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Honest Reporting Canada’s Mike Fegelman delivers Kanee Lecture
By BERNIE BELLAN Mike Fegelman is the executive director and editor-in-chief of Honest Reporting Canada. Honest Reporting was founded in 2000 in the United Kingdom. It describes its mission as “to ensure truth, integrity and fairness, and to combat ideological prejudice in journalism and the media, as it impacts Israel to ensure truth, integrity and fairness, and to combat ideological prejudice in journalism and the media, as it impacts Israel.”
On Sunday, April 7, Fegelman was the keynote speaker at the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada’s annual Sol & Florence Kanee Distinguished Lecture Series.
Fegelman told the audience of about 250 at the Adas Yeshurun-Herzlia Synagogue that, before he was hired as Honest Reporting Canada’s executive director, “I knew nothing about Israel. I was hired because I was objective.”
Honest Reporting Canada “monitors news media 24 hours a day,” Fegelman said. With only a staff of six (including Fegelman), he said that they field on average 600-700 inquiries a day about alleged instances of media bias within Canadian media.
When HRC sees instances of what it perceives to be instances of unfair or biased reporting about Israel, it attempts to contact the journalist responsible for that “misinformation” or, as was the case with a particularly odious cartoon in La Presse of Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu depicted as a vampire, the paper itself was contacted and asked to issue a retraction of that cartoon and apology. (The cartoon has since been removed from La Presse’s website and La Presse did issue an apology.)
While Honest Reporting Canada might make the claim that its mission is to monitor news media in Canada for bias toward Israel and what it would regard as “unfair reporting,” however, after listening to Fegelman’s 45-minute talk – and especially to some of the responses he gave to questions from the audience following his talk, one might question the degree to which he himself is as “objective” as he claimed to be.
One particular subject was mentioned several times: the reporting by the Gaza Health Ministry on how many Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliatory war following the Hamas-led massacre of 240 Israelis on October 7.
At one point Fegelman said that “we have to point out the fact Hamas provides no evidence to corroborate their claims (as to how many Palestinians have been killed). Media should at least acknowledge Israel’s claim that 15,000 of those killed are terrorists.”
Various reports, however, have cited Israeli intelligence officials as confirming that the Israel Defence Forces actually accept the Gaza Health Ministry’s figures for the number of casualties in the ongoing conflict. For instance, there was this report about what was reported on a Hebrew-language website in Israel: “Two Israeli intelligence officials who spoke to the Hebrew-language Local Call news website said the health ministry is mostly ‘reliable’ and their main source of statistics on civilian deaths in Gaza.”
Fegelman said that when it is reported that “33,000 Palestinians have been killed,” as reported by the “Gaza Health Ministry,” that health ministry “doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.” Further, Fegelman asked: “Are some of the children killed actually child soldiers?” The problem is, absent any verifiable information from the IDF on this point, how do we know?
The problem, moreover, which Fegelman didn’t address, is absent any contradictory information coming from Israeli sources themselves about civilian deaths, what are media supposed to report?
So, when a questioner later said to Fegelman, “All people see on TV is dead babies. Can you give us some language to use in response?” Fegelman admitted “there isn’t an easy answer for the things Israel has had to do.”
My bringing this up is not to begin engaging in a series of “fact checks” on what Fegelman said during his talk. Rather, it is to show that “bias” and “unfair reporting” is something that can be continually argued – and perhaps by entering into a dissection of every instance of what Honest Reporting Canada might regard as anti-Israel bias, Fegelman – and the audience members who so strongly applauded his remarks, are all missing the larger picture, which is that Israel has, and is taking a terrible beating in world public opinion – not because of bias or distorted reporting, but because of the huge losses in both lives and property that Palestinians in Gaza have suffered – and the images that are there for the entire world to see.
One might argue that Israel had no choice: It had to deal such a severe blow to Hamas that the amount of destruction that has occurred in Gaza is justified, but to argue that “the war for public opinion is no less important than the war on the ground,” as Fegelman suggested at one point – well Mike, if that’s the case, then Israel has lost that war. The more honest assessment would be that, in an existential battle for survival, which is what some would argue is a fair description of the war in which Israel is currently engaged, then public opinion matters very little to Israeli decision makers.
Before entering into a more detailed description of what Fegelman had to say, I have to enter a particular objection toward what both he and several audience members had to say about the supposed “anti-Israel bias” exhibited by the Winnipeg Free Press. This subject has become one that has been raised quite a bit over the past few months within certain circles within the local Jewish community – especially after a controversial column by Jen Zoratti.
