Local News
Haifa University professor delivers presentation on malignant influence of AI in promoting growth of online anti-Semitism
By MYRON LOVE For a lifelong journalist such as myself, the development of the internet has been a real boon. Long gone are the days when I would have to mail in my stories and photos – the latter after having to wait a week for the photos to be developed. With the click of a computer key or two, I can check the correct spelling of names and titles, the work and education history of almost anyone or any business or institution I am writing about. There is a world of information at my fingertips.
Regrettably though, as with most things in life, there is potential for harm as well as good – and the internet – in particular, social media – is no exception. Malicious players can – and do – use social media to foment “misinformation” and hate with their efforts greatly enhanced by the ongoing development of AI (artificial intelligence) against Jews in general and Israel specifically.
The scope of the problem was outlined a couple of weeks ago by University of Haifa Professor Dr. David Barak-Gorodetsky during a presentation – “Anti-Semitism Unplugged: Can AI Combat Hate” – at the new Congregation Etz Chayim – under the auspices of Canadian Friends of Haifa University. Gorodetsky’s presentation in Winnipeg was the first stop on a tour of Jewish communities in Western Canada with plans to also speak in Vancouver and Calgary.
The presentation – which attracted about 100 – began with a prayer for the People of Israel and the IDF and the safe return of the hostages, led by Etz Chayim’s spiritual leader Rabbi Kliel Rose.
Prior to introducing the guest speaker, former Winnipegger Ariel Karabelnicoff, the executive director of CFHU, screened a video and provided an overview of Israel’s youngest university (which was founded in 1972).
In an interview earlier this year, Karabelnicoff noted that the university has an enrolment of 18,000 students – with a student body that reflects the diversity of Israel’s population. About 40% of the students come from the Druze, Circassian and Arab communities and – among the Jewish students – there are many whose families are from Ethiopia.
He pointed out that the university has several campuses. The original campus – a 30-floor structure on Mount Carmel, houses several faculties – among them the Faculty of Law – in its new building – and the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences that offers the only graduate program in Israel in that field. The Computer Science Faculty is located in the port area. . The faculty of Design and Architecture – formerly the Neri Bloomfield School of Design under Hadassah-WIZO hospices – is situated in Haifa’s German Colony neighbourhood.
Coming soon for the University of Haifa, Karabelnicoff reports, will be a new School of Medicine. The school, he reported, will start teaching the first 50 students in October 2025. In subsequent years 150 students a year will be trained on a regular basis.
David Barak-Gorodetsky is a graduate of the University of Haifa – having earned his Ph.D. in 2016. (He is also an ordained Reform rabbi – Hebrew Union College , 2017.) Barak-Gorodetsky is currently head of both the University’s Ruderman MA Program for Jewish American Studies within the Department of Jewish History and the Elizabeth and Tony Comper Interdisciplinary Center for the study of Antisemitism and Racism.
One very concerning statistic that he cited, based on reports by CyberWell, is that, previous to October 7, 75% of Arabic language posts on social media flagged as anti-Semitic focused on Jewish stereotypes, tropes and conspiracy theories. Since October 7, that figure has dropped to about 25% – but now 60% are calling for violence against Jews – while many are also denying that the mass rapes happened or are blaming Israel for what happened.
“October 7 denial, spurred on by AI has become a major issue,” he said.
At the same time, Barak-Gorodetsky pointed out, there is widespread indifference to the exponential increase in anti-Semitism on social media. The scale of that indifference, he noted, is borne out by the fact that, while over 1,500 academic papers had been written about online hate, less than 1% of them deal with anti-Semitism.
One of the major difficulties in combating AI-created anti-Semitism on social media, he pointed out, is that anti-Semitism is not always easy to define or recognize. He cited the example of efforts by Holocaust deniers to discredit “The Diary of Anne Fran,” by suggesting that some of the pages were written with ball point pen ink. Ball point pen ink was not introduced until the 1950s. The allegations are based on two scraps of paper that were added to the diary – most likely by Otto Frank – decades later.
He spoke about “dog whistles” – coded language such as substituting the term “Zionist” for “Jew,” chanting “from the river to the sea,” or comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.
Barak-Gorodetsky noted that a major challenge to removing anti-Semitic material is that the process is labour intensive. “The rate of removal is only about 30%,” he reported.
“At the Universoty of Haifa,” he noted, “we have initiated a project whose focus is to create methods of detecting Anti-Semitism on social media and developing bots and other means to counter it or remove it.”
He added that among the project’s team members are individuals who specialize in certain languages and regions such as Russia and India.
Gorodetsky was asked what individuals can do in terms of online hate. His response was: Strengthen one’s own Jewish identity. “Don’t just play defense,” he advised. “Try to find joy in Judaism.”
The Canadian Friends of Haifa University, Ariel Karabelnicoff noted, has been in operation since 1973. The organization has been, until now, largely focused on Toronto. As executive director, he is working to expand the CFHU outreach to other Canadian Jewish communities.
