Local News
Gray Academy shows marked increase in retention of students in comparison with same period in previous years
By BERNIE BELLAN Every February, Gray Academy opens up priority re-enrollment for current families for the next school year. In 2019, the percentage of parents who re-enrolled at this point in the year was 62%. In 2020, it was 70.61%.
This year, as of February 10, the percentage topped 90% – almost 30% higher than the same period just two years ago.
That was one of the facts I was able to learn during a phone conversation I had with Gray Academy Head of School Lori Binder on February 10. Also participating in the conversation were Director of Admissions Judi Price-Rosen and Director of Marketing and Communications Andrea Ritter.
My interest in speaking with Lori at this particular time was actually prompted by a remark that one of our subscribers had made to me during the course of a totally unrelated conversation when that subscriber suggestd that Gray Academy had attracted a large number of non-Jewish students this current school year.
I was somewhat surprised to hear that, so I contacted Lori Binder for a response to what that subscriber had told me.
Lori said that, in fact, there was nothing exceptional about the number of non-Jewish students who are enrolled this current year.
“On average, between two and four percent of our students come from families with no Jewish background ,” Lori said.
Doing the math, it would mean that, of a current student body of 484 students, somewhere between 10-20 students do not have a Jewish parent.
I remarked that when I was a student at Talmud Torah in the 1960s I do not recall there ever being a non-Jewish student in the school. Lori said, however, that the school has seen a slight increase in non-Jewish students enrolling over the past decades.
I asked whether there was anything in particular that might have led to an increase in the number of non-Jewish parents wanting to send their children to a Jewish school in recent years?
Lori suggested that there are probably a number of factors, including “word of mouth from Jewish families” to their non-Jewish friends about their positive experiences at Gray Academy. Judi Price-Rosen also noted there is positive word of mouth from non-Jewish families to other non-Jewish families making the same observation.
Yet, notwithstanding that a student may not be Jewish, no student is exempted from Judaic studies. “All students have Hebrew and Judaic studies” as part of their curriculum, Lori noted. “All students take part in milestone events, such as Chaggigat HaSiddur and Chaggigat HaTorah.”
Other factors that have no doubt contributed to the attraction that Gray Academy holds for some non-Jewish families, Lori added, include the “small class sizes”, the “high educational standards”, and the “values” that the school holds.
While already 90.3% of current parents have re-enrolled their children for next fall, the application process for new students has opened, as of February 8 and, while it may be more difficult to gain admission to the school, that should not preclude any parent from applying.
As I noted in an earlier article in this paper, while the total 2020-2021 enrolment at Gray Academy was down somewhat from the prior year (from 494 to 484), that is almost entirely a result of the pandemic.
With a minimum distance of two metres required to be maintained between students in all classes, some grades were capped once enrolments reached the maximum allowable number of students, thus preventing some parents from being able to send their children to Gray Academy.
Of course, without knowing what the situation will be vis-à-vis social distancing requirements in the fall, it is impossible to know whether Gray Academy will be able for certain to accommodate larger class sizes, but the probability is that will be the case.
One other fact that has certainly impressed a great many parents, Andrea Ritter noted, is that “we’ve had our kids at school every single day.”
Unlike so many other schools where actual cases of COVID or possible cases forced either total closures of schools or closures of portions of schools, aside from one instance in January, when one cohort missed one day of school, all classes that were being held in Gray Academy have continued without disruption. (Of course, when the province ordered students in Grades 7 and up to take their classes online for two weeks following winter break in January, Gray Academy was no exception.)
I wondered whether prospective new families are still offered the opportunity to visit the school during class hours to actually get a sense of how the school operates.
While that would have been the case in previous years, Lori explained, of course, with the current COVID restrictions in place those in-person visits are simply not allowed.
As well, new parents would normally have been able to meet teachers – and other parents, one on one.
Still, prospective “parents are introduced to other parents (online), and kids meet other kids”, she noted, so, as much as it’s possible, both parents and students are given a solid taste of what Gray Academy life is like before a student actually attends.
What we have for new parents is a “virtual open house”, Lori explained.
If you’re reading this and you may know of non-Jewish parents who have children enrolled in Gray Academy, I would very much like to speak to them, to get a sense of how their children are enjoying their experience there.
Overall, the significant rise in re-enrollment, as well as new applications for the 2021-2022 academic year demonstrate that Gray Academy is sought after by both current and prospective parents.
Local News
Thank you to the community from the Chesed Shel Emes