But, to say, as Fegelman did, that “the Free Press has an anti-Israel narrative on its op ed pages” – without providing any specific examples to warrant that accusation, is nothing more than an instance of Fegelman engaging in the kind of bias that Honest Reporting Canada accuses Canadian media outlets of exhibiting when it comes to reporting on Israel.
Still, in the interest of attempting to give readers the flavour of Fegelman’s talk, I will offer some of the remarks he made without entering into any further discussion whether what he had to say had merit.
Fegelman began by claiming that “media commentators are often parroting Hamas and are, in effect, becoming stenographers for this group.” He suggested we “need to challenge misinformation and disinformation.”
While Honest Reporting may have originated in the United Kingdom in 2000, “its genesis (in Canada) was just a few blocks away,” Fegelman explained. “We were founded (in Canada) by the late Izzy Asper,” he noted.
With specific reference to the Toronto Star, Fegelman suggested we have seen instances “of Canada’s largest paper calling for Israel’s annihilation” on its editorial pages by advocating for a one-state solution.
In reporting on the current Gaza war, Fegelman argued, “it’s increasingly difficult to tell who is the arsonist and who is the fire fighter?”
‘The media want to run with the most sensational story,” he said, “but part of our mandate is to educate journalists.”
“The sympathy for Israel following the October 7 massacre lasted all but a few minutes,” he suggested.
“This is a war between barbarism and civilization,” Fegelman said.
He referred to a famous remark made by Golda Meir with reference to the Yom Kippur War in 1973: “The world hates us when a Jew lashes out. The world loves us only when we are to be pitied.”
“The world is horribly indifferent to Jewish blood being spilled,” Fegelman observed.
We are making sure that when there are those who seek to libel the Jewish people, we have to fight back,” Fegelman said, “but knowing how to challenge disinformation is enormously difficult.”
Still, he argued, “We cannot let our opposition have a monopoly on discourse.”
“The war for public opinion is no less important than the war on the ground. If we lose, Israel will go down as the perceived villain.”
When it comes to civilian casualties, however, Fegelman claimed that “Israel deplores each and every innocent life that is taken.”
Saying that, in some ways, “Hamas is worse than ISIS,” Fegelman argued that “when hate becomes normalized, it becomes weaponized….We are in a genocidal propaganda war the likes of which we have never seen….Too many media outlets, whether it’s out of malice or of ignorance, have been spreading misinformation.”
When it comes to fighting back though, Fegelman argued, “We are not just passive victims – but like a muscle, if you do not use it, it becomes atrophied.”
Turning to the subject of social media, Fegelman observed that “Yesterday’s bigots used to be on the margins of mainstream social media; now they’re in the mainstream.”
“We cannot be afraid to tell the world what Hamas’s raison d’etre is – which is to seek an Islamic caliphate.”
But, what then “is the answer to media bias?” Fegelman asked. “We cannot rely on the old playbook,” he said.
Instead, he proposed five pillars of action:
- “We cannot project fear. We have to project resilience and instil Jewish pride.”
- “We must demand that we procure consistency” (from our elected representatives). Fegelman referred specifically to the recent resolution passed in the House of Commons when, among other things, Members of Parliament voted to restore funding to UNWRA.
- “We must demand that people speak up and speak out” against media when the media demonstrate indefensible behaviour. As an example, Fegelman pointed to the photograph of Hamas victim Shani Louk’s badly mutilated body in the back of a Hamas truck, which won a prestigious photography award. (It should be pointed out that Shani’s own father defended the photo as a “symbol” of an era.)
- “We have to make an alternative view impossible to ignore.”
- “We must avoid self-imposed limitations on our advocacy. We must not only project strength, we must possess it, too.”
As a result of “the obsessive magnifying glass being put on Israel,” Fegelman suggested, “terrorism is being accepted as a legitimate means of statecraft.”
Although many Jews may be in a state of despair these days, Fegelman told this story to illustrate how Israel has endured bleak situations before: When President Biden was a senator, he had occasion to visit Israel shortly before the Yom Kippur War, when he met with then-Prime Minister Golda Meir. After being shown maps which showed how precarious Israel’s security situation was, apparently Biden’s face showed how worried he was.
“Don’t look so worried,” Golda told Biden. “We have a secret weapon: We have no place else to go.”
