Local News
Gray Academy welcomes back students…and gets immediately busy with a whole host of activities
By BERNIE BELLAN It’s been a while since I’ve been able to report on Gray Academy without having to focus on how Covid had so drastically affected the lives of both students and teachers there. While every other school in the province was similarly affected, Gray Academy offers so many unique programs – almost all of which had to be put on hold for the past two and a half years, that when I spoke with Head of School Lori Binder on Tuesday, September 20, hearing of everything that had been going on there in just the short 11 days that the school had been open when we talked was somewhat overwhelming.
I began by asking Lori how it felt to be back – now that all restrictions that had previously been imposed by the province had been lifted?
“It’s a wonderful start to a new school year,” Lori said. “It’s quite positive all around.”
While Gray Academy had complied with all requirements having to do with Covid that had been imposed by the province, Lori noted that “in each of the past two and a half years we did our own due diligence in addition to requirements from the province.”
For instance, Lori referred to the “dashboard” that Gray Academy maintains on its website which gives information about any cases of Covid that may be reported among both students and families of students. (The website is password protected and is accessible only to families of students as well as staff.)
“No other school is keeping a dashboard that I’m aware of,” Lori observed.
With reference to programs and activities that are now back in place after a long hiatus, Lori said: “Almost all of the things that we weren’t able to do are back.”
For instance, she mentioned that a trip that students were originally supposed to have taken in the spring of 2019 to visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. – when those students were in Grade 9, was now happening – as we spoke, although the students were now in Grade 12. (Students had left for Washington on Sunday, September 18 and were scheduled to return on September 21. That trip had been an annual event sponsored by the Asper Foundation for years.)
As to whether students who are now in Grades 10 and 11, as well as the current Grade 9 class, will also be able to participate in similar trips to Washington, Lori said that they will, but the timetable for doing that has not been set as yet. She added that the school is working with the Asper Foundation on planning future trips.
Turning to other activities that are back in full swing, Lori noted that “athletics are back,” the musical “Mama Mia” will be put on in February, “band is fully back – with wind instruments” (as well as instruments that don’t require special breathing techniques; there were band sessions during Covid but when you have to wear a mask the amount of music a band can perform is somewhat limited). “And now our kids can sing freely,” Lori added.
Something else that has resumed is the debating program – with members of the debating team scheduled to head to Boston in October 2023.
And – here’s something that I noticed when I attended the G.R.O.W. in Gimli 20th anniversary celebration on September 14 at a house just across from the campus parking lot – and wondered why the parking lot was so full that evening: Gray Academy families were experiencing a “fun fair” (on September 14) for the first time since 2019 – on the grounds of the Asper Campus.
“We had a gathering of all our high school students in the Berney Theatre the first day of school,” Lori observed – but there wasn’t room for all 221 of them – which is an indication of how robust enrollment in the high school is once again. (The Grade 12 class alone has 45 students, which is close to the highest number it’s ever had. Lori said that she’ll have full enrollment figures available to give me by the end of September, noting that a couple of families in the JK-6 years are still in the process of enrolling their kids. She said though that she expects enrollment from JK-12 to be somewhere in the area of 468 students.)
And, while this year’s Grade 12 graduating class currently has 45 students, the 2024 and 2025 graduating classes will also have over 40 students each, if enrollments remain as they currently are.
In some respects, while Covid restrictions may have been lifted, changes that were instituted in the past couple of years, including staggered drop-off and pick-up times, and separate entrances for different age groups, have remained in place.
However, as Lori noted, the physical markings on floors that demarcated different areas for different groups of students have all been removed. “Our kids can all walk freely now,” she said.
I wondered though whether any students are still wearing masks?
“Some are choosing to wear masks,” Lori answered. “As we communicated with families prior to the start of school year, that would be no problem. Our school is a mask-friendly environment.”
I asked also about the HVAC system in the school: How good is the ventilation?
“We still have good respiratory and sanitization etiquette” systems in place, Lori explained. “Our HVAC system is a MERV filter-13 system – one of the best filtration systems available, with the cycle of fresh air intake increased” substantially over what used to be in place.
Insofar as curriculum is concerned, Lori said that the school is about to embark on a two-year project to “reimagine its Hebrew curriculum,” thanks in large part to a grant that it has received from the Jewish Foundation.
