Local News
In midst of war, Technion reaches significant milestone
By MYRON LOVE This year, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – is marking the occasion of its 100th anniversary – although, as Technion Professor Wayne Kaplan pointed out in speaking to a Winnipeg group on November 14, “celebrating” may not be quite the right word here considering the current war still raging. ‘Marking the occasion’ may be a more appropriate terminology.”
The Technion’s Vice-President for External Relations and Resource Development, Kaplan was in Winnipeg to address a gathering of about 100 Technion Canada supporters at the new-look Shaarey Zedek Synagogue.
The American-born and raised Technion professor opened his remarks with an account of how the Haifa-based university has continued to function over the past year.
“It has not been a simple matter,” observed Kaplan, who has been associated with the Technion for almost 40 years – first as a student and – since 1995 – as a member of the faculty.
“We began to plan our course of action even before we learned of the full extent of the atrocities committed on October 7,” he reported. “One of our biggest challenges initially was how to alleviate the effects on our many students who were drafted for military reserve duty.
He explained that the Technion has more students in residence – about one-third of the student body of 15,000 – than any other Israeli university. (About 1,000 students are foreign students coming from 30 different countries.)
While the government does subsidize university tuition to a degree, these subsidies do not cover the cost of living and, unfortunately, neither do they cover the extra costs associated with supporting students living on campus in a time of war.
“It was a huge undertaking providing for our students’ additional needs in this time of war,” Kaplan said. “We couldn’t have done it without the help of our Technion supporters worldwide.”
Then there were the number of students who were called up – about 3,000. “We were worried,” Kaplan recalled. “We weren’t sure when we could start the new academic year. Students could have lost an academic year. There were also financial implications for our students.”
As it turned out, the academic year was able to begin in mid-January (instead of late October) – and the current academic year was only delayed by a week.
Kaplan further noted that the Technion’s programs are intense and that the war increased the stress level on students. “We added to our team of psychologists to help students with the additional stress,” he reported.
Another potential problem was potential friction between the Technion’s Jewish and Arab students. The latter make up about 25% of the student body – similar to the percentage of Israelis who are Christian or Muslim Arabs. Fortunately, he noted, that didn’t become a problem.
One problem at the outset of the conflict was that the Technion didn’t have enough bomb shelters to accommodate all faculty, staff and 15,000 students. Kaplan noted that the solution was to erect temporary shelters all around the campus.
“Unfortunately, some of our students and alumni were killed in the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon,” Kaplan reported. “We hope that this war will be over as soon as possible. I remain confident that we are going to win.”
Turning to the Technion’s history, Kaplan noted that the cornerstone for the university was first laid in 1912. “Back in the day, when a Jewish state was still only a dream,” he pointed out, “our visionaries recognized the need to begin building the infrastructure for the hoped-for future state.”
When the Technion opened its doors in 1924, it was the future State of Israel’s first university. From the beginning, the Haifa-based institution has been a pioneer in research and science education – with a focus on architecture, engineering and science. The Technion also houses Israel’s only faculty of aerospace engineering.
“Our focus,” Kaplan explained, “is on fundamental science and its potential applications to new technology.”
He pointed out that one of the fruits of the Technion’s research is Israel’s leading edge Iron Dome missile defense system.
He further added that the university has 60 research and development centres – led by Technion faculty– which have attracted numerous high tech leaders – such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and IBM – to open high tech development centres – which employ many of its graduates.
The university has 18 academic departments, 17 of which give degrees. The Department of Humanities and the Arts exists to provide humanities courses to the students.
As is the case with many other Israeli universities, the Technion has spun off numerous start-up companies – 15 of them in the past year alone. The difference between the Technion’s and other universities’ approach to spinning off start-up companies is that the Israeli institution takes back just 50% of the profit as compared to the normal cut of 60% taken by most other universities.
In the question and answer session that followed, the moderator and executive director of the host Shaarey Zedek, Rena Elbaze asked about a substitute beef hamburger – developed by Technion researchers – based on bovine cells grown in vats. The benefits of the lab-grown meat substitute are the need for a lot less land, and less stress on the environment.
And it’s kosher, Kaplan added. You can have a kosher cheeseburger.
“We are also working on developing lab-created honey, milk, fish and other sources of protein,” he added.
Kaplan was asked about the Technion’s partnerships with other universities around the world. Of particular interest is the Guangdong (China) Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) which was inaugurated in 2017, also a joint venture with Cornell University in New York City.
The latter agreement came about as a result of former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s pledge of a $100 million donation toward the creation of a high-tech campus in New York City. The Technion won the competition to partner with Cornell University to create Cornell Tech . The new campus welcomed its first group of students in 2013.
The Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is a joint cooperative higher education institution – affiliated with Shantou University – and brokered by Li Ka Shing, China’s wealthiest individual. It was officially established on April 9, 2015 – and grants Technion engineering degrees.
