Local News
Government of Manitoba Recognizes Jewish Awareness Month
By MYRON LOVE Over nearly 150 years of Jewish life in Manitoba our community has produced a great many individuals who have enriched the life of our fellow Manitobans and beyond. On Monday, May 11, members of our community gathered in the rotunda at the Legislature to celebrate the province’s designation of May as Jewish Heritage Month.
In her remarks on the occasion, Carrie Shenkarow, Chair of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, noted that Manitoba first recognized May as Jewish Heritage Month in 2022 – joining the Federal Government and other Canadian provinces in celebrating the contributions of Jewish communities to our country ‘s history and identity.
“Early Jewish settlers,” she said, “arrived seeking opportunity and a fresh start. Through perseverance, hard work and a deep commitment to community, they helped build the province we know today.”
Shenkarow noted that “our community has contributed to Manitoba in countless ways through business, public service, education, healthcare, the arts, philanthropy and volunteerism.”
Following up on that theme, Belle Jarniewski, the Executive Director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada and the Manitoba Institute to Combat Antisemitism, enumerated many of those outstanding Jewish Manitobans, including – in the area of philanthropy, names such as: Asper, Gray, Rady, Blankstein, Niznick, Vickar, and Kanee.
Among the top ranks of outstanding Jewish Winnipeggers were: Sol Kanee – a force in national politics and a leader of world Jewry for half a century; Maitland Steinkopf, the first Jewish provincial cabinet minister (in the 1960s Duff Roblin Government) and the man who built the Centennial Concert Hall; Mr. Justice Samuel Freedman – the first Jewish Chief Justice of Manitoba;. Israel Asper, who not only served as leader of the provincial Liberal Party – but was also the visionary – along with his daughter, Gail – to build the Canadian Museum for Human Rights: Jim Carr, who was both an MLA and leader of the provincial Liberal Party as well as a prominent cabinet minister in the Justin Trudeau Government; Anita Neville, former Federal Liberal member of Parliament and our first Jewish Lieutenant-Governor; and the incomparable Monty Hall – the longtime host of “Let’s Make a Deal” and arguably our community’s best known export.
Jarniewski further listed outstanding doctors and lawyers, author and artists, musicians, composers, artistic directors, actors and performers whom our Jewish community has produced over the decades.
Carrie Shenkarow noted that the story of Jewish life in Manitoba has always been one of renewal and growth. “When our community faced population decline late in the 20th century, community leaders took action,” she recalled. “The opening of the Asper Jewish Community campus in 1997 and the launch of the GrowWinnipeg initiative helped revitalize Jewish life in our province.
“Working in partnership with the Provence of Manitoba,” she continued, “our community welcomed Jewish families from around the world. Since the GrowWinnipeg launch, more than 6,000 people have made Winnipeg their home, strengthening both our Jewish community and Manitoba as a whole.
“As we reflect on the first Jewish settlers who arrived here generations ago,” she commented, “I believe they would be proud to see the vibrant thriving community that exists today and to see Jewish Heritage Month recognized here at the Manitoba Legislative Building.”
Even amidst the warm feelings expressed by all the speakers at the event – including Gustavo Zentner, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ vice president, Manitoba and Saskatchewan; Liberal member of Parliament Ben Carr (Winnipeg South Centre); NDP MLAs Mike Moroz (River Heights) and Carla Compton (Tuxedo) – who served as emcee – both Shenkarow and Jarniewski raised the troubling concerns about an upsurge in antisemitism that we have been facing in recent years.
“All is not well for Jewish Manitobans today” Jarniewski observed. “We worry about the safety of our children and grandchildren.”
She reported that Jewish Canadians are 25 times more likely to experience a hate crime than any other group. “We have witnessed protests that include Holocaust inversion and even outright threats,” Jarniewski said. “We have been victims of harassment, demonization and hate crimes. Jewish children in public schools have suffered emotional and physical violence and are blamed for a war happening half a world away. Security has become an important and even overriding issue at all our community institutions.”