In describing what Honest Reporting Canada has been able to accomplish, Fegelman said, “We have 60,000 subscribers.” (To subscribe to HRC’s reports, simply go to its website at https://honestreporting.ca and click on the “subscribe” button.) “We all have the power of agency,” he added.
“We may not see the elimination of antisemitism in our lifetimes,” he said, “but we have to push it to the margins.”
“If not now, when? The answer is now.”
Local News
Human Rights Museum announcement of “Nakba” exhibit sets off hornet’s nest
By BERNIE BELLAN On November 19, during its Annual Public Meeting, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) announced it will be mounting an exhibit titled “Palestine Uprooted: Nakba (sometimes spelled as ‘Nagba) Past and Present,” focusing on Palestinian experiences, confirming it will open in June 2026. The CMHR website said that “This announcement follows years of advocacy from Palestinian Canadian groups, with the exhibit aiming to share Palestinian perspectives on the 1948 catastrophe.”
That announcement set off a storm of reaction from within the Jewish community, especially from the Jewish Heritage Centre for Western Canada, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg , and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
The primary concern raised by representatives of all three of those groups was that having an exhibit on the Nakba without also having an exhibit on the forced displacement of Jews from Arab countries in 1948 would offer a distorted perspective of what happened during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence.
We have been reluctant to wade into this hornet’s nest as no matter what we write it is bound to lead to some individuals saying that we haven’t been balanced, but we did decide to go ahead and try to offer some idea of how this exhibit came about.
Our primary source was an interview that Isha Khan, CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, did with Sierra Sanders of CBC’s Information Radio on November 21.
Following are some excerpts from that interview. (It has been edited for clarity): Khan began by explaining that what the museum will be mounting is “an exhibit that shares the experiences of Palestinian Canadians who have experienced the Nagba or our intergenerational survivors. And it uses multimedia, so a number of different art forms, text and art and interactive to share their experiences and the human rights violations that are related to force displacement.”
Sanders asked: “And so I understand the Palestinian community has been lobbying for years for an exhibit like this or something like this. When was it decided that the museum would be doing an exhibit like this?”
Khan: “So it’s both true that Palestinian Canadians and others have been asking us – demanding that that there be more content in the museum that it shares their experiences. And we’ve been working on this for the last four years because we made the decision that absolutely we need to share these stories that are human rights stories about displacement and and so we’re at the stage where we can announce the exhibit and want people to come see it.”
Sanders: “… I understand the Palestinian community was a part of the conversations when it came to this exhibit. Who did you if you can tell me, who did you consult with during the process of this exhibit?”
Khan: “Yeah. So, in the same way that we really tell any story that you see in an exhibit here in the museum, we rely on the lived experiences of people who have experienced those atrocities or affected communities. And so we’ve been working and consulting with a really wide network of Palestinian Canadians and others from across Canada to to help ensure that we share their story that they’ve entrusted and their stories that they’ve entrusted with us in a responsible way.”
Sanders: “…and why is this exhibit important to the CHR?”
Khan: “The CHR is a museum for human rights and our job is to tell stories, to share stories that enable people to reflect, to understand human rights, to navigate the human rights issues of our day. This exhibit is going to be in our rights today gallery. So, it’s about contemporary issues and there’s no question that people are looking for information. They’re looking to better understand what to do with the information that they have around them, around the Nagba and the Palestinian experiences.”
Sanders: “And what does the museum hope visitors will take away from it and what kind of conversations are you hoping to start with this exhibit?”
Khan: “We hope that people will come and see this exhibit. We hope that by being exposed to or being able to touch and and feel Palestinian experiences of forced displacement that they’ll be able to understand the human rights impacts that displacement can have on people and draw connections to other situations in history and today. Every exhibit that we tell takes stories from the past often and allows people to apply those principles and the feelings and the reflections that they have so that they can better understand human rights today and they can actually take action and do something about it.”
Sanders: “So the announcement of this exhibit has stirred up some concern from the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada and they’re worried the exhibit will lack balanced scholarly research and and key historical and current geopolitical context. What’s your response to this concern? “
Khan: “We understand that there are people who are who are concerned, who are worried about what the exhibit may do. What I can share is for one, we’ve had a long really long good history working with the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada on Holocaust remembrance and other important issues related to combating anti-semitism. This exhibit isn’t a historical retrospective. This exhibit is about the experiences of Palestinian Canadians who have lived through forced displacement and their families. So it’s told from their perspective, from their eyes, just like many other exhibits in the museum are. Currently we’re running a major exhibition on the LGBTQ purge and it’s told through the eyes of survivors, their words, their stories in order to impact others and help them understand what happened at that time. The Palestinian and Jewish community – they are kind of intertwined in their own ways.”