The language of instruction at GTIIT, Kaplan noted, is English.
In introducing Kaplan, Elysa Greisman, Technion Canada’s executive director, noted that the organization has been active in Canada for the past 80 years – with a presence in Toronto and Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Kaplan expressed his appreciation, on behalf of the Technion, to the members of his Winnipeg audience, as well as to Technion supporters all over the world. “In these difficult times,’” he commented, “with your help, not only have we been able to cope, but also to continue to be able to support our communities under siege in northern Israel.”
Local News
Jewish Federation now says Jewish population of Winnipeg in 2021 (according to the census) was 13,940 – not the 16,000 figure that the Federation had been touting for years
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted Oct. 27, 2026) Longtime readers of The Jewish Post & News (and this website) would probably know that I have long had a very strong interest in establishing as accurate figures as possible when it has come to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish community.
For years I argued that our Jewish Federation was exaggerating the size of our Jewish population. I heard the figure of 16,000 bandied about by leaders in our community quite often when it came to reporting the size of our Jewish population – without any empirical evidence to back that figure up.
I had long maintained that the only reasonably accurate figures when it came to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish population were those produced by the late Evelyn Katz, when she was the unofficial demographer for the Jewish Federation – over 30 years ago. What Evelyn would do is keep careful track of births, deaths, numbers of newcomers but, perhaps most important: the number of people who had left our community.
Thus, in August 2022 when I interviewed Faye Rosenberg Cohen who, at the time, was just about to retire as the Jewish Federation’s Chief Planning and Allocations Officer, I was somewhat astonished to hear Faye say, when I asked her what proportion of our Jewish community was made up of immigrants, she answered that “I can honestly say when I look at those numbers it’s somewhere around 1/3 of the community.”
In response, I asked: “So you’d say it’s somewhere between 4-5,000?”
Faye said: “I think it’s more than that.”
I wrote in that article, “I indicated my skepticism at that time, saying ‘You know that I’ve always been skeptical about the numbers that have been used by the Federation for the population of the Jewish community. I think though that it’s always been more of a case of identification – who identifies as Jewish.’ ”
Later, after the results of the 2021 census were released, I wrote that “if you take into account the results of the 2021 census, the Jewish community cannot be larger than 14,270 at a maximum. But that figure would also include anyone who had either said either their ethnic origin was Jewish or their religion was Jewish.”
Since many of the individuals who had said on the 2021 census that their ethnic origin was Jewish, but their religion was something else, I maintained that ascertaining the real size of our Jewish community was highly problematic.
Still, for the sake of argument I was willing to accept that, realistically, it was somewhere between 13,000-14,000 – but nowhere close to the figure of 16,000 that had come to be suggested by our then president of the Jewish Federation or by other leading figures in our community.
So, it was with a sense of satisfaction that I heard Sharon Graham, who is now the Jewish Federation’s Community Planning and Allocations Lead say to an audience of over 50 people who were at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, October 22, that the Jewish community in 2021 was – at a maximum: 13,940.
Sharon was at the Gwen Secter Centre to speak to Remis Lecture attendees. Her presentation preceded a presentation by Jewish Federation CEO Jeff Lieberman. Sharon used a PowerPoint presentation to provide some very interesting insights into where our Jewish community was at in 2021- and I’m offering some parts of her presentation here for you to read because I thought they were so interesting.
I had actually made many of the same observations about the results of the 2021 census in my own reporting back in 2022, but seeing what I had written confirmed by the Jewish Federation’s point person on planning told me that Sharon has a much more realistic view of our community than did Faye Rosenberg Cohen.
Here, for instance, is a slide that shows the proportion of our Jewish community that is made up of immigrants. It’s slightly under one fifth, not the one third percentage that Faye had suggested.
But, what really set Sharon’s presentation apart from anything else I’ve ever seen presented by someone from the Jewish Federation – other than the aforementioned Evelyn Katz, was the slide she projected which showed that, while there had been a large influx of newcomers to Winnipeg’s Jewish community between 2016-2021 there had also been a significantly high number of people who had left our Jewish community in those same years, as you can see in the following slide:
That is something we just don’t hear discussed by leaders of our Jewish organizations, but let’s be realistic: For many newcomers who came to Winnipeg and were counted as new members of our Jewish community, Winnipeg – for a variety of reasons, was a stepping stone to other communities. It may have been for reasons of better job opportunities, moving closer to other family members, or – the reason that we hear so often when it comes to people saying they want to leave Winnipeg: the weather.
But, whatever the reason, Sharon’s figures show that, as much as GrowWinnipeg may have been an abiding success when it’s come to attracting newcomers to our Jewish community here, getting them to stay long term is a different story.
And, while there were other aspects of Sharon’s presentation that certainly merit discussion, especially the figures she produced about intermarriage, rather than delving into them here, I thought it useful simply to insert them for you, the reader, to see – and draw your own conclusions.
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