On the other hand, Shenkarow commented, recent events have “galvanized Jewish communities around the world and strengthened our connection to Jewish identity, community and peoplehood.”
She also spoke of the “tremendous solidarity here in Manitoba from friends, neighbours, elected officials and community partners who have stood with us and reaffirmed our shared values of respect, inclusion and dignity.”
Final remarks were delivered by MLA Mike Moroz: “Jewish heritage is not merely an amalgamation of celebrations,” he observed, “but a testament of difficulties, conflict, and ultimately, the truth. And the truth is that antisemitism is not a historical tale of the past. It still rears its ugliness today, through stereotypes, online hate, acts of vandalism and violence. The truth is also that antisemitism evolves, adapts, and even at times may disguise itself in language that may be difficult to immediately recognize. This is where our collective action towards creating awareness and education matters.
“Any group of people targeted because of their identity or ethnicity is an affront to the core values of respect, equality, diversity, and dignity that so many Manitobans cherish,” he continued.
Moroz added that “here in Manitoba, we have a collective responsibility to confront all forms of hate or discrimination for any targeted group. Awareness not only includes education but also understanding and challenging the many forms of antisemitism. It requires us to collectively confront misinformation, speak up when we are faced with harmful language and together – stand against indifference. It is important to know that while silence may allow prejudice to grow, creating awareness will disrupt it.
“Jewish Heritage Month,” he concluded, “invites us to engage more deeply in the values that continue to advance humanity for the common good. To understand traditions and values that positively impact on our communities. To collectively honour the past, while shaping a better future for us and leaving a proud legacy for those who come after us”.
“As we mark Jewish Heritage Month, I hope that each of us will not only commit to commemoration but to action as well. Together, we can celebrate accomplishments, confront hate with truth, and strengthen our resolve to build a Manitoba where everyone feels safe, valued, and welcomed.”
Local News
Fringe Festival star Melanie Gall to appear at Gwen Secter Centre July 16
By BERNIE BELLAN A veteran performer at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Melanie Gall, will be making a special guest appearance at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, July 16.
Melanie will be the featured speaker (and entertainer) for the Remis Speakers’ Series that day. The Remis Speakers’ Series is held every Thursday starting at noon and ending at 1:30. This year’s series began May 7 and will continue through the end of October. This year it has been attracting increasingly large audiences – ranging from 40-60 people, as it offers attendees the opportunity to enjoy a delicious – and kosher lunch, while listening to a very diverse variety of speakers – all the way from Gail Asper talking about returning the Ten Commandments to Assiniboine Park to Rabbi Matthew Leibl performing Christmas songs that were written by Jewish songwriters. At the same time it provides those attending a chance to make new acquaintances – or perhaps bump into old friends they haven’t seen in a long time.
Melanie Gall’s own story is sure to be riveting. I’ve written about Melanie in the past, but the past two summers had been especially nerve wracking for Melanie, as she was subjected to a torrent of antisemitic abuse over her support for the State of Israel.
You can read my story about what Melanie went through during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival – both in 2024 and again last year, at Melanie Gall subjected to antisemitic abuse.
Melanie, who will be entering her 13th year of performing at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, will be peforming in only one show this year – a departure from her past practice of performing in multiple shows (as many as three different shows) during the Fringe Festival.
Elsewhere on this website we’ll be offering a preview of Melanie’s show (which is called “The Ballad of Isobel Gunn” and which is based on an incredible, but true story), along with previews of several other shows.
In the meantime, if you’re not already a member of the Remis Speakers’ Series group, but would ike to attend this coming Thursday, simply email us at jewishp@mymts.net and we’ll reserve a spot for you. The cost for the lunch is only $20.
The Gwen Secter Centre is located at 1588 Main Street (corner of Smithfield). There is parking available on a lot behind the centre or on the street.
Local News
Folk Festival Report
(Posted July 10) During this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival we’re going to be running an ongoing blog report – with photos and blurbs from the festival, sent to us by our Folk Fest correspondent Heather Silbert.
