Local News
Gray Academy honours Grade 12 student Ben Chimol whose life was cut short by cancer this past December
By BERNIE BELLAN (with materials contributed by Gray Academy) In 2019, Gray Academy student Ben Chimol, then in Grade 9, was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer known as Ewing sarcoma.
Ewing sarcoma is “a rare type of bone cancer,” according to information available on the internet. Here is some further information about Ewing sarcoma:
“Ewing sarcoma most commonly affects people who are 10 to 20 years old.
“Like other types of bone cancer, the exact cause of Ewing sarcoma is unknown.
“As the condition tends to predominantly affect older children and teenagers, one theory is that it may be related to fast-growing bones. The rapid growth spurt that happens during puberty may in some way make bone tissue more vulnerable to cancer.”
Ben Chimol had arrived in Winnipeg from Israel in 2017 with his parents, Tatyana and David, his younger siblings, sister Lihi, brother Natan, and his beloved dog, Yuki.
Adapting quickly to life in Canada, Ben was engaged in a full program of activities, including painting, writing music, beatbox, practicing martial arts, skateboarding and enjoying the outdoors as much as he could.
Even after Ben was diagnosed with cancer, he maintained an upbeat attitude. He often paraphrased a line from the movie Scarface: “You deserve the entire world and everything in it.”
Tragically, however, Ben succumbed to his illness this past December. “We have never in the history of our school had a student pass during their time in school,” noted Lori Binder, Gray Academy Head of School.
Lori went on to say that, “for many students this was the first funeral they had attended. Many students may not have ever experienced the loss of a close individual, such as a grandparent.”
In tribute to Ben – days before what would have been his 18th birthday – on March 5, Gray Academy, in conjunction with the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, launched a new fund that will be part of the Gray Academy endowment at the Foundation, to be known as the “Ben Ben Chimol (z”l) Simchat Chayim Fund.”
As an email sent out
to Gray Academy parents on March 4 explained, “Dollars earned annually from this fund will be used for programs in the school that bring joy to others and provide students with opportunities to share their passions and celebrate life. This fund will help to ensure Ben’s legacy lives on in the Gray Academy school community. As his family explains, he enjoyed everything, most of all giving joy to others, ‘Simchat Chayim!’
If you would like to contribute to this fund go to https://www.jewishfoundation.org/ben-ben-chimol-fund
If you would like to watch a video compiled by some of Ben’s classmates that offers a glimpse of Ben Ben’s life, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzlhxQyQNjk As Lori Binder also observed, anyone who knew Ben had “the opportunity to be inspired by the way he lived his life.”
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Local News
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.”

