Local News
Gray Academy has gone eight months with not one single case of COVID
over 675 cases in other Manitoba schools
By BERNIE BELLAN
While Manitobans can rightfully be said to be in a state of shock over how this province has gone from having one of the best records anywhere at keeping COVID at bay to now having one of the worst in Canada, the focus has very much been on the tragic situations in many personal care homes.
Yet, the situation in schools for the most part is one where there has also been a steady number of COVID cases either having been reported or suspected. Since all available evidence to this point, however, is that COVID simply does not affect young people to the same degree that it does the elderly (among whom I can rightfully count myself), I think it’s fair to say that not much attention has been paid to what’s been happening in schools in this province.
According to the CBC Manitoba website, however, “Manitoba had recorded 675 cases of COVID-19 in schools as of Nov. 17. A total of 513 of those were students and 162 were staff members.
The CBC website goes on to note that “The province has posted dozens of possible exposures at schools across Manitoba on its website – including more than 150 exposures at schools in the Winnipeg health region since Sept. 25.”
Since ours is a newspaper serving the Jewish community I thought it appropriate to take a look at what’s been happening in the only fully JK-12 Jewish day school in the province: Gray Academy.
Luckily, it is fair to report in the case of that school that “no news is good news.”
Since the first lockdown began on March 14 I’ve had occasion to speak with Gray Academy Head of School and CEO Lori Binder twice before: In our May 27 issue, when we took a detailed look at how Gray Academy had made the successful transition to teaching online through what it called its “Gray Away” online program; and in our Sept. 2 issue, when we took a look at plans that were put in place to welcome back students under the highly restrictive protocols that the province had established for all schools in Manitoba.
Now, with almost three full months having gone by since the start of the new school year, I thought it appropriate to speak with Lori again to get her assessment of how things have gone at Gray Academy thus far. Joining in the phone conversation was Andrea Ritter, Director, Marketing and Communications.
No cases of COVID at Gray Academy thus far
I began by asking whether “there have been any incidents of COVID at the school?”
Lori answered: “Thank G-d no, there have not. We’ve been healthy every day.”
I asked: “Are any of your students now taking their schooling online?”
Lori: “Let me give you a general overview. We are fully open. We are able to have our students with two meters distance all the way up to Grade 12. We made that change when schools moved to orange and that was already in place in the elementary. We were able to spread out more, so that for example, our Mac lab that was used for the film class, we’re now using it for other classes and we’ve moved a grade to another corner of the school.
“We are open five days a week for every one of our students unless they fail our health screening.”
Lori went on to explain that if, for any reason, a student is unable to attend classes in person beginning with Grade 5, they are able to “access classes online. They are able to login to ‘Google classroom’ and they are able to participate.” As well, students are beginning to learn to use Google Classroom independently in Grades 3 & 4.
But, she noted, “we don’t have a remote choice option – meaning a student is just choosing to be remote – but if they’re not in the building and they’re still well enough to learn, they can access the classroom from home.”
In terms of how many students have actually been absent from school on any given day, Lori said that the average attendance has been “approximately 90% on a daily basis.”
Enrolment has remained up
I asked how enrolment this year compares with last year?
“Last year it was 494,” Lori answered. “This year it’s 484.”
She noted, however, that the school’s “retention percentage” (meaning “how many students didn’t graduate and were eligible to return”) is at “93%”.
Lori added that, “We only had two families that, before school started, chose to home school.”
In terms of how many new students are at Gray Academy this year, Lori said there are 60 new students (who could be in grades as early as Junior Kindergarten). While there were 80 new students in the 2019-20 academic year, the lower figure, Lori explained, is largely explained by the fact that, “of those 60 new students we’re seeing more local as we’ve seen fewer families arrive from outside of Canada.”
Andrea Ritter noted that “this has been an unusual year when we’ve had to turn people away when we filled our rooms. We had to maintain that distancing between students in rooms – which meant we had to limit our capacity in certain classrooms. We had to cut off our registration for JK and K for sure.”
Lori gave as an example an inquiry the school had from someone wanting to enroll their child in Grade 4. “We had no more room,” she explained, “ so we had to tell them their child was on a wait list.”
I asked whether there was a breakdown of class size by grade. Lori said they had figures for high school and elementary. “Last year our high school (Grades 7-12) was 211 and this year it’s 218. Our elementary (JK-Grade 6), last year was 283; this year it went down a little to 266.”
All staff returned this year – and have remained
At that point in the conversation I said I wanted to turn attention to the staff of the school. I asked whether everyone had returned?
