Local News
Gray Academy has made elaborate preparations in advance of school reopening September 8
By BERNIE BELLAN
With schools in Manitoba set to reopen on September 8, it goes without saying that there is an enormous amount of apprehension among both parents and students as to what will happen once students are back in class.
Gray Academy, however, has gone to unprecedented lengths to plan for the coming school year. The school prepared a 36-page “Framework for Reopening” pdf that touches upon almost every conceivable concern that parents and students might have. (The pdf is available for viewing on Gray Academy’s website.)
On Thursday, August 27, we had a chance to speak with Gray Academy Head of School Lori Binder about some of the preparations that Gray Academy has taken.
Lori began by referring to the “Framework for Reopening” which, she noted, “was sent out to all our families on Friday (August 21). Our staff is returning on Wednesday (Sept. 2) and then, after Labour Day we are reopening for full days of learning for students from Junior kindergarten all the way through to Grade 12 (although, as she explained later during our conversation, different grades will be returning to school on a staggered basis for an orientation day during the first week).
Lori noted that because there are such major differences between the rules that will be in place for elementary schools as opposed to high schools, based on the ability to physical distance, for the elementary school (which consists of Grades 1-6) “we measured and re-measured and measured and re-measured and we are able to commit to 1.5+ metres across the school with two metres (between each student) for students in 1-6 and are therefore capping enrolment where there’s no more space…so that leaves us (only) with a couple of spots in a couple of elementary grades.”
I asked whether, with the new spacing requirements between students that the province has imposed upon all schools – especially as it applies to elementary, that has forced Gray Academy to turn down applications from parents whose children might have gone to other schools last year?
Lori did acknowledge that “we have had to say no to some inquiries that are most recent, so now Grades 1-4 are full.” (She also explained that no class in elementary will have more than 19 students, whereas some classes last year did have more than that.) “In a normal year,” as Lori explained, “in Grades 4-6 we could go up to 24 students, but we have made the decision to put health and safety first, so if there is no room for another desk (that would allow for more than 19 students), there will only be a wait list if a spot came open.”
That led me to wonder whether there has been a notable increase in interest among parents of elementary aged students who had been enrolled in other schools to send their kids to Gray Academy?
“We’re getting inquiries a little bit more than we normally would at this time,” Lori responded. “It’s August 31st when public schools will be sending out their plans for reopening” so, depending on how those plans unfold, there may be even more interest from parents of students in other schools to send their children to Gray Academy.
(Lori noted, as well, that some high schools will only be having in-class learning two days a week, so that might also affect some parents’ plans.)
As far as grades other than elementary are concerned, Lori explained that “in our junior kindergarten and kindergarten programs – also in our high school, we are 1.5 (metres) plus and 1.5 plus means that in early years, it’s very similar to the provisions for child care: You’re not seated at a desk all day; the kids learn a little bit differently through play, so the provisions in JK and K are therefore very different” (from elementary).
“In high school,” Lori continued – and all across the whole school, we’ll be cohorting – so every two grades is a cohort. The purpose of a cohort is really to help insure some separation for entry to the school, exiting from the school. For elementary, it’s divisions at recess. We’re very fortunate to have a lot of space for play, so cohorts (in elementary) will stay in their recess location – and switch the next day.
“In high school we have two grades for every floor so the cohort stays on the floor. The teachers now moves to the classroom.” (Until this year students would move to different rooms depending upon the subject being taught.)
I wondered how, notwithstanding the creation of cohorts of students, how much the school would be able to maintain separation of students at arrival and departure times?
Lori answered: “Our JK and K, which is our early years wing, has an outside door – which we keep locked during the day, but we’re going to use it for drop-off and pick-up of the kids…when you walk into the school from where the play structure is, one doorway will be where the (Grade) 3’s and 4’s will enter; another doorway for the 1’s and 2’s leading to their hallway, and there’s actually a third door that has a staircase that goes up, and that’s where the 5’s and 6’s will go straight to their floor and where they’ll come out at the end of the day – and for recess.”
Naturally, with so much yet to be determined in terms of whether COVID-19 will be successfully contained with all the measures schools will be forced to adopt, Lori added that Gray Academy is also fully prepared to adapt to new requirements – should they be imposed upon the school (and all other schools) by the province.
“Response level two, which corresponds to the provincial response of yellow or orange, only affects 9-12,” Lori explained. In that case, those students would return to remote learning, which is what was in place beginning in April until school ended prematurely for all students in early June. “Students in Grades 1-8 would still stay in the building,” Lori added.