As well, a new strategic plan for all of Gray Academy will be launched in January 2023, Lori added.
Speaking of Hebrew, I asked whether the exchange program with Danziger High School in Kiryat Shemona, during which students in Grades 10 and 11 go to Israel, while students from Danziger come here in turn, is back on?
“Yes, it is,” Lori answered, with students from Gray Academy scheduled to travel to Israel this coming Purim. However, rather than students from Danziger coming to Winnipeg this current school year, the plan is for them to come next Sukkot, which begins late September next year.
As far as the graduating class’s usual trip to Israel goes, Lori said “we have enough data to support Grade 12 going,” but with the planned resumption of March of the Living (which has also been on hold for three years) – also around the same time, it is not yet clear how many students might want to go on a graduating class trip to Israel in 2023.
As if reading about all these activities weren’t enough to want to make you pause and take a breath, Lori continued: “Our student council just went on a leadership retreat to Camp Massad” (which was the very first time that’s happened, she noted).
Grades 8 and 9 will also have their own spirit weeks, which often take place in Gimli or Hecla, over the next few months, she added.
I asked about plans for a Shabbaton – which would often take place in Gimli or Hecla in the past?
“This year the Shabbaton will be at the Clarion Hotel,” Lori said.
Some other interesting facts that Lori mentioned during our conversation include:
• This fall year marked marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of Gray Academy.
• The school has more than 65 new students. (Interestingly, some of the students new to the school this year are from Ukraine.)
• 17 students left the school when their parents moved to different cities.
• Once again the school has an international student – from Brazil, the sibling of a previous international student.
• The Kaufman Silverberg Library is once again open to students – something that hadn’t been the case since March 2019. And – for the first time, students can now access digitized books there.
One final note though – and this is more a sign of the times when it comes to restaurants of all types: Schmoozer’s is not accessible to in-person visits by students during school hours – because Schmoozer’s doesn’t have enough staff on hand to accommodate all those students who would typically want to come there for lunch. Instead, arrangements have been made to have lunches delivered to designated drop-off points within the school itself if parents phone Schmoozer’s prior to 9:30 am on a given day and place their orders.
Local News
Marty Green expands his protest against extremist Jewish settlers to two more venues – and is arrested twice more
(Tuesday, October 27) We received the following press release about Marty Green being arrested again, both at the University of Manitoba and at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue:
Both sides came to blows on Saturday, October 24, at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue as security personnel sought to prevent Marty Green from interfering with synagogue traffic as he protested just outside synagogue grounds against the actions of religious settlers in Israel’s occupied West Bank territory. Synagogue Executive Director Rena Secter Elbaze quickly intervened to prevent further escalation. Police arrived shorty thereafter and detained Green for 45 minutes before driving him home and releasing him. It is not clear whether their decision not to lay charges was the result of their own onsite investigation or whether it was at the request of the synagogue executive.
Green has now been arrested four times in the last month and faces multiple charges for disturbing the peace, including two episodes at the Asper Campus and one more this past Friday (Oct. 23) at the University of Manitoba. While Green says initially he was merely handing out leaflets (at the Asper Campus), since his first arrest on September 23, he has returned to the campus with a large placard and an acccordion, accompanying himself while singing songs with lyrics that include such phrases as “The Jews Are Bananas….B-A-N-A-N-A-S”. In addition to listing actions of the religious settlers as including arson, vandalism, and theft, he pointedly alleges that the IDF has been backing up the settlers in their actions.
Green had earlier notified the Shaarey Zedek that he was contemplating bringing his protest to the synagogue. He was told that if he attempted to enter the grounds he would be prevented from doing so. At that time, Secter Elbaze told Green that his intentions were inappropriate, declaring the synagogue to be “a house of worship dedicated to prayer, learning, community, and spiritual engagement.” Green responded that if the synagogue were willing to contact the Crown and inform them that “that there was never any legal basis for their claims that I was conducting myself inappropriately at the Asper Campus” (with regard to his earlier arrests) that he would “voluntarily refrain from carrying his informational campaign to the synagogue(s).”
Green further argues that the recent “psak” (religious ruling) by leading Israeli rabbi Rov Dov Lior, in which Lior declares that it is not merely permissible but praiseworthy for Jews to steal olives from Arab orchards….that this ruling brings his protest within the proper realm of religious discourse. He says further that if the local rabbis were willing to speak out to their congregations against the aforesaid psak, that he might have refrained from taking his campaign to their grounds.