Sanders: “Do you think that the Jewish community should have been consulted in the curation of this exhibit?”
Khan: “The exhibits that we develop are for all people. As a museum for human rights, we try to share stories that allow people to make connections between human rights violations occurring around the world and here in Canada. We understand that there is a question about how the exhibition was developed. This exhibition was developed with a big team of researchers, academics, a curator who leads the choice making around art and design and many others. And that’s how we do our work. The development of this exhibition has the same rigour as any exhibition we develop. And we do that because we feel responsible for ensuring that if a community or individuals entrust us with their stories, we’re going to make sure we share them responsibly. We really steward others other people’s stories and we really encourage people to come and see the exhibit to help answer some of those anxieties that they may have.”
Sanders: “Now, so the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada is pulling out of a partnership with the museum to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day because of the this exhibit. How will this impact the museum’s ability to provide Holocaust education and programming to combat antisemitism?”
Khan: “We remain absolutely, unwaveringly committed to combating antisemitism. We have a gallery that allows people to examine the Holocaust. We do Holocaust Remembrance Day programming every year in addition to talking about anti-semitism in our school tours and education programs and public tours. We will continue to do that work. We’ve worked with Holocaust memorial sites and organizations across the country and around the world. We hope to continue to work with the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada in the future.”
As has been noted, there was fierce reaction from many different organizations in the Jewish community over the announcement that the CMHR would be mounting an exhibit on the Naqba. However, it’s not clear whether there is an official spokesperson for the Jewish community – or if there ever was just one spokesperson.
But, what we were really interested in finding out from the CMHR was when did this idea to mount an exhibit about the Naqba really begin so, on December 7, we sent this query to someone by the name of Amanda Gaudes, who was listed as a Media Relations Specialist for the CMHR on its website:
Hi Amanda,
I’m the consulting editor of the Jewish Post newspaper, also publisher of the jewishpostandnews.ca website.
I’m interested in doing a story about the upcoming Nakba exhibit but, unlike others in the Jewish community who may have been in touch with you, I aim entirely for objectivity – much as that term seems to have been devalued in recent years.
I have no interest in rehashing the arguments that have been raised by members of the Jewish community about fairness and giving equal weight to the expulsion of Jews from Arab countries in 1948 if I’m reporting on what had led the museum to want to mount this exhibit at this time. While I don’t dismiss the validity of those arguments, I find them all too predictable in the sense that they level the same tired criticisms of an exhibit simply because the name “Nakba” is offensive to them in and of itself.
I, myself, can appreciate what impact the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes had. I’ve lived in Israel and have seen the results of that expulsion first hand.
What I’d like is the opportunity to give a full airing of what had led the museum to want to mount this exhibit after all these years – without rebutting anything anyone might have to say. Of course, I’d love to know more about the decision making process, but I rather expect that much of that will remain confidential. However- if you take a look at what’s been said about me online, you can see that I’m not afraid to plunge into discussion of subjects that many in our community would rather remain untouched.
Then, if there are responses from members of the Jewish community that would want to criticize the museum, they can appear at a separate time, so that we don’t immediately plunge readers into a debate the first time we have a mention of the issue which, so far, I can tell you, has gone completely uncovered in the Jewish Post to date.
Thanks
-Bernie Bellan
We received a response from Amanda Gaudes, Media Relations Specialist for the CMHR two days later:
Good afternoon Bernie,
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights announced several new exhibits that are part of the Museum’s core gallery renewal including Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present. It will be a smaller scale exhibit in our Rights Today gallery on Level 5 of the Museum and will open in late June 2026. This exhibit is about the lived experiences of Palestinian Canadians and the human rights impacts of forced displacement that they have faced over generations. It will use art, first-person reflections, and personal artifacts to share the stories of Palestinian Canadians who were displaced during the 1948 Nakba to today.
There are always individuals or groups who are interested or concerned in the nature of our content and we think it’s important to emphasize that the exhibit is about the personal experiences of Palestinian Canadians. The exhibit is not a historical retrospective, or an examination of the founding of the State of Israel or a commentary on current Israel-Palestine relations.
We began working on this exhibit four years ago to look at the issue of forced displacement of Palestinians. Exploring this content in no way diminishes the experience of others who have also faced displacement including the Jewish community.
