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Jerry Cohen: better the second time around
By GERRY POSNER Cohen, Shell, Margolis, Diamond, Coodin, Slayen, Bloomfield, Simkin and many more family names all were in attendance on Thursday, August 18, 2022 at the Etz Chaim Synagogue for the second Bar Mitzvah of Jerry Cohen. In truth, the Bar Mitzvah was to have taken place last year in Cohen’s 83rd year, but Covid interfered with the event at that time so the simcha was postponed a year. But even with a year’s delay, the joy of the moment was everywhere, Covid or not. What was present was happily, not Covid, but Kavod.
Cohen of course is not the first person to have a go at a second Bar Mitzvah. One can recall not that long ago, the late Mel Neumann and Lou Cogan also had their respective second Bars. And no doubt there have been many others. The inspiration for Cohen occurred 17 years ago when Cohen was a mere 66. His uncle, Abe Simkin, chanted a Haftorah at his then second Bar (Abe would live long enough to try for a third if he wanted to do so), also at Etz Chaim and that memory stayed with Jerry.
Now Cohen is not exactly a stranger to the synagogue; his Jewish roots were and are strong. He was after all, a graduate of the Peretz School, a kind of a disciple of the late Rabbi Zalman Schachter and, later in his life, the principal of Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate. Yet, this was a big step to take and it was one that gave Cohen pause. He planned the event carefully. One of the reasons for the careful planning was that there were many people who wanted to be present for this major moment for Jerry, not the least of whom was Jerry’s sister, Saralyn Greenblatt who, along with her husband Jim, came from Israel to Winnipeg with their children and grandchildren, consisting of 23 out of a 24 possible relatives. Perhaps that was not a surprise given that family has played a large role in Jerry Cohen’s 83 years.
As it turned out, there were about 140 people who gathered at the former Rosh Pina Synagogue to hear Jerry read from the Torah, chant the Haftorah and then give a D’var Torah. My sources (and there were many) all confirmed that, on each count, Jerry was not just on key musically, but that he hit the right note in everything he did and said. Moreover, he managed to find a way to include all of his children, their spouses, grandchildren, and a collection of in-laws into becoming integral parts of the service, which was held on a Thursday morning. In addition to those in the building who watched Jerry in person, there were countless others who were glued to the screen as the service was available on Zoom. All that was missing were the advertisers.
Because the service was on a Thursday and, as a result on Zoom, although I was unable to see it live, I was able to watch it after the fact. It was clear to me, what a wonderful simcha this was. One of the significant moments for me was being able to watch Cantor Tracy Kasner, a former student of Jerry’s bless – in a musical way, her former principal.
Later the Rabbi, Kliel Rose, also another former student, gave his blessings to the Bar Mitzvah boy. At one point- after the chanting of the Haftorah, Jerry threw out candy to the congregation, which was a reverse of the usual tradition. And, what about the conclusion, when Canadian Klezmer legends, Shayla Fink and Kinzy Posen, broke out into Simmon Tov, Mazel Tov from the bimah, to the delight of everyone gathered for this big day. Most of all, what stood out was the message Jerry delivered in his D’var Torah arising from his Torah portion and Haftorah, emphasizing the need to listen to each other and also to take joy and happiness from what is around us, even in these times of turmoil.
The synagogue service was not the only part of the celebrations as, at the kiddish later, Kinzey and Shayla entertained the guests. Some of their music included Cohen descendants singing along with them, including 11 grandkids who performed a special tribute to Jerry. In that respect for sure, “the willingness to get up on stage gene” is very much alive in the next generation of the Cohen Mishpacha. The festivities continued with a gathering on Thursday night plus a kosher Shabbat dinner at the Convention Centre on Friday August 20 for the family and out of town guests.
For Cohen, it was a meaningful reaffirmation of his Judaism allowing him to reflect on his place and time and to do it with many of his family and friends. I say a hearty Mazel Tov to Jerry Cohen and indeed his whole family for making the effort to create such a significant moment for all of them. Cohen admits with all of that behind him now, he can truthfully say he was better on his second Bar Mitzvah than the first. Of course, he did receive lots of cuff links for presents at his first Bar Mitzvah, but greater fulfillment from the second one. A couple of Cohen’s old friends even presented fountain pens to him to honour the occasion. I expect Jerry to use the pens to write his thank you notes.
Kudos to Cohen!