Although Green was released on Saturday without charges, police confiscated his placard. They explained that it was being held as evidence pending an investigation by Major Crimes as to whether it constituted hate literature.
There was no further information given as to what happened at the University of Manitoba.
Local News
Third annual JFest Winnipeg will be offering programs for all ages
By MYRON LOVE JFest Winnipeg is back with a good variety of musical performances, a book launch, popular Jewish-themed films, children’s activities, and a family-oriented Shabbat dinner.
“JFest,” observes Laura Marjovsky, the Rady JCC Director of Programming, “is an opportunity for our community to experience Jewish art and culture. With our range of JFest events, we are trying to reach out beyond what has been our base audience and appeal to all ages. We have a commitment to bring top notch Israeli performers to share the highest caliber of Israeli entertainment with our audiences.”
The week-long festival (November 14-21) kicks off with a performance by top-ranked Israeli singer-songwriter Harel Skaat. The popular Israeli star began singing as a child. He shot to fame when he finished second in the second season of “Kochav Nolad” – Israel’s version of “American Idol.” His first album was released in 2006 and achieved Platinum status – with one of the songs being ranked as “song of the year.” He followed that up in 2009 with a second album that reached Gold status. In 2010, he represented Israel at the Eurovision competition.
Skaat’s performance is scheduled for the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre (which is attached to Garden City Collegiate) beginning at 8:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 14. Patrons will have the opportunity to purchase an enhanced ticket to attend a meet and greet with Harel.
All other JFest programs and activities will be at the Rady JCC.
Music Producer Karla Berbrayer says Ben Caplan’s performance on Saturday, November 21 will also be another highlight. “Ben Caplan redefines what it means to be a modern folk artist,” Berbrayer says. “His music and stories are matched by his larger-than-life stage presence. This concert focuses on how his Jewish upbringing has influenced his entire performance career.”
“Flatland Famous” is returning by popular demand. This quintet, known for its performances at Winnipeg Jets games, will be presenting its concert, “Jewish Soul of Rock and Roll,” on Wednesday, November 18, at 7:30 pm. This year’s show will feature songs by Amy Winehouse, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Simon and Garfinkel, and other famous Jewish icons.
On Tuesday, November 17, local author Deborah Schnitzer will be taking centre stage with the launch of her new book, “The Woman Who Swallowed West Hawk Lake.” The University of Winnipeg English Professor Emeritus’s new novel explores intergenerational trauma related to Nazi breeding programs. Joining Schnitzer on stage will be a panel of professionals who have experience working with children who have experienced trauma.
And of course, “Best of the Fest” is back. Films to be presented will include“The Floaters” and “We Met at Grossingers,” two wildly popular movies at last spring’s Winnipeg International Jewish Film Festival.
“The Floaters,” to be screened on Monday , November 16 at 7:00 pm is a funny and bang-on depiction of Jewish summer camp culture.
“We Met at Grossingers” is a loving look back at the Borscht Belt in New York’s Catskills, where generations of young Jewish performers earned their dues and developed their acts. The film will be screened on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 P.M.
On Friday November 20, JFest will host a Family Shabbat dinner featuring Anat Kriger, an Israeli-born, Toronto-based musician, actor, and children’s performer, who has made several appearances in Winnipeg at major communal events.
Kidfest on Sunday, November 15, will be a day-long potpourri of programming that will include live performances, workshops, bouncy castles, games and crafts, and much more.
Readers seeking more information about JFest can contact Laura Marjovsky at 204 477-7539 or lmarjovsky@radyjcc/com
Local News
Hen Mazzig, leading Israeli advocate, makes first Winnipeg appearance
By MYRON LOVE On Tuesday, October 6, a large number of members of our community packed the chapel at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, eager to welcome Hen Mazzig in his first appearance in our community.
Over the past few years, the Israeli-born Mazzig – who was appearing at the invitation of our Jewish Federation and Combined Jewish Appeal team – has become one of Israel’s and the Jewish people’s leading advocates on the international stage. His online platforms reach as many 100 million viewers a month with a regular following of almost 1 million. He has been interviewed by numerous leading media outlets and has given addresses at close to 500 universities in recent years.