“There are a lot of Israelis living in Winnipeg, for example,” he said in that earlier interview. “I have begun reaching out to them.
“I would also like to see if we could negotiate some joint programming Between Haifa University and the University of Manitoba.”
For readers interested in contacting Ariel about supporting Canadian Friends of Haifa University, his email address is ariel.karabelnicoff@haifa-univ.ca.
Local News
Winnipeg Jewish Theatre breaks new ground with co-production with Rainbow Stage
By MYRON LOVE Winnipeg Jewish Theatre is breaking new ground with its first ever co-production with Rainbow Stage. The new partnership’s presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof” is scheduled to hit the stage at our city’s famed summer musical theatre venue in September 2026.
“We have collaborated with other theatre companies in joint productions before,” notes Dan Petrenko, the WJT’s artistic and managing director – citing previous partnerships with the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts in Montreal, the Harold Green Jewish Theatre in Toronto, Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and Winnipeg’s own Dry Cold Productions. “Because of the times we’re living through, and particularly the growing antisemitism in our communities and across the country, I felt there is a need to tell a story that celebrates Jewish culture on the largest stage in the city – to reach as many people as possible.”
Last year, WJT approached Rainbow Stage with a proposal for the co-presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Rainbow Stage management was really enthusiastic in their response, Petrenko reports.
“We are excited to be working with Winnipeg’s largest musical theatre company,” he notes. “Rainbow Stage has an audience of more than 10,000 people every season. Fiddler is a great, family-oriented story and, through our joint effort with Rainbow Stage, WJT will be able to reach out to new and younger audiences.”
“We are also working to welcome more diverse audiences from other communities, as well as newcomers – families who have moved here from Israel, Argentina and countries of the former Soviet Union.”
Helping Petrenko to achieve those goals are two relatively new and younger additions to WJT’s management team. Both Company Manager Etel Shevelev, and Head of Marketing Julia Kroft are in their 20s – as is Petrenko himself.
Kroft, who is also Gray Academy’s Associate Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations, needs little or no introduction to many readers. In addition to her work for Gray Academy and WJT, the daughter of David and Ellen Kroft has been building a second career as a singer and actor. Over the past few years, she has performed by herself or as part of a musical ensemble at Jewish community events, as well as in various professional theatre productions in the city.
Etel Shevelev is also engaged in a dual career. In addition to working full time at WJT, she is also a Fine Arts student (majoring in graphic design) at the University of Manitoba. Outside of school, she is an interdisciplinary visual artist (exhibiting her work and running workshops), so you can say the art world is no stranger to her.
(She will be partcipating in Limmud next month as a member of the Rimon Art Collective.)
Shevelev grew up in Kfar Saba (northeast of Tel Aviv). She reports that in Israel she was involved in theatre from a young age. “In 2019, I graduated from a youth theatre school, which I attended for 11 years.” In a sense, her work for WJT brings her full circle.
She arrived in Winnipeg just six years ago with her parents. “I was 19 at the time,” she says.
After just a year in Winnipeg, her family decided to relocate to Ottawa, while she chose to stay here. “I was already enrolled in university, had a long-term partner, and a job,” she explains. “I felt that I was putting down roots in Winnipeg.”
Etel expects to graduate by the end of the academic year, allowing her to focus on the arts professionally full-time.
In her role as company manager, Shevelev notes, she is responsible for communications with donors, contractors, and unions, as well as applying for various grants and funding opportunities.
In addition, her linguistic skills were put to use last spring for WJT’s production of “The Band’s Visit,” a story about an Egyptian band that was invited to perform at a cultural centre opening ceremony in the lively centre of Israel, but ended up in the wrong place – a tiny, communal town in southern Israel. Shevelev was called on to help some of the performers with the pronunciation of Hebrew words and with developing a Hebrew accent.
“I love working for WJT,” she enthuses. “Every day is different.”
Shevelev and Petrenko are also enthusiastic about WJT’s next production – coming up in April: “Ride: The Musical” debuted in London’s West End three years ago, and then went on to play at San Diego’s Old Globe theatre to rave reviews. The WJT production will be the Canadian premiere!
The play, Petrenko says, is based on the true story of Annie Londonderry, a young woman – originally from Latvia, who, in 1894, beat all odds and became the first woman to circle the world on a bicycle.
Petrenko is also happy to announce that the director and choreographer for the production will be Lisa Stevens – an Emmy Award nominee and Olivier Award winner. (The Olivier is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional London theatre).
“Lisa is in great demand across Canada, and the world really,” the WJT artistic director says. “I am so thrilled that we will be welcoming one of the greatest Jewish directors and choreographers of our time to Winnipeg this Spring.”
For more information about upcoming WJT shows, readers can visit wjt.ca, email the WJT office at info@wjt.ca or phone the box office at 204-477-7515.
