewing her road to aliyah.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Vital attended the University of Toronto. Fifty years ago she immigrated to Israel. In Israel, she met and married Yaron. The couple had three daughters – with Adi being the youngest – and one son.
Adi and her husband, Anani, had two children: sons Negev – who was three-and –a-half at the time – and Eshel, who was just six months old. Adi was an engineer and cyber-security expert.
As part of her presentation, Jacqui Vital played a video of Adi and another member of the kibbutz speaking about why they decided to move to Holit, a small kibbutz near the Gaza border, and became kibbutzniks. There were also videos of the extended family in happier times –with the last photo from a family gathering on Rosh Hashanah, three weeks before her murder.
In the early hours of Saturday, October 7, 2023, Jacqui Vital said , when Adi heard the first signs of the invasion and recognized that this wasn’t the norm – and with her husband, Anani, somewhere else – she took her sons into the home’s safe room and contacted Anani. There was a rifle in the safe room because Anani was the deputy head of security for the kibbutz. Adi phoned Anani and asked how to load it. When the terrorists began to shoot through the door to the safe room, Adi fired the rifle, killing one of the attackers before the other terrorists killed her.
I have long believed that everyone who survived the Holocaust was saved by a miracle – if not several miracles. In the case of Adi and her family, several miracles followed her killing.
First, among this group of terrorists, there were at least some who retained vestiges of humanity. Instead of murdering the children – as happened in many other cases on that infamous day – the killers spared the children. Not only that, they gave them to the care of a neighbour – Avital Alajem.
Then – a second miracle. This is a story I remember from that time. After taking Avital Alajem and the two boys into Gaza, they stopped before entering the tunnel they had used to enter into Israel, and one of the terrorists inexplicably indicated to Avital that she should turn back with the boys and return to Israel. She was able to return the boys to their father.
Now, Jacqui recounted, she was visiting family in Ottawa around this time. She was scheduled to return to Israel on October 8. Adi’s father, Yaron, had gone to stay with Adi and the boys over Sukkot, while Anani was away.
More miracles: Adi had suggested to her father that he should stay in the kibbutz guest house lest the baby’s cries wake him up at night. At the sound of the commotion outside, he went into the guest house’s safe room and waited… The terrorists never came.
As Jacqui reported, the attackers had a detailed map of the kibbutz and who lived where. The guest house was listed as uninhabited, so they didn’t enter that house. Yaron waited until late in the afternoon when IDF soldiers broke in and he was able to leave.
He went with IDF soldiers to his daughter’s house, Jacqui continued. Inside, they found the body of the terrorist that Adi killed lying on the floor – but no signs of Adi and the kids. They weren’t able to open the door to the safe room wide enough to get in. On the following Tuesday, a different group of IDF soldiers found a back way in and saw Adi’s body – rigged with explosives. If the soldiers had entered through the safe room door, there would have been a massive explosion.
The final miracle, as told by Jacqui: Although Yaron’s car was riddled with bullet holes, it was drivable. The soldiers recommended that he take Road 232 back to Jerusalem. On a hunch, he chose a different route. It turned out that terrorists were firing at cars traveling on 232.
Jacqui reported that there have been several acts of kindness helping to keep the memory of Adi alive. About 1,500 people attended her funeral. Some of Yaron’s students planted a tree in her memory in the yard of the school where Yaron teaches. A couple in Ottawa, who didn’t know Adi,- designed a logo as a tribute to her featuring the head of a lioness – for the boys’ trust fund – the Adi Kaploun-Vital Memorial Fund – which is intended to help support Eshel and Negev.
Any readers who might be interested in donating can go online to the Adi Kaploun-Vital Memorial Fund on Jgive.
Local News
2026 Winnipeg Limmud to offer a smorgasbord of diverse speakers
By MYRON LOVE There are many facets to the study of Judaism and the Jewish people. The focus may be religious or cultural, historical or Israel-oriented – and Winnipeg’s annual Limmud Festival for Jewish Learning has always striven to cover as many angles as possible.