Mazzig’s presentation in Winnipeg (which was funded by the Asper Family and the Asper Foundation) took the form of a question and answer format with Sarah Mali, the Director General of JFC-UIA (Jewish Federations-United Jewish Appeal) Canada in Israel, asking the questions.
Mali , who was visiting Winnipeg for the third time in the past three years, began by expressing how honoured she felt about having the opportunity to converse with Mazzig – referring to Jewish Federation of Winnipeg President Carrie Shenkarow’s comments regarding Mazzig’s “devotion to Israel and the Jewish people”, his “deep sense of purpose, moral clarity” and “willingness to enter some of the most difficult spaces and conversations.”
The first question that Mali posed to Mazzig was related to his visit to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights and its controversial and one-sided take on the longstanding and ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She referred to a comment that Mazzig had made on X the day after visiting the museum, in which he wrote that while he “has no problem with people learning about Palestinian history,” he wished that “Palestine Uprooted” didn’t “distort the regional events, including the displacement of 800,000 people just like my grandmother, Hela, who became a refugee when Iraq turned on its Jewish community” post-1948.
“History can only lead to reconciliation when it is told honestly,” he observed. “Otherwise, it is just fuelilng an agenda.”
What most disturbed him about the exhibit, Mazzig told his audience, is that it erased his own family’s history. Expanding upon his family’s roots, he noted that his father’s family came to Israel from Tunisia and his mother’s side from Iraq. He spoke in particular about his maternal grandmother, Hela, who left behind “a beautiful civilization” – Jews had been living and thriving in Iraq since before the Roman destruction of Jerusalem 2000 years ago – to a new land (Israel), where she had to learn a new language (Hebrew) and rebuild her life.
Mazzig added that his grandmother is his anchor in life and the inspiration for all that he has accomplished.
Mali asked Mazzig about his ability to empathize with Palestinians. It was difficult to do, he answered. He got to know Palestinians, he recalled, during the Covid epidemic when he was serving as a medic with the Israel Defense Force and found himself responsible for helping Palestinians through that difficult time and transporting sick Palestinians to Israeli hospitals.
“Even though I fight so hard for Israel,” he observed, it doesn’t mean that I can’t feel empathy for anyone else.”
Mali asked Mazzig how October 7, 2023, changed him.
“I chose not to become a victim,” he said, “but rather to engage more with the world, bear witness, share our stories and talk about genocide. While I was actively advocating for Israel before October 7, I have been much more in demand since. I have become a lot more visible.
”I have found that a lot of people support us,” he continued. “They see what is happening and are on our side.”
On the other hand, he added, a lot of people don’t know anything about Israel. “It is a matter of education,” he said. “I encourage people to go to Israel and talk to Israelis.”
Mali’s last question was what Mazzig means when he writes that “I promise to love being Jewish ten times more than anyone hates me for it.” What does it mean to him to love and find joy and happiness in being Jewish”, she added?
It means cherishing our rich history, Mazzig responded, enjoying Shabbat dinners with family and friends, celebrating all of our holidays and traditions.
“The Jewish People have been through so much over the past 2000 years,” he said. “Many people have tried to destroy us, but we have survived. We are arisen from the ashes numerous time and continued to move forward. Not only are we still here but we have returned as an independent people living again in our ancestral homeland.”
Also addressing the audience at the Shaarey Zedek was Steven Shulman, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of Canada. Shulman heaped much praise on our Jewish community in Winnipeg.
“Winnipeg is special,” he noted, “not just in Canada but worldwide. Your CJA campaign continues to be the most successful in North America. You have an outstanding CEO (of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg) in Jeff Lieberman, who is universally respected.”
He further praised Gray Academy and our community’s highly successful GrowWinnipeg campaign – which has attracted thousands of new families to our community over the past 25 years.
He noted that he was particularly impressed with how our community has come together to protest the biased Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
He also spoke of the many supporters that we have among non-Jewish Canadians – singling out, as an example, the police officer in Belleville who put his own life on the line protecting the city’s only Jewish congregation from a terrorist attack during yom tov services.
The last word went to Jeff Lieberman, who thanked all the members of our community who have contributed to the CJA campaign this year, as well as our many non-Jewish friends who continue to stand with Israel and the Jewish community.