Lori answered: “Our staff is all here. No one chose not to continue working because of COVID and we’ve welcomed some new staff. They’ve been amazing. Our staff are so committed to who we are as a school community, committed to being able to provide our students purpose, a place to be, and a community where they’re known and cared for by the teachers.
“If you were to say to us, before we knew what COVID was, that we’re going to run a school, and we’re going to keep changing, and as a teacher you’re going to have to start moving around from class to class – and you’re going to have some kids in one classroom and some in another, and you’re going to always be on the alert for changes from the province – our staff have been really incredible.
“From my educational lens, what I see is that our kids really want to be in school; they want to be somewhere. They don’t want to be in isolation. We’re all social beings, teenagers especially – they crave being with others, being in community.
“We’re doing things we’ve never done before. Bernie, if you ever want to come and watch our pick-up and drop-off – it’s a science we’ve created. We’ve got this orderly fashion how kids get out of their cars so we can limit gatherings and have kids go through doorways one at a time. We’re just so grateful for the positivity of our staff and the partnership with our families.”
Could Gray Academy remain open if other schools are forced to shut their doors?
I wondered though about something that doesn’t get discussed much within general conversation. The province has been releasing data about which geographic areas have been hardest hit by COVID (also which schools) and it has been quite evident that the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on socioeconomic groups that are more disadvantaged. Now, with talk of a possible even more drastic shutdown that would encompass schools this time – but with Gray Academy, among other schools, having fared quite well in terms of avoiding any incidents of COVID, I asked whether the possibility that some schools might be allowed to remain open while others would have to close had ever been brought up in discussions with representatives from the Department of Education?
Lori responded that “What I can share, and has not changed ever since the summer, is they’ve always spoken about what would make schools move into the red pandemic response level. We know that one reason is transmission in a school that is specific to that school. We saw that happen with one of the first schools in the River East School Division (John Pritchard) where a cohort was moved out – and that was specific to that school.
“That same basic message is what we’re still hearing: ‘There would be a change to a school if there’s evidence of transmission within a school….We have to be prepared for anything that might happen., but my belief is there won’t be a decision made based on anything other than what’s happening in specific schools.”
Some classrooms have been able to accommodate fairly large numbers of students
I wondered what the maximum class size is now that each student is required to maintain a distance of 2 metres all around?
“In elementary, believe it or not,” Lori responded, “we’ve taken out furniture; we’ve removed bookshelves that were screwed to the walls for decades – in order to make more room – it would be around 18 or 19; and in high school, we’ve been using some of the larger spaces for classrooms – like the Mac lab – where we can get around 20 or 21 students. Right now, because we’ve always had the availability of the Berney Theatre, there is a group in the foyer and a group utilizing the theatre so that we can really give kids the space.”
“That would mean you’re having university style lectures in the theatre itself,” I suggested.
Further, because there are windows in the foyer the school is able to open the blinds and get some natural light into that space, Lori explained.
Andrea added that students who are taking classes in the theatre have become quite resourceful in adapting to the theatre format. “It’s energized the kids. As soon as they went to the Berney (Theatre) they all started coming up with ideas, like ‘How can I create a lap desk for myself?’ because it’s hard to hold your Chromebook on your lap while you’re taking notes.”
Lori also noted that, until the province ordered the entire city into code red, Shmoozers had been providing hot lunches for kids – brought to them in their rooms. “We’re trying to keep our hot lunch program going – at least for this month,” she noted, “with food from other kosher catering. We don’t have volunteers coming in right now, so we (the staff) are doing that.”
Talking about the staff and lunches, I asked whether staff are still eating their lunches in the Kaufman-Silverberg Library?
“Our high school staff are,” Lori said, “but we still have our staff room. It’s just limited by how many people can be in there at once. There’s enough space for 12. There are other places for staff to go.”
Morale has remained high – and students have shown amazing resillience
I asked whether there are any assessments of morale that are taken on any sort of systematic basis or is it all based on anecdotal evidence? After all, I suggested to Lori, “you’re giving me what would be considered a pretty upbeat report.”
Andrea Ritter said she’d like to jump in at that point, “speaking both as a professional and as a mom” of two students at Gray Academy.
“I was home last year with both my kids (when all schools closed from March on). My older one (who’s 15 – in Grade 10) was fine; she’s very independent, she did her own thing. She didn’t mind being online.
“The little one (who’s 9 – in Grade 4),” Andrea continued – “it was really hard for her, especially when we weren’t having a full day of classes, when we would just meet (online) here and there. She really had a tough time emotionally.
“When we switched to full-on Gray Away in April, and she was with her classmates in a structured environment every day, it made an enormous difference for her.