Local News
Rising Canadian comedy star Rob Bebenek to headline JCFS’ second annual “Comedy for a Cause”
By MYRON LOVE Last year, faced with a federal government budget cut to its Older Adult Services programs, Jewish Child and Family Service launched a new fundraising initiative. “Comedy with a Cause” was held at Rumor’s Comedy club and featured veteran Canadian stand-up comic Dave Hemstad.
That evening was so successful that – by popular demand – JCFS is doing an encore. “We were blown away by the support from the community,” says Al Benarroch, JCFS’s president and CEO.
“This is really a great way to support JCFS by being together and having fun,” he says.
“Last year, JCFS was able to sell-out the 170 tickets it was allotted by Rumor’s,” adds Alexis Wenzowski, JCFS’s COO. “There were also general public attendees at the event last year. Participants enjoyed a fun evening, complete with a 50/50 draw and raffle. We were incredibly grateful for those who turned out, the donors for the raffle baskets, and of course, Rumor’s Comedy Club.
“Feedback was very positive about it being an initiative that encouraged people to have fun for a good cause: our Older Adult Services Team.”
This year’s “Comedy for a Cause” evening is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25. Wenzowski reports that this year’s featured performer, Rob Bebenek, first made a splash on the Canadian comedy scene at the 2018 Winnipeg Comedy festival. He has toured extensively throughout North America, appearing in theatres, clubs and festivals. He has also made several appearances on MTV as well as opening shows for more established comics, such as Gerry Dee and the late Bob Saget.
For the 2026 show, Wenzowski notes, Rumors’ is allotting JCFS 200 tickets. As with last year, there will also be some raffle baskets and a 50/50 draw.
“Our presenting sponsors for the evening,” she reports, “are the Vickar Automotive Group and Kay Four Properties Incorporated.”
The funds raised from this year’s comedy evening are being designated for the JCFS Settlement and Integration Services Department. “JCFS chose to do this because of our reduction in funding last year by the federal government to this department,” Wenzowski points out.
“Last year alone,” she reports, “our Settlement and Integration Services team settled 118 newcomer families – from places like Israel, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Each year, our program supports even more newcomer families with things like case management, supportive counselling, employment coaching, workshops, programming for newcomer seniors, and more.”
“We hope to raise more than $15,000 through this event for our Settlement and Integration Program,” Al Benarroch adds. “The team does fantastic work, and we know that our newcomer Jewish families need the supports from JCFS. I want to thank our sponsors, Rumor’s Comedy Club, and attendees for supporting us.”
Tickets for the show cost $40 and are available to purchase by calling JCFS (204-477-7430) or by visiting here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/jcfs-comedy-for-a-cause. Sponsorships are still available.
Local News
Ninth Shabbat Unplugged highlight of busy year for Winnipeg Hillel
By MYRON LOVE Lindsay Kerr, Winnipeg’s Hillel director, is happy to report that this year’s ninth Shabbat UnPlugged, held on the weekend of January 9-11, attracted approximately 90 students from 11 different universities, including 20 students who were from out of town.
Shabbat UnPlugged was started in 2016 by (now-retired) Dr. Sheppy Coodin, who was a science teacher at Gray Academy, along with fellow Gray Academy teacher Avi Posen (who made aliyah in 2019) – building on the Shabbatons that Gray Academy had been organizing for the school’s high school students for many years.
The inaugural Shabbat UnPlugged was so successful that Coodin and Posen did it again in 2017 and took things one step further by combining their Shabbat UnPlugged with Hillel’s annual Shabbat Shabang Shabbaton that brings together Jewish university students from Winnipeg and other Jewish university students from Western Canada.
As in the past, this year’s Shabbat UnPlugged weekend was held at Lakeview’s Hecla Resort. “What we like about Hecla,” Kerr notes, “is that they let us bring in our own kosher food, it is out of the city and close to nature for those who want to enjoy the outdoors.”
The weekend retreat traditionally begins with a candle lighting, kiddush and a traditional Shabbat supper. Unlike previous Shabbats UnPlugged, Kerr points out, there were no outside featured speakers this year. All religious services and activities were led by students or national program partners.
The weekend was funded in part by grants from CJPAC and StandWithUs Canada, along with the primary gift from The Asper Foundation.
Kerr reports that the activities began with 18 of our local Jewish university students participating in a new student Shabbaton – inspired by Shabbat Unplugged, titled “Roots & Rising.”
In addition to Shabbat Unplugged, Hillel further partnered with Chabad for a Sukkot program in the fall, as well as with Shaarey Zedek Congregation and StandWithUs Canada for a Chanukah program. Hillell also featured a commemoration of October 7, an evening of laser tag and, in January, a Hillel-led afternoon of ice skating.
Coming up this month will be a visit to an Escape Room – and a traditional Shabbat dinner in March.
Kerr estimates that there are about 300 Jewish students at the University of Manitoba and 100 at the University of Winnipeg.
“Our goal is to attract more Jewish students to take part in our programs and connect with our community,” she comments.