Here’s Heather’s first entry (sent Friday at 3:33 pm): “It’s a hot hot day at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival! Lots of people; lots of good vibes; and an abundance of awesome music!!”
“We just moved to spruce hollow. Nice and shady. listening to Jacob Brodovsky.”
4:21 pm: “Jacob just announced that he lost his job and received a lot of vitriol from the Jewish Community because he’s a Jewish person who believes that Palestinian and Jewish lives are intertwined, and he is against genocide. He is very deeply feeling, and expresses all these big feelings through his songs. I want to give him a hug, but it’s so hot outside!”
5:33 pm: The inscription in the plaque below begins with some lines from a Bruce Cockburn song called “Joy Will Find a Way (A Song About Dying)”: and continues with: “Memory Lane honours those who are no longer with us but whose presence lives on in the music, memories and moments we share here…”
7:06 pm “Gorgeous hand made polymer clay jewelry! Amanda Greisman makes gorgeous pieces that can be worn across many occasions! And she’s so so nice!” (See her booth called “Blue Sky Jewelry.”)
(Posted July 11, 4:20 pm) “Would you drive your bike to BHP for FF in this weather? I would drive here, but not sure if I’d have enough steam to bike home!”
“There’s aren’t any flower/leaf art installations this year(that I’ve found!) but loving the fairy village!!”
“It’s another sweltering day. Bright blue sky and a light Breeze. Cat Clyde is rocking it out at Bur Oakbank!! Loving it!!”
8:04 pm: “Snacktime! Excellent energy, good time! We’re sitting 2 tarp rows in front of the frog to the left of the Canadian flag. (Total FF directions! LOL!)”
Local News
New GrowWinnipeg “Grow Together” highlights diverse origins of our growing Jewish community
By MYRON LOVE On Monday, June 11, about 120 younger Jewish Winnipeggers from diverse backgrounds came together at the Asper Campus for an evening of food and music, games and prizes and, most important, the opportunity to socialize with their peers from a growing community that reflects the long term success of our community’s 26-year-old GrowWinnipeg initiative.
“We are gathered here to celebrate your and your parents’ decisions to come to Winnipeg, build families and raise families here,” noted Dalia Szpiro, GrowWinnipeg’s director, in addressing the young adults in attendance.
To summarize, the GrowWinnipeg Initiative arose when our past community’s leadership recognized that our Jewish population was an aging and shrinking community with aging infrastructure.
The first stage was the planning and construction of the Asper Campus, which brought our major institutions and organizations under one roof in an attractive new building.
The next challenge was to attract more people to our community. GrowWinnipeg was created to take on the challenge. The initiative, which was officially launched in 2000, is unique in its efforts to reach out to young Jewish families throughout the Western world.
The first outreach efforts were directed at Argentina’s sizeable Jewish community at a time when the South American country’s economy was going through a very difficult period. Several of our community leaders visited the Jewish community in Buenos Aires and a website was established. Arrangements were made for local families to host Jewish Argentinians here on exploratory visits and the community helped the prospective immigrants navigate the then new Provincial Nominee Program, find jobs and establish themselves here.
Since then, many young families – from Argentina, as well as a great number of other countries – have chosen to make Winnipeg their new home. The young people at the recent GrowWinnipeg evening were reflective of the diversity of our growing community. During the course of the evening, I had the opportunity to speak with not only Israeli-born participants, also young people from Russia and Ukraine, Turkey and Uruguay – and a young lady who grew up in Ottawa.
Naomi Kirshenblatt Palansky originally came here from Ottawa to go to university. She met and married local entrepreneur Noah Palansky in 2023. (We wrote about Noah in the December 19, 2025 issue). That same year, the former competitive swimmer who competed in the Maccabiah Games in 2009 and 2013 served as manager of the Canadian Junior swimming team participating in the games. She is currently the director of operations and strategy for a company called CoinFlip.
Although born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yael Borovich grew up in Winnipeg. She is the daughter of Dalia Szpiro and Eduardo Borovich (and younger sister of Vanessa) all of whom moved here in 2002. She is a graduate of the Asper School of Business and works as a senior client relationship manager for Scotia Bank’s commercial branch.