“But for me, seeing the children here on site, I am amazed how they’ve taken everything in stride. Sure, every time there’s a change, they complain like crazy for a day or two, then they just move along and carry on with their day.
“Some of the high school kids especially have gotten a little bit innovative in providing entertainment for themselves. They can’t go anywhere, they’re not allowed to leave Campus – and that’s one of the ways we’re trying to keep control on transmission. (Ed. note: Compare that with kids from Grant Park who had been flocking both to the nearby McDonald’s and Grant Park Shopping Centre.)
Andrea continued: “They’re creating some new clubs at lunch, they’re hanging out in different spaces – but the little ones, in particular, interact when they’re outside – in masks, at recess – it doesn’t matter – it doesn’t make a difference to them. They take it completely in stride. I hear them all day. My window faces the playground. They play like they always have.
“I’ve certainly seen discussions online from different points of view – how terrible it is to have kids in masks all day. Fortunately for us we have the space. Our kids (up to Grade 4 and up) can be out of masks and have a mask break so long as they’re at their desks and when they have to put their masks on for recess (grades 3-6) or for gym (grade 4 and up) – they’re just taking it in stride.”
Lori chimed in: “Every day that we can have this building open and our children are healthy, it means that our kids are getting what they need to develop mentally, developmentally – and the resiliency – I am also proud of our students’ resiliency.… I remember the first day that kids were getting dropped off, who would have thought that three and four-year-olds would be hopping out of the car and walking themselves (with staff) to the early years’ wings door? Usually it would have been the parents holding their hands, walking them to the door of their classroom.
“We’re here to give kids a place to be and, from a mental health and wellness perspective, that’s what contributes to being able to learn.
“So, I’m not saying it’s not hard; it is hard and I’d like to see those vaccines come to light sooner rather than later, but as long as we can keep these kids feeling well, we’re upbeat.”
Local News
Limmud speaker Dan Ronis to introduce alternative way of learning about Jewish history
By MYRON LOVE The study of Jewish history – actually history in general – can be approached in any number of ways. There is the traditional yeshiva way of study, for example. Or, there is the conventional, modern, secular approach – as exemplified by Daniel Kroft (who was profiled in the last edition of the Jewish Post) – who accessed online lectures and university courses as well as readings to prepare himself for the launch of his relatively new Jewish history podcast.
Dan Ronis, who, like Kroft, will be presenting at Lummud Winnipeg on Sunday, March 23, is taking a decidedly different tack in learning about and teaching aspects of Jewish history.
A plant breeder and plant geneticist by training, Ronis, who currently lives in Saskatoon, will be giving two presentations at Limmud. His afternoon seminar will be about presenting Jewish history through the lens of a board game – specifically a visual recreation of the 70 CE Roman siege of Jerusalem.
Now board games recreating historical battles have been around for decades. (I remember as a teenager recreating the Allies’ D Day invasion of Normandy in June, 1944.)
“I have always loved chess and other board games involving strategy,” Ronis says. “With board games that recreate significant historic battles, you can actually see the disposition of the different armies in relation to each other. You can visualize the Roman siege towers, for example, the battering rams. You can visualize Judean forces sneaking out of the besieged city from time to time to launch surprise attacks on the enemy. It helps the players to understand how hard it was for both sides.“
(Ronis notes that there are other board games emulating each of the wars of modern Israel.)
Ronis’s morning presentation will be more esoteric” “No Forbidden Fruit – No Angry God” – which is also the title of one of two books he has written – the other being “Women of the Hebrew Bible: Their Stories”, (both of which are available on Amazon).
“No Forbidden Fruit – No Angry God” tells the stories of the Torah, from information he has gleaned through the practice of “channeling” through a professional medium.
“The women and men who led the way of faith, are more magnificent than is told in our writings,” Ronis claims. “That is what I believe after composing two channelled books which present those people and the events in a different light. I am pleased to be able to share some of these stories at Limmud.”
For readers who may be unsure of who or what a medium is, think of 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.
Be that as it may, what Ronis has learned through his medium about the personalities in the Torah is certainly food for thought.
The medium through whom he gained his information is Donna Somerville, with whom he first came into contact while working for McCain Foods in New Brunswick as a potato breeder.
“I got to know some people who had consulted Donna and found what she had to say interesting,” he recalls. “Three or four years ago, I went to see her about some relationship issues and family matters. We became good friends.”
So, a few short years ago, Ronis – who grew up in Washington, D.C. within a Reform family, decided to see if Somerville, who now lives in Halifax, could also channel biblical figures. “We had nine or ten sessions and the results were fascinating,” he recalls. “She described real people.”