We’re delighted to share a major milestone in our Capital Campaign, “Building on our Tradition.” Launched in November 2018, this campaign aimed to replace our outdated facility with a modern space tailored to our unique needs. Our new building is designed with ritual at its core, featuring ample preparation space, Shomer space, and storage, creating a warm and welcoming environment for our community during times of need.
We’re grateful to the nearly 1,000 generous donors who contributed over $4 million towards our new facility. A $750,000 mortgage will be retired in November 2025, completing this monumental project in just seven years.
We’re also thrilled to announce that our Chesed Shel Emes Endowment Fund has grown tenfold, from $15,000 to $150,000, thanks to you, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s FundMatch program, and Million Dollar Match initiative in 2024. Our fund helps ensure that everyone can have a dignified Jewish funeral regardless of financial need.
As we look to the future, our goal remains to ensure the Chevra Kadisha continues to serve our community for generations to come. Our focus now shifts to replenishing our savings account and growing our JFM Endowment fund.
We’re deeply grateful for your support over the past several years.
It’s our privilege to serve our community with care and compassion.
With sincere appreciation,
Campaign cabinet: Hillel Kravetsky, Gerry Pritchard, Stuart Pudavick,
Jack Solomon, and Rena Boroditsky
Murray S. Greenfield, President
Local News
Winnipeg Beach Synagogue about to celebrate 75th anniversary

By BERNIE BELLAN (July 13) In 1950 a group of cottage owners at Winnipeg Beach took it upon themselves to relocate a one-room schoolhouse that was in the Beausejour area to Winnipeg Beach where it became the beach synagogue at the corner of Hazel and Grove.
There it stayed until 1998 when it was moved to its current location at Camp Massad.
On August 2nd members of the synagogue will be holding a 75th anniversary celebration.

As part of the celebration anyone who is a descendant or relative of any of the original members of the first executive committee (as seen in the photo here) is invited to attend the synagogue that morning.
If you are a relative please contact Abe Borzykowski at wpgbeachshule@shaw.ca or aborzykowski@shaw.ca to let Abe know you might be attending or for more information about the 75th anniversary celebration.
We will soon be publishing a story about the history of the beach synagogue, which is something I’ve been writing about for over 25 years.
Local News
Vickar Family cuts ribbon on new Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre

By MYRON LOVE In the words of Larry Vickar, the Shaarey Zedek’s successful Dor V’ Dor Campaign “is not only a renewal of the synagogue but truly a renewal movement of Jewish life in our community.”An integral part of that renewal movement was the creation of a daycare centre within the expanded synagogue. On Monday, June 23, Larry and Tova Vickar cut the ribbon, thereby officially opening the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre in the presence of 100 of their family members, friends and other supporters of the project.
The short program preceding the morning ribbon-cutting began with a continental breakfast followed by a welcome by both Fanny Levy, Shaarey Zedek’s Board President, and Executive Director Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze. In Elbaze’s remarks, she noted that Larry and Tova wanted their family (including son Stephen and family, who flew in from Florida) and friends at the event to celebrate the opening of the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre, “not because of the accolades, but because, as Larry put it, he hopes that their investment in the congregation will inspire others to do the same.”
“When Larry and I spoke about what this gift meant to him and the message he wanted people to take away,” she continued, “I couldn’t help but connect it to the teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi whose book – Age-ing to Sage-ing – changes the whole way we look at the concept of ageing and basing it on our ancestral teachings.”
She explained that his concept of “Sage-ing” is based on three key ideas – Discover your meaning and purpose; accept our mortality and think about the legacy you want to leave.
“Larry spoke about these exact concepts when we met,” she said.
Elbaze also noted the presence of Shaarey Zedek’s newly-arrived senior Rabbi Carnie Rose, former Rabbi Alan Green, and area MLAs Mike Moroz and Carla Compton.
Larry Vickar expressed his great appreciation for all those in attendance. “Tova and I are deeply moved to stand here with you today for this important milestone in our community”, he said. “We are grateful to be surrounded by all of you, the people we care about, our family and friends… you who have touched our lives and played some part in our journey.”