We also share the community’s concerns about rising antisemitism and take our mandate as educators very seriously. We are continuing to develop and deliver antisemitism education programs and teaching resources, which have their foundation in our renowned Examining the Holocaust gallery. All of our education programs are designed to not only examine the Holocaust, but to delve into antisemitism today. We are increasing programming in this area in January to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Our role as a museum is to help people understand our world through the lens of human rights. Through that lens, we can see that every individual – and this includes Palestinians and Jewish people everywhere – has the right to live in safety and security and dignity and that all people have the right to self determination.
Thank you,
Amanda Gaudes (she/her|elle)
Media Relations Specialist | Spécialiste des relations avenc les médias
I did send a follow-up email to Amanda Gaudes, but did not hear back. Here’s what I wrote:
Thanks for this Amanda but can I ask you to elaborate on a number of points you mentioned:
What are the other exhibits that the museum will be mounting in addition to the one on the Nakba?
You say you began working on this exhibit four years ago. But, had the idea been tossed around prior to four years ago? If so, I’m curious where the idea came from? Was it someone from within the museum or did it come from someone outside the museum?
Thanks
-Bernie
Then, on December 11, we received this message from reader Irwin Corobow:
I am embarrassed for the Jewish Community here in Winnipeg for the absurd and ill conceived push back by the Jewish Heritage Centre to the plans by the Canadian Human Rights Museum to stage an exhibit reflecting the Palestinian community history during the Nakba. Why in the world should the Museum have to consult with the Jewish Community in order to plan this exhibit? What is there in the Heritage Centre’s mandate that gives the authority to speak on issues that are not related to its mandate? None that I can see. Why is the Executive Director Centre of the Heritage Centre given apparently freedom to act as spokesperson for the Community on such matters such as perceived anti-semitism. I challenge anyone to read through the mission and purpose of the Centre and find anything that supports this reactive behaviour. Ironically this dust up involving the Centre and the Museum will likely increase attendance at the exhibit when it occurs.
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Shalom Residences board announces hiring of Tamar Barr as new executive director
By BERNIE BELLAN The board of Shalom Residences, the agency that provides housing and support for adults in our community who have special needs, will soon have a new executive director, effective December 22.
Tamar Barr, whose name is well known in the Jewish community, is set to take over from Mike Goldberg, who will be leaving Shalom Residences after having served as executive director since the spring of 2022.
It was in March 2022 that the previous – and to that point, only executive director Shalom Residences had ever had, Nancy Hughes, retired from the position after 31 years at the helm. Mike is moving on to take a senior position elsewhere.
In an email received from Mike, he wrote about his leaving Shalom Residences: “It was a difficult and emotional decision as I have become very close to the residents, families, and staff in the Shalom community. I’m transitioning to Executive Director of Community Financial Counselling Services, a non profit that provides free financial counselling and support to low income Manitobans. They provide free tax clinics during tax season as well as support for people experiencing gambling addiction. It will be different than my role with Shalom but I’m excited to support another vulnerable population group with this important work.”
Shalom Residences maintains six different houses in Winnipeg on: Enniskillen Avenue (home to the very first Shalom Residence), Hartford Avenue and Seven Oaks Place – all three of which are in West Kildonan; McAdam and Cathedral Avenues – in the North End; Daffodil – in Garden City; and Oxford Street, in River Heights.
The smallest home has three residents and the largest one – five.
Twenty-nine adults live in those homes, while another nine live in supported independent living apartments, and three adults are supported in community outreach.
Tamar Barr is probably best known in the community for her many years at both the Rady JCC and its predecessor, the YMHA. Tamar served as program director at both the YMHA and the Rady JCC from 1990-2013 and was Assistant Executive Director at the Rady JCC from 2013-2021.
Since then Tamar has filled a variety of different roles, including working in donor relations at the University of Manitoba; project coordinator at the Mennnonite Heritage Centre Gallery; and Alternate Funeral Director for Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
Tamr obtained her B.A. and Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Mantioba; and her Masters of Social Work from Yeshiva University in New York.
Tamar had this to say about her moving into the role of executive director of Shalom Residences: “Stepping into the role of Executive Director feels like a full-circle moment for me. Some of my most meaningful and formative experiences have been alongside people living with intellectual disabilities, whose strength and spirit continue to inspire me. I am honoured to join an organization rooted in Jewish values and dedicated to supporting individuals living dignified, connected and fulfilling lives in a community-based setting.
“I look forward to bringing my enthusiasm, experience and compassion to support and strengthen Shalom Residences important mission.”