The sessions, he notes, focused largely on the five books of Moses. He reports, for example, that she vouched for the reality of Adam and Eve – but suggested that Noah was an amalgam of three God-fearing men who each built arks. One of the three was the story-teller.
He adds that the flood was largely restricted to the northern hemisphere.
“My questions were open-ended,” he says. “Donna, for example, provided intriguing new information about the story of Esther.”
Ronis notes that he was particular interested in stories of women in that long ago era because they have been largely overlooked in Jewish writing.
For the first book he recounts, he recorded the sessions on audio and video before transcribing the information. For the second book, he had free software which allowed him to change the text on the fly.
Readers who may be interested in attending Limmud this year can call 204 557-6260 or email coordinator@limmudwinnipeg.org. Ticket prices are $55 for the full day (which includes lunch and snacks) or $30 for a half day.
Local News
Congregation Etz Chayim’s new Chief Operating Officer is embracing the meaning of Jewish life
By MYRON LOVE In her new role as the Chief Operating Officer of Congregation Etz Chayim, Morissa Granove is focused on the future of synagogue life. She is also committed to creating meaningful Jewish experiences for herself, the synagogue’s members, and Winnipeg’s Jewish community. “We will be working to create something special for everyone at every age with a special focus on engaging the younger members of our community,” she says.
Granove, who was appointed to the position just six weeks ago, is herself an example of a younger person who has rediscovered meaning in community and has taken on a leadership role. It is heartening to see a growing number of younger community members assuming leadership roles in our communal institutions and bodes well for the future of our Jewish community.
The daughter of Bruce and Dina z”l Granove, Morissa grew up in Garden City. She attended Peretz School, Talmud Torah, and Joseph Wolinsky until the end of Grade 9, before attending high school at Garden City Collegiate. After finishing school, she joined her father in business at the Work Boot Factory Outlet Store Ltd. on Regent Avenue, which first opened in 1989. Over the years, Morissa came to assume the management responsibilities.
In 2015, she reports, she stepped back from day-to-day management of the business. Her father Bruce was retired, and her wife, Laurie McCreery, took charge of the daily operations, while Morissa continued to have input and oversee things from afar.
Morissa Granove has been on a spiritual quest since 2003. She notes that she has studied various Eastern philosophies and healing practices over the past 20 plus years. In 2015, she began a private practice that she still maintains in which she helps others overcome being overwhelmed emotionally, using easy-to-learn skills and simple steps that continue to support Morissa herself daily. “I was learning what it means to live a truly good life, and as a deeply sensitive person, I was seeking out how to better control my emotions so they would no longer control me,” she says. Many of the same skills that have supported her personally were also key to her success in business, she adds.
While Granove grew up attending the Beth Israel Synagogue, which later merged with Congregation Etz Chayim (and the Bnay Abraham Synagogue) 25 years ago. She, as with many of her contemporaries, had drawn away from Jewish life as it relates to synagogue attendance. It was the sudden passing of her mother, Dina z”l, that brought her back to shul, she explains.
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“I found coming back here after mom died gave me a great sense of comfort and a strong feeling of belonging,” she recalls. “I didn’t expect that.”
Initially, she took on the role as the Etz Chayim’s “Spiritual Concierge & Director of Lifecycle Events.” “I am looking forward to building on our traditions and history,” she says.
It is just over a year since Congregation Etz Chayim moved into its new home at 1155 Wilkes Avenue in south Winnipeg, after 70 years on Matheson Avenue in north Winnipeg. The move was a long time coming. The building needed a lot of upgrading and, with 70% of the membership and 80% of the younger families living south, it made sense to relocate to where the membership is.
“By being closer to our membership, it has made it easier for more people to be involved.” the new Chief Operating Officer notes, “We are getting good numbers coming for Shabbat services. We are seeing more people coming by the office. We are getting a steady stream of new people coming in for exploratory visits, and we are having more young families getting involved in our incredible programs.”
Granove has observed that moving Etz Chayim south has turned out to be so much more than simply moving from point A to point B. Rather, she notes, “the move gave us the opportunity to look at how we can operate more efficiently and effectively. This is so much more than a new location. It is a new opportunity.” At the new Etz Chayim, she continues, “we are able to offer meaningful Jewish events and programming for all age groups in a convenient location.”
She cites, for example, the synagogue’s new USY (United Synagogue Youth) program – in conjunction with the USCJ (United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism) – of which Etz Chayim is a member – for teens which, she reports, has drawn a good number of participants, and is growing. She has also had requests for more seniors’ programming and is excited to be working on some new initiatives for the coming months. As she often says, “Stay tuned.”