If the province ordered “Response level 3,” Lori continued, “which is the highest response level, then that would take us back to fully remote, except for early years.”
“We have articulated to our parents the entire gamut that the province has set out so we could pivot to our ‘Gray Away’ (which was the term Gray Academy developed to describe its sophisticated remote learning program this past spring), if needed.
School opening itself will be staggered, as was noted earlier in this article, so that each cohort will have a different opening day. This will allow “kids to get used to the routines and parents can get used to the new drop-off and pick-up routines,” said Lori.
Based on how well remote learning under ‘Gray Away’ did in the spring, I wondered whether the school had heard from some parents of students in Grades 9-12 who would prefer that their children be allowed to stay home and take all their classes remotely?
“We have heard from very few parents – very few,” Lori answered, who would prefer that their children learn remotely, “but we have also only heard from a few parents who have chosen to home school” their children.
Let’s face it though – all the preparation in the world isn’t going to dramatically ease the anxiety that parents – and their children, will be experiencing each day as we get closer to September 8.
The staff at Gray Academy have been preparing themselves as best they can, however, and as Lori Binder noted, “we try to be very proactive so that we can have calm parents – so that parents can know what our plans are. It’s one of the reasons that we wanted to get our plans out (via the school’s website) last Friday – also to keep our staff informed as well.
“We have orientation sessions for our parents on-line next week, in addition to what we’re doing with the kids…we want to walk through this and see what’s successful that we’ll keep assessing” and where changes will need to be made.
So, while we all hold our collective breaths – and pray for the best, the pressure on schools to abide by a dizzying array of new regulations handed down by the province is immense. In the case of Gray Academy, at least, no one can say that the administration of that school hasn’t done its utmost to plan for most contingencies. Is it appropriate for a Jewish newspaper to end an article with the expression: Let’s keep our fingers crossed?
Local News
Nakba exhbit at CMHR – you can see it right here and make your own assessment
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted June 26, updated July 19) The Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Exhibit for Human Rights opened to the public June 27. The morning before the exhibit was set to open to the public, (it had a private opening for invited guests the evening of June 26) we received a press release from the CMHR. That press release gave a very detailed description of what was in the exhibit, along with photos (supplied by Annie Kierans of the CMHR).
There is also a link right at the beginning of the press release that will allow you to watch the same videos that anyone attending the exhibit can watch. We reprinted what was sent to us without making one edit. We leave it to you to form your own opinion as to whether the exhibit is fair in its presentation, and whether it is lacking “context” – which is an accusation that has been levelled at the exhibit’s organizers by some representatives of Jewish organizations.
We have received many emails in reaction to the exhibit. If you have an opinion and would like to see it published on this website, you can send it to jewishp@mymts.net, but please indicate whether you would be willing to have it published on this website.
Here is what we received the morning of June 26:
Winnipeg, MB — June 26, 2026 — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will open a new exhibit tomorrow that explores human rights violations related to the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian Canadians.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present will be on display in the Rights Today gallery on Level 5 until 2028. Featuring personal stories told through artifacts and video testimonies, the exhibit presents Palestinian Canadians reflecting on their ongoing struggle for human rights. The small exhibit reveals enduring patterns of loss and resilience, helping visitors understand more about this contemporary human rights story.
Palestinian Canadian stories are now included alongside many other stories of forced displacement and human rights violations featured in the Museum’s galleries. Each of these stories contribute to our visitors understanding of human rights and help the Museum fulfill its mandate to foster reflection and dialogue.
Exhibition highlights
Personal stories and artifacts: Experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian Canadians sharing their journeys of displacement and memory through a series of five artifacts. Cases display artifacts like property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, accompanied by short videos that deepen understanding of the impacts of displacement.
Powerful artworks: In her painting Bound Together in Gaza, Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist, captures the struggles and resilience of her generation shaped by conflict. Her work pays homage to Guernica, Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Curfews and Closures, by Rajie Cook, bears witness to life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when curfews and closures were expanded and further limited basic rights and freedoms.
Cultural heritage: Discover traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. Tatreez motifs and colours are tied to place, family history and regional identity. Patterns are associated with particular towns, villages or areas of Palestine. In this way, tatreez is a form of storytelling: a way of preserving memory, sustaining identity and expressing resilience across displacement and exile.
Poetry and reflection: Engage with Mahmoud Darwish’s evocative verses, inspiring personal reflection on exile, voice, and responsibility. Visitors can take a card containing Darwish’s poem and add a personal note, fostering ongoing dialogue beyond the exhibit.