In welcoming Tamar as Shalom Residences’ new executive director, the board of Shalom Residences said: “Shalom Residences Inc. is pleased to announce the hiring of Tamar Barr as our new executive director effective December 22, 2025.
“Tamar has a Masters degree in Social Work and brings a wealth of management experience in the non-profit sector and at the Rady JCC. She is looking forward to meeting our residents with intellectual disabilities, families and staff as she transitions into her new role with the kind assistance of our current executive director, Mike Goldberg.
“We wish to thank Mike for his outstanding contributions to Shalom Residences and wish him well in his new leadership role at Community Financial Services where he will be assisting individuals and families facing financial challenges.”
Local News
Canadian produced kosher wine now available in Winnipeg
By BERNIE BELLAN With the imposition last February of a ban on the sale of American liquor in Manitoba, the only type of kosher wines that were available here were from Israel, specifically wines produced by the Galil winery.
Since the latter part of September, however, kosher wines produced by a Canadian winery are now available in Manitoba liquor marts, also the Kenaston Wine Market.
The wines – a red and a white, are produced by a winery known as Tzafona Cellars – located in the Niagara region of Ontario.
On Tuesday, December 2, Rabbi Avraham Gislason, who is a a rabbi in Thornhill, as well as a Tzafona Cellars winemaker, spoke to a large crowd at the Jewish Learning Centre, where he not only explained how kosher wine differs from non-kosher wine, he brought along bottles of five different wines produced by Tzafona Cellars for members of the audience to taste.
So – what makes a wine kosher? you might ask. According to the internet, “A wine is kosher if it is made according to Jewish dietary laws… with strict supervision and handling by Sabbath-observant Jews from the crushing of the grapes to the bottling of the finished product. The winemaking process must use only kosher-certified ingredients, such as yeast and fining agents, and rabbinically-approved equipment.
Rabbi Gislason himself started Tzafona Cellars in 2014. According to the Tzafona website, Rabbi Gislason saw that the “soil, air, and microclimate of the Niagara Peninsula all come together to create an up-and-coming world class wine region, yielding a unique experience that cannot be recreated anywhere else in the world.”
While he appreciated the quality of the wines being produced in the Niagara region, there was one problem: None of the wines were kosher.
According to the Tzafona website, “Starting with the 2014 vintage, Tzafona began to produce kosher wines using the same techniques and high-quality grapes used in producing other premium non-kosher wines. Since then, Tzafona has continued to produce a variety of different wines, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, and Chardonnay. We have produced award-winning Icewines in the Vidal, Riesling, and Gewurtzraminer varietals. Tzafona is the only kosher Icewine producer in North America. Their Cabernet Franc Icewine won a Gold Medal at the All Canadian Wine Championships in 2025.
In 2016 we began to produce a line of refreshing semi-sweet wines under our brand “Nava Blanc” and “Nava Ruby.” (It is the Nava Blanc and Nava Ruby wines that are now available in Manitoba). Both of these wines are Tzafona’s bestsellers here in Canada and the USA.
The process of getting Tzafona wines approved in Manitoba was set in motion by Winnipeg marketing specialist Marsha Friedman, who for many years has worked as a marketing consultant and sales agent for businesses looking to offer premium kosher foods to their customers.
Her business, Excellence & Kosher, focuses on identifying unmet needs in the market. “I see a need and I try to fill it,” Marsha says.
“We also ensure that the most needed Kosher food products for the stores that carry Kosher are available, including Canadian Kosher wine,” she adds.
Marsha explains that she approached Tzafona—the only truly Canadian kosher wine company—some time ago with the idea of opening the Manitoba market for them and introducing their wines to local consumers.
Afterward, she contacted tManitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL), which agreed to begin carrying two Tzafona wines: Nava Ruby (Red) and Nava Blanc (White).
Since that initial success in making Tzafona wines available for purchase in Manitoba, Marsha says that she and her daughter Shira have been making similar progress in Alberta and hope to expand into the British Columbia market as well.
For more information about Tzafona Wines, including the addresses of stores in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba that carry their products, please visit the MBLL Liquor Marts website:
https://www.liquormarts.ca/liquormarts
Go to “Find a Product” and type “Tzafona.” Both wines will appear. Select the wine you’re interested in, then click “Store Inventory.” A list of all MBLL Liquor Marts that carry that product will be displayed.
Marsha adds that “We are hoping to have more listings of Tzafona wines available for Pesach this year, and we will be presenting them to MBLL for their approval.
“L’Chaim!”