Siblings Igal and Edem Avimelek arrived here from Turkey six years ago with their parents, Etel and Moris. Edem is in her second year at the University of Manitoba while Igal is studying engineering at UBC.
They report that their father, Moris, has established the Upperwear Textile Agency – marketing textile products online – while their mother Etel, is senior IT Director, software development and data analytics and enterprise architecture at Standard Aero.
“Our parents were looking to move to a new country and came across the GrowWinnipeg webpage,” Edem says. “GrowWinnipeg has been really supportive of us in helping us move here and become established.”
More recent arrivals Alex Tsmokaliuk and Jane Hin are from Ukraine and Russia respectively and have been together since 2022. “We were looking for a peaceful place to start a family,”: Alex says. “We heard about GrowWinnpeg and here we are.”
Alex is a fitness trainer while Jane is working for WRE Development as a property manager.
Dora Bronstein, who is originally from Beersheva, is also a recent arrival to our community. “I came to Winnipeg because I wanted to get away from war – and I heard about GrowWinnipeg,” she says.
She is currently working for L.C. Taylor Licensed Insolvency Trustee as an estate manager.
Erele Tzidon and Daniel Mejnov
Last October, GrowWinnipeg introduced its new Youth Ambassadors program.
“Since October, we have been working to create an organized system and opportunities to help young newcomers find their people within our community,” wrote Youth Ambassador Erele Tzidon on Facebook.
“Our mission is to help young immigrants find a sense of home in Winnipeg and support a smooth and welcoming transition.
We are excited to help bring our young Jewish community together.
As reported in the Jewish Post about 18 months ago, Tzidon is originally from Moshav Ginaton in central Israel. She came to Winnipeg in 2018 with her parents Ofer – formerly regional manager for a car rental agency in Israel and now an RBC branch manager – and Sharon – an emotional therapist in Israel who is currently working as an educational assistant at Gray Academy – and three younger brothers.
The 20-year Gray Academy graduate has recently completed her third year in Science at the University of Manitoba. For the past three years, she has also been a member of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin’s research team at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICS), researching the link between pregnancy complications and the risk for heart disease.
In November, 2024, Tzidon was presented with the Dr. James S. McGoey Student Award – based on the quality of her cardiovascular research at the ICS, which operates out of the St. Boniface Hospital campus’s Albrechchtsen Research Centre.
Tzidon’s fellow Youth Ambassador is Daniel Mejnov. He was born in Beersheva but moved to Winnipeg with his parents, Dennis and Victoria (and younger brother Alon) 14 years ago. He is currently enrolled in an IT program at the University of Winnipeg.
Mejnov welcomed all those in attendance at the celebration and thanked the volunteers who helped him and Tzidon organize the event.
“It has been great being able to bring so many people together,” he said. “This is a good way to unite our community.
Two other individuals of particular note that I spoke with at the event were Orit Agabayev and Alina Plis, partners in three year old A and O Event Décor, who provided the balloon arches and walls, table settings and centre pieces for the evening.
Agabayev is originally from Netanya and Plis is from Yeruham (in southern Israel). The latter has been here for 18 years and operates a daycare. The former came 16 years. Her principal career is working in the field of animal nutrition.
In an Instagram PosI from four years ago, Plis noted that “I have always been passionate about planning parties and events. I started out with planning big surprise birthday parties for my kids. Eventually I began planning and decorating events for family and friends. Now I am taking the next step with my friend, Orit, who shares the same level enthusiasm as me. What drives me to go above and beyond is simply the excitement my creations bring to those who see my work.
On Facebook, Agabayev added that “Alina and I are so excited to start A&O event decor. We both love decorating and planning different events. We hope that you can put your trust in us to create or decorate an event for you. We do Birthday parties, anniversaries, bachelor/bachelorette parties, proposals, weddings and more..
“Message us with your ideas to get a free quote and you’re one step closer to having an unforgettable event.”
