Local News
Friends of Israel hold “Honour Israel Night”
By BERNIE BELLAN Friends of Israel is a Christian non-evangelical organization dedicated to providing support for the State of Israel. Founded in 1938 by a group of concerned Christians in Philadelphia who had just witnessed the Nazi savagery of Kristallnacht, FOI actually predated the founding of the State of Israel by 10 years.
On September 22 FOI held what was called “Honour Israel Night” at a small church in west St. James. The event had been much postponed as a result of Covid – and the fact that the evening marked the 74th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel might have seemed a little odd to attendees – considering that Yom Ha’atsmaut fell this year on May 6. Still, as organizer John Plantz noted in remarks made to attendees, “better late than never.”
The small basement hall of New Life Sanctuary Church was packed with individuals who were either there because they support FOI or because, as was the case with representatives of Canadian Friends of Magen David Adom, they have a special relationship with FOI. It wasn’t quite the setting that the Victoria Inn provided the last time FOI held an Honour Israel Night, which was in October 2018, but it was a “haimesh” (not an “Amish”) atmosphere.
Also, similar to that FOI event four years ago, this most recent evening also marked the donation of an ambulance scooter to Canadian Magen David Adom – this time through the combined efforts of Larry and Tove Vickar, along with FOI. (The cost of an ambulance scooter is $40,000, we were told, of which Larry and Tove contributed half.) By the way, the ambulance scooter that was donated in 2018 was donated by Helen Atnikov, who passed last year. And, speaking of ambulances donated to CMDA, we would be remiss not to mention again the incredible generosity of Ida and Saul Alpern who have donated not one, but two ambulances to CMDA.
One further note: FOI worldwide has now donated six ambulances and six ambulance scooters to Magen David Adom.
The evening was a somewhat odd outpouring of love and affection for the Jewish people who, we were reminded several times, are God’s “chosen people” and to whom the land of Israel was promised in the Bible. (Not that I needed to reiterate that point, but in all honesty, I’m not entirely comfortable hearing that we have a “God-given right” to Israel. Over to you, Myron, for a fierce rebuttal.)
What the evening also included was a speech by Rady JCC executive director Rob Berkowits – who told me beforehand that he wasn’t quite sure why he was asked to be the special guest speaker.
But, Rob proved to be an eloquent speaker after all. He wove together his own initial familiarity with Israel when he was an evening student at the Rosh Pina many moons ago when the Jewish National Fund would hold an annual quiz for students, testing their knowledge about Israel. Rob told the audience that he always “aced” those tests and a certificate he won for finishing first one year was proudly hung on his bedroom wall.
Rob also told of his father, Alex – who was a Holocaust survivor, and Alex’s own love for Israel. “When there was a story about Israel on the news,” Rob said, “my father would tell me, my brother and my two sisters, to immediately keep quiet.”
In 2011 Rob became executive director of the Manitoba-Saskatchewan branch of the JNF. He had already been to Israel several times before, but he related that “the more I learned about Israel, the more I fell in love with Israel.”
In 2015 Rob moved over to the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba where, he explained, “I was tasked to grow the assets of the Foundation” which, at the time he joined, were $100 million. Four years later, Rob had helped grow those assets by an additional $20 million, he said.
As part of his duties, Rob noted, “I worked with specific donors to show them specific opportunities” where a donation to the Foundation could have immediate and practical effects. One time, Rob continued, “I took one donor to Israel. He had never been before.” That donor was so impressed with what he saw on that trip that he “funded a synagogue” in an Israeli town.
Following Rob’s remarks, there were speeches by other officials from Friends of Israel. I have to admit I was confused though, when two of those individuals related that they found out later in life that they were Jewish – and they now refer to themselves as “Jews.” I don’t want to get into this whole paradox of “Jews who accept Jesus as their saviour,” but suffice to say that it’s not an easy concept to wrap your head around.
Still, when audience members were asked to pick up the Israeli flags that had been placed in the centre pieces on each table and wave them, it was something to see.
I’m not sure how well this evening would have gone over with critics of Israel – of whom many are readers of this paper. But – thanks for the cake, John (Plantz). It was delicious.
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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.”