“I have been wondering for some time if the synagogue (in the generic sense) could go back to the days when it was a centre of community life,” she muses. “I think we can!”
“I hope that our members come to view Etz Chayim as a home away from home for themselves and their family, just as I have,” Granove says. “I am committed to working for our community and we will continue to create more and more reasons for others to choose Congregation Etz Chayim as a home for their religious needs and community connection.”
Local News
Young pediatrician Daniel Kroft and his Jewish history podcast
By MYRON L0VE It has been said that if you want to make sure to get something done, give the task to the busiest person in the room. That adage would certainly apply to Daniel Kroft.
Although only 30 years old, Daniel, the son of community leaders Jonathan and Dr. Cara Kroft, has emulated both of his parents by being a community leader as well as a pediatrician. In the former category, Daniel is a member of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s Community Planning Committee (His father, Jonathan, is a Past President of the Federation).
The younger Kroft is also a co-founder of the Manitoba Maccabim – a young Jewish advocacy group. He recently joined Belle Jarniewski, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Manitoba, in a presentation to the Internal Medicine Department of Health Sciences Center on the subject of antisemitism.
Professionally, the Gray Academy graduate (class of 2012) is a member of a clinic run out of St. Boniface Hospital, is on staff at the Children’s Hospital, puts in time at the Health Sciences Centre, and serves as a consultant pediatrician at Brandon’s regional hospital. He also takes trips to northern Manitoba to offer his services.
In addition, he is a member of the Jewish Physicians Association of Manitoba.
With all that on his plate, you wouldn’t think that Kroft would have time for much else. If so, you would be wrong. Four years ago, he launched a new initiative, a podcast – “The Jewish Story” – intended to teach interested listeners about Jewish history.
The idea came to him, he says, back in 2021, when he was still a medical student. “It was the time when Black Lives Matter was in the news,” he recalls. “At med school, we were learning all about Black history and Indigenous history. I realized that I actually didn’t know much about my own Jewish history.”
The first source he turned to was the Anglo-Jewish historian Simon Schama and his book, “The Story of the Jews”. He followed up with online courses from Oxford and Harvard as well as a lecture series led by prominent historian Henry Abramson.
Setting up a podcast, he notes, required another learning curve. “It takes me about a year to do the research and organize my podcasts,” he reports. “I had to learn how to do a podcast and about which equipment to buy. I set up a recording studio in a room in my house.”
On his website (rss.com/podcasts/thejewishstory/), Kroft describes “The Jewish Story” as “a Jewish history podcast for the 21st century”. “We use the latest in archaeology, linguistics and historical methods to sculpt the history of the Jewish People from the exodus from Egypt until the present,” he notes.
He started his series of podcasts going back to the beginning – from the earliest evidence of Jewish existence through the establishment of the Jewish kingdom, its conflicts with neighbouring empires, to its destruction by the Babylonians.
And that is just the first episode.
The first season – seven episodes – encompassed Jewish history up to and including the Roman invasion of Jerusalem and destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE. Kroft points out that some of his podcasts feature guest commentators. In his first season, for example, in the third episode, he interviews Rabbi Matthew Leibl about the relevance to modern Jewish life of the first eight centuries of Jewish history.
In the seventh episode, he discusses with his former elementary school teacher, Sherry Wolfe Elazar ,what lessons modern Jews can learn from the Greco-Roman period for Jewish history.
The second series of podcasts focuses on the development of Jewish life in the first centuries after the Diaspora and the effects of the new Christian and Muslim religions on the Jewish people. The seventh and last episode of season two features Rabbi Anibal Mass, the spiritual leader of the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, talking about a wide range of subjects ,including the breakaway Karaites, he definition of Jewish music, and how technology has shaped modern Jewish practice.
The third season covers the 11th-15th centuries while the most recent series of episodes spans the period from 1500 to 1650. Kroft reports that the next group of podcasts will provide an overview of Jewish life in the 17th and early 18th centuries, including the beginnings of Jewish life in North America.
I asked Kroft when he finds the time to work on his podcasts. His response: in his spare time – weekends and holidays.
The podcaster reports that when he started, he was getting 30-40 listeners per episode. Now his numbers are up to 200-300 from all over the world.
For readers who may want to hear Daniel Kroft’s story in person, he will be one of the presenters at the upcoming Limmud Winnipeg. Kroft will be presenting on Sunday, March 23, at 1:30 at the Campus.
For more information aboutLimmud, contact coordinator@limmudwinnipeg.org or 204-557-6260
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