This year’s Limmud program (now in its 16th year) – scheduled for Sunday, March 15 – is following in that path with a diverse group of presenters.
Limmud’s current co-ordinator, Raya Margulets, reports that all of our community’s rabbis – including Rabbi Yossi Benarroch (who lives most of the year in Israel) – will be among the presenters. Topics to be covered by local experts encompass midrash, Jewish identity, antisemitism, conversion, biblical archaeology, textiles, parenting, art, and more.
But it wouldn’t be Limmud without interesting input from out of town personalities.
Perhaps the most prominent of the guest speakers who are confirmed is Yaron Deckel, an Israeli journalist and broadcaster who is currently the Jewish Agency’s Regional Director for Canada. According to a biography provided by Margulets, Deckel is a highly respected Israeli journalist widely known for his insight into Israeli politics, media, and society. Between 2002 and 2007, Yaron served as Washington Bureau Chief for Israeli Public Television. In that role, he covered U.S.–Israel relations and American politics, also interviewed three U.S. presidents: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter. As well, Deckel produced two acclaimed documentaries: “The Israelis” (about the lives of Israelis in North America), and “Jewish Identity in North America.”
From 2012 to 2017, he served as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio), Israel’s leading national public radio station. He also hosted a prime-time weekly political show.
As a senior political correspondent and commentator for Israeli TV and radio, Yaron has covered the past 14 Israeli election campaigns and maintained close relationships with top political and military leaders in Israel. He conducted the last interview with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin—just 10 minutes before his assassination.
Decker is slated to do two presentations. In the morning, he will be speaking about the crossroads that Israel finds in the Middle East currently and what the challenges and possibilities may be.
In the afternoon, his subject will be “Israel after October 7 and the Iran War “ and what may lie ahead.
Also coming in from Toronto are Atarah Derrick, Achiya Klein, and Yahav Barnea.
Barnea is an Israeli-Canadian educator and community builder based in Toronto, with over a decade of experience working in Jewish and Israeli education, engagement, and community development.
Originally from Kibbutz Shomrat in Israel’s Western Galilee, Barnea’s outlook on life has been shaped by kibbutz values and her involvement in the Hashomer Hatza’ir youth movement.
She currently serves as the North America Regional Program Manager for the World Zionist Organization’s Department of Irgoon and Israelis Abroad, where she leads initiatives that strengthen connection, leadership, and communal life among Israelis living outside of Israel..
Barnea holds a Master of Education in Adult Education and Community Development, with a focus on intentional communities, as well as a Bachelor of Education specializing in Democratic Education, meaningful, values-based communities.
Her presentation will be titeld “A Kibbutz in the City – Intentional Communities and Immigration.”
Atarah Derrick is the executive director of the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind, an organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of life of visually impaired Israelis. The charity, the only internationally accredited guide dog program in Israel, was founded in 1991, and today serves Israel’s 24,000 blind and visually impaired citizens.
Achiya Klein is one of the guide dog centre’s beneficiaries. The Israeli veteran was an officer in the IDF combat engineering corps’ elite ‘Yahalom’ unit. In 2013, while on a sensitive mission to disable a tunnel in Gaza, an improvised explosive device was detonated, severely injuring Achiya and robbing him of his vision.
He has been a guide dog client since 2015.
Klein has not allowed his disability to limit his abilities. He competed for the Israeli national team at the Paralympic rowing championship in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
He also earned a Masters Degree in the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy in Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security,at IDC Herzliya.
Klein is married and a father to two boys.
Coming back for a second successive year is Dan Ronis from Saskatoon. A plant breeder and geneticist, Ronis has taken a quite different approach to studying Torah. He has sought out the help of a medium to discern the back stories of Biblical figures.
For readers who may be unsure of who or what a medium is, think Theresa Caputo of television fame. Mediums claim to be able to converse with those who have passed on through a spirit guide. While many may be skeptical, there are also many believers.
Last year Ronis focused on women who played a prominent role in the Torah. This year, he will be discussing the “untold story” of Adam and Eve.