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Local News
First year medical student Tim Rozovsky founds new association for local Jewish medical students
By MYRON LOVE In the face of a concerning surge in antisemitism over the past nearly three years, I am happy to report a good news story in that regard. Tim Rozovsky, the founder of the new Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba, reports that he and his fellow Jewish students enrolled in the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine are not experiencing any significant issues involving antisemitism.
Hopefully, the matter of the notorious Med school Valedictorian who used his podium to attack Israel was a one-off.
“My goal in forming the Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba,” says the first year medical student, “was to create a safe, supportive environment for my fellow Jewish medical students.”
He reports that the current first year class at the school has eight Jewish students – an increase over more recent years – with maybe a dozen more in the other years.
For a new medical student, Rozovsky already has an impressive resume. He was born in Russia and grew up in Israel. After the completion of his army service in 2018, the then-22-year-old rejoined his parents, Dr. Katya and Alexander, who had moved to Winnipeg a few years before.
Prior to coming to Winnipeg, Rozovsky had completed a personal trainer program out of The Academic College at Wingate in Jerusalem. Some readers may know the young man from his work as a Master Personal Trainer at the Rady JCC.
Shortly after arriving here, he enrolled in a kinesiology program at the University of Winnipeg. He graduated with a BKin Honours in 2023 and did post graduate work at the University of Manitoba. Last fall, he received his MSc in Physiology and Pathophysiology – earning two gold medals, along with 32 awards and scholarships in the process.
Rozovsky says that it was his mother who inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. Dr. Katya Rozovsky is an associate professor at the University of Manitoba and an attending radiologist, specializing in pediatric diagnostic imaging.
(Tim also adds that his wife, Irina Gelzin, whom he married about a year ago, is training to be a nurse.)
Insofar as the Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba is concerned, Rozovky reports that the group gets together multiple times a year. One of its programs was a joint Chanukah celebration with the Jewish Physicians Association of Manitoba.
There was also a joint program with the Christian Medical and Dental Students’ Association of Manitoba.
“More recently, we have been helping prospective Jewish medical students with their applications,” he says. “Hopefully we will be able to get together over the summer with the incoming Jewish students.”
As to his own future plans, Rozovsky notes that it is too early for him to be deciding on a specialty. “My goal,” he says, “is to work hard and get good grades and become the best doctor that I can be.”
Local News
Gray Academy to Represent Manitoba at National Reach for the Top Competition
By NOAH STRAUSS Posted June 6) Gray Academy’s Reach for the Top team is headed to Moncton, New Brunswick, to represent Manitoba at the National Reach for the Top tournament.
Reach for the Top is a Canadian school league that quizzes teenagers on a variety of different topics, from science and history to pop culture. Reach started out in 1961 in Vancouver, where a local CBC station broadcasted the new show; it eventually became a national broadcast starting in 1966. Alex Trebek, who famously hosted Jeopardy!, started out by hosting Reach for the Top.
Gray Academy’s very own team, made up of Grade 7 and 8 students, will travel to Moncton, New Brunswick, to compete as Team Manitoba. By winning the provincial Reach tournament, they secured their spot in the national competition.
Faculty members at Gray Academy are very supportive of the program. The Jewish Post spoke with three different staff members at the school. Coach and high school teacher Danielle Miller says she is excited for the trip; although she will not be accompanying the team herself, shehas coached them all year.
“This year we had over 20 students come to the club to join us, they practice twice a cycle at lunch,” Miller said. Due to the large turnout this year, two teams had to be formed. At lunch practices, students split into two teams of four where each player has a buzzer. The two teams compete to see who can answer the most questions correctly.
One of the two teams did exceptionally well at various tournaments throughout the year and will be traveling to nationals as the sole team representing Manitoba.
Co-coach Micah Doerksen described Reach as a great academic competition where young minds are tested on various topics through quick,fast-paced questions.
High school guidance counselor Lindsey Leipsic said, “We have athletes, non-athletes, we have students who are really involved and students who are not as involved at school, and we have quiet leaders, and we’ve seen friendships be built in Reach.” Some of her favorite memories of Reach involve seeing students from across Winnipeg come to Gray Academy and bond with one another. Lev Chisick, who is competing at nationals, agreed, saying, “Moncton is going to strengthen our school spirit and make us a better team.”
As the junior team makes their way to Moncton, the senior team will head to provincials. Later this week, students from the senior team will travel to Virden, Manitoba, to compete at the provincial level. The team qualified after placing high enough at their most recent tournament, which took place at St. Paul’s.
Confidence is high as the school heads into these final tournaments. When Nath Goldenberg, who is also competing at nationals, was asked what he is most looking forward to, his answer was short and sweet:“Winning.”