Contemporary context: Witness striking images of current events in Gaza and the West Bank, connecting past displacement to ongoing struggles.
Quotes:
“No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.” -Fouad Sahyoun, a Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit
“We developed this exhibit with a clear awareness that Palestinian Canadian voices have too often been marginalized, silenced or spoken over — and that anti-Palestinian racism affects whose stories are heard and whose suffering is recognized. That is why we intentionally centred Palestinian Canadian voices throughout the exhibit.” -Isabelle Masson, Curator of Palestine Uprooted
“Human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient, when the question of who deserves the dignity of having their rights recognized is genuinely contested. These are the moments where having a national museum for human rights is most important.
There are people who believe this exhibit should not exist in its current form. There are people who believe it should have existed sooner. There are people who will visit this exhibit and feel that it does not say enough, and others who will feel it says too much.
We have listened to every one of these voices. We have reflected. And we have renewed our resolve to continue the difficult, sometimes contested, and often controversial work of building understanding about human rights. We are a museum grounded in Canada’s human rights framework, whose mandate requires us to bear witness to the full complexity of the human story. We are proud to open this exhibit because the story it tells will help achieve that mandate, and because this story belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
- – Isha Khan, CEO
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.”
Local News
Hungarian Holocaust survivor focus of new documentary co-produced by Winnipeggers Liam Karp and Jamie Michaels
By MYRON LOVE “I Draw Things the Best I Can,” a new documentary co-produced by Winnipegger Liam Karp and former Winnipegger Jamie Michaels premiered June 8 at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival.
The 40-minute film focuses on the life of Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor Adam Policzer from his childhood hiding with neighbours in Miskolc in 1944, his postwar immigration to Chile to reunite with his father (who came to Chile just before the war but was unable to bring his family out), his imprisonment in Chile for over a year under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinoche following the coup in 1972, his subsequent immigration with his wife and family to Vancouver, and his successful career as an architect.
Earlier this year, Policzer unveiled a new side of himself. He wrote and drew all the illustrations for “The House Across the Street,” the story of his struggle for survival – a memorial he had published in the form of a graphic novel. The book was published by Jamie Michaels’ “Dirty Water Comics” in June.
According to its webpage, Dirty Water Comics is “a boutique publishing house that specializes in literary comics that showcase a unique voice and a talent for storytelling. We publish a selective catalogue, create immersive readings, and pride ourselves on championing the work we curate”.
Michaels co-founded the company in 2016 in order to publish his own first graphic comic –an account of his ambitious journey some years before – along with a couple of high school friends – to travel by canoe down the Red and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. The launch of that graphic novel was reported in a story that previously appeared in The Jewish Post & News.
The son of John Michaels and Karen Stern then published a second graphic novel recounting the 1933 Christie Pitts riot, which pitted younger members of Toronto’s Jewish community and their supporters against Nazi-inspired thugs.
“The House across the Street” is Dirty Water Comics’ fourth publication. (“The Harrowing Tales of La Coriveau” – the third publication – “is a graphic novel retelling the legend and history of Marie-Josephte Corriveau, a Quebecois woman whom the English executed in 1763 for the murder of her second husband. Following her death, Corriveau was hanged from a tree outside of Quebec City in an iron cage. In the centuries that followed, her story was transformed. She became a caged witch who haunted lone travellers, a reviled murderess, and a victim of circumstance”.)
“I first met Adam Policzer a couple of years ago when he approached me about his book,” recalls Michaels, who recently earned his Ph.D from the University of Calgary, where he currently teaches. (His dissertation was on the evolution of Jewish and Arab nationalism during World War I.) “I reached out to Liam and he and I both thought it was a beautiful story and thAt we should make a documentary about Adam.”
Karp and Michaels have been friends since high school (Grant Park). Over the past ten years, the son of Marcia and Morris Karp has built a successful career as the go-to guy for visual effects for movies and television series being shot in and around Winnipeg. He is currently providing his expertise for the remake of the popualtr TV series “Little House on the Prairie,” which is being shot in and around Winnipeg.
In filming the documentary, Karp and Michaels spent time with Policzer and his family in Vancouver. They also filmed on location in Budapest and visited Miskolc to interview members of the family that hid him during the Holocaust.
Karp and Michaels express their appreciation to the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba and Manitoba Film and Music, which provided funding for the project.
Michaels reports that the partners have secured several screenings of the documentary throughout North America. “We hope to show Adam’s story at the Winnipeg Jewish Film Festival next year,” he says.
While Karp and Michaels don’t currently have any plans to collaborate again as yet, they both say that they would like to work together again.