Readers who may be interested in attending Limmud 2026 can go online at limmudwinnipeg.org to register.
Local News
Second annual “Taste of Limmud” a rousing success
By MYRON LOVE “A Taste of Limmud” returned for a second go-round on Thursday, February 19, and I have to commend both Raya Margulets, Winnipeg Limmud’s co-ordinator, as well as the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue’s catering department, for an outstanding culinary experience delivered with flawless efficiency.
“Tonight’s Taste of Limmud showcases our diversity as a community and our unity as we come together to break bread,” observed Rena Secter Elbaze, Shaarey Zedek’s executive director, just prior to leading the guests in hamotzi.
The evening featured a sampling of Jewish staple dishes representing Jewish life in six different regions where Jews had settled over the centuries. The choice of dishes also reflected how diversified our Jewish community has become over the past 25 years.
In her opening remarks, Margulets welcomed her 130 guests. “After last year’s success,” she said many of you asked us to bring it back, and we’re delighted to do so, so welcome again. Today’s celebration is all about sharing stories, connections, and flavours, and it is brought to you in partnership with Congregation Shaarey Zedek and with the support of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
“We would like to take a moment and express our heartfelt gratitude to Congregation Shaarey Zedek for their amazing partnership, to Joel, the Head Chef at Shaarey Zedek, and his fantastic staff for their contributions, and to all the volunteers who made tonight possible,” Margulets said.
“Thank you all for joining us tonight. Savour the flavours, the stories, and the connections as we celebrate the richness of Jewish cuisine and community together.
“Whether you’re returning or attending for the first time,” she continued, “we’re excited to stir up a wonderful evening with old and new friends. Some of you may have realized it already, but the name Taste of Limmud has a double meaning. While, yes, this event is all about taste and sampling Jewish flavours from around the world, it is also a tiny glimpse, in other words, a taste, into our established annual Limmud Festival.”
Limmud, she explained – the Hebrew word for “learning”, is a volunteer-run organization that celebrates Jewish learning, thought, and culture. It’s a conference where participants have a choice of dozens of sessions led by rabbis, scholars, artists, authors, and community members. At Limmud, everyone can be a teacher and a student, in other words, more fitting with tonight’s theme, everyone has something to add to the recipe.
Margulets then introduced the “talented cooks from our very own community who prepared the dishes”: Mazi Frank, who presented a “delicious” Mussakah, a Turkish classic; Adriana Vegh-Levy and Karina Izbizky who brought a “tasty” Pletzalej, a type of bread that the forebears of today’s Argenitnian Jewish community brought with them from Poland; Karen Ackerman, with a special Hard Honey Cake; Naama Samphir, who presented a tasty Yemenite Hawaij soup (and that’s right – Hawaij – not Hawaii; Hawaij is Iraqi); Kseniya Revzin ,sharing a rich Kubbete, a savory pie from the Crimean Karaites; and Ruth Harari, (who wasn’t able to join her sister cooks) who had prepared Mujadara, a flavourful lentil-and-rice dish from Aleppo, Syria.
“We would like to take a moment and express our heartfelt gratitude to Congregation Shaarey Zedek for their amazing partnership, to Joel, the Head Chef at Shaarey Zedek, and his fantastic staff for their contributions, and to all the volunteers who made tonight possible,” Raya Margulets concluded.
“Thank you all for joining us tonight. Savour the flavours, the stories, and the connections as we celebrate the richness of Jewish cuisine and community together.”
The six samplings were dished out – one at a time – in either small paper plates or cups with the paper removed after each tasting.
The first recipe to be presented was pletzalej onion bread. As was the pattern for each tasting, the first food presented was preceded by a brief overview of the history of Argentina’s Jewish community and its connection with its local contributor, followed by a plezelaj bun with a piece of meat inside .
Next up was a taste of Hawaij soup, a Shabbat and Yom Tov staple of Yemen’s former centuries-old Jewish community, most of whom are now in Israel. The soup included piecesof chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, tomato and several spices. Hawaij is a spice mixture consisting of cumin, black pepper, turmeric and cardamom.
Mussakah comes from Turkey – also a homeland for Jews for hundreds of years. It is a mixture of layered eggplant, beef, savoury tomato sauce and spices and is typically served with rice or a piece of bread.
Mujadara is a product of the ancient Syrian city of Aleppo, one of the world’s oldest cities and formerly home for thousands of years to a once thriving Jewish community. The recipe calls for lentils, basmati rice, onions and spices.
Kubbete is a puff pastry originally from Crimea, where the local Jewish community picked it up from the surrounding Tatar population. The pastry is filled with beef (as was the case that evening) or lamb, onions, potatoes and peppercorn, with paprika added for taste.
The last item on the menu was hard honey cake. “This was my baba’s recipem which she brought with her from Ukraine in the 1920s,” noted Karen Ackerman. “Jews like my baba (Chava Portnoy) have lived in Ukraine for over 1,000 years and they used the local buckwheat honey in their honey cake.
“I am honoured to be able to share this recipe with you,” she said.
All the presenters spoke of how the recipes that had been passed down through the generations connected them with home and family and memories of their babas.
I once had a cousin who, after enjoying a hearty meal, would say: “Good Sample. When do we eat? Well, after the sampling, it really was time for a late supper – the main course – and it was a perfect way to end the evening feasting on pita filled with veggies, falafel balls and humus and French fries with a choice of coffee cake or chocolate cake for dessert.
I ‘m really looking forward to next year’s “Taste of Limmud”.
Local News
New kosher caterer providing traditional Israeli foods for Winnipeg palates
By MYRON LOVE The Israeli community in Winnipeg continues to grow and enrich our community. Among the most recent arrivals are Maxim and Olga Markov – along with their children, who settled here less than two years ago. What the Markovs are contributing to our community is a new kosher catering operation – Bravo Good Food – that specializes in traditional Israeli fare.
The senior Markovs are both originally from Ukraine. They came with their families in the early 1990s when they were young teenagers. For the last several years before moving to Winnipeg, they lived in Afula in north central Israel.
After their arrival in Winnipeg, Olga worked for a time in the Chabad kitchen; Yural still works in the Chabad daycare – while Maxim took a job with an HVAC company.
Maxim’s passion however, and his life’s work has been in food preparation. He points out that he worked in the business for 17 years in Israel. In the early part of his career, he was head chef in a dairy restaurant. He was also a cook in wedding halls preparing food for as many as 1,000 guests.
In more recent years, he worked in a private hospital kitchen where, he notes, he gained experience with dietary menus and healthy food options.
“What we do at Bravo,” he says, “is provide our clientele with the authentic taste of the Middle East. We cook traditional dishes, using only fresh ingredients, with our own original recipes.”
Operating out of the Adas Yeshurun-Herzlia kitchen, Bravo’s menu (which readers can view on its website – bravogoodfood.com) features such well known Israeli items as falafel balls and humus, mini shislek (with chicken) on skewers, beef kebabs on cinnamon sticks, and friend eggplant with tahini.
But there is much more to choose from.
Start with salads.
You can choose from coleslaw, purple cabbage salad, beet salad with pears, celery and parsley, mushroom salad, and green herb salad.
Main course options include beef meatballs and tomato sauce with a trio of fish dishes – salmon, Moroccan fish, and custom fried fish. Also available are a broccoli casserole, pasta, and spaghetti.
Bravo also offers a corporate menu featuring a choice of continental or executive breakfast, full breakfast buffet or a buffet of mini sandwiches – and an events menu.
Maxim adds that Bravo offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options.
Olga notes that individual dishes or baking can be ready for the next day. “If it’s a small event like a family dinner, we need at least three days in advance, provided the date is available,” she says. “If it’s a large event – then we need at least a week in advance notice.”
“We are not just providing food,” Maxim says. “We are creating an atmosphere. Our catering makes your event unforgettable through taste, freshness and hospitality.”