Local News
Jewish Child and Family Service offers counselling in these stressful times
By BERNIE BELLAN Jewish and Child Family Sevice is a multi-faceted organization providing services to individuals in a host of different areas.
One of the areas in which the expertise of JCFS staff is proving to be most effective in these extraordinarily difficult times – even as we begin to ease up on the incredibly stringent restrictions under which most of us have been living, is in the area of counselling.
Recently I spoke with Shelley Levit, who is Supervisor of Counselling Services at JCFS and who herself is a professional counsellor.
I began our phone conversation by asking Shelley how the counselling staff has been adapting to the changed environment – from being able to see clients in person to having to speak to them over the phone or perhaps on a computer.
Shelley explained: “We’ve been busy – working remotely. We’re trying to develop new and creative ways to connect with clients to try to meet their needs.
“In that vein,” she added, “what we’re doing is offering three free counselling sessions to individuals – in both the Jewish and general communities because our counselling program is the only program in the agency that’s being offered to the general community as well as the Jewish community.
Shelley continued: “That’s because it’s operated on a fee for service basis – on a sliding scale, so people pay anywhere from $10-95 per session.
“It’s clinical counselling that we’re talking about. This would be similar to going to a private therapist. Offering counselling on a sliding scale basis is something that you don’t see often, other than with a few other agencies in the city.
“It’s something that’s usually in high demand,” Shelley observed, “but right now we have to get the word out about these services.
“A lot of people think that because we’re a Jewish agency,” she said, “they can’t access these services – and that’s not so. People say it’s the best hidden secret once they get to our services and they experience them for themselves, and they say: ‘Wow!’
“We have a shorter wait list than services offered by other agencies that offer them on a sliding scale,” Shelley noted, “but it’s still not as well known as it should be what we can provide for people who could well use our services.
“So, what we’re offering right now is offering three free counselling sessions. People are struggling financially right now. We’ve seen a lot of that. They’ve lost their jobs, or they’ve had a decrease in their income for various reasons, and more people are feeling anxious and stressed and could really benefit from our services.”
I said to Shelley that we’re living in extraordinarily difficult times, but I wondered what kind of clients JCFS usually sees for psychological counselling?
She answered: “Normally we get couples coming in for marriage counselling; we deal with issues of anxiety, loss, and bereavement; parenting – all sorts of issues.”
Shelley added that people are still dealing with the same sorts of issues but problems have become hugely magnified as a result of the stressful conditions which most of us are experiencing.
“People who would normally not experience anxiety, for instance, now find that they’re feeling anxious,” she said..
She went on to cite domestic violence as a particular issue that’s reared its ugly head. “There are more parenting type issues – you’re stuck home with your kids. People are getting stressed and overwhelmed.”
How it works, Shelley explained, “is that someone will call JCFS (204-477-7430) and speak to an intake worker who will take some basic information. Based on that they’ll be assigned to one of our therapists and then the therapist will call them and set up an appointment.
“All our counsellors have graduate degrees – masters of social work, educational psychology, marriage and family therapy and masters in counselling psychology. They’re all quite experienced.
“We can see them over Zoom or on a phone call.”
In some ways the workload for JCFS counsellors has actually decreased in recent times, much as the need has increased. “Some people don’t have a computer,” Shelly noted, “or they’re just not comfortable doing it that way” (remotely).
“We want to make it clear that we are open for business – and we’ll do it virtually – and it can be just as effective (as doing it in person). There’s a lot of research on virtual counselling.”
“Even as we begin to reopen services,” Shelley says, “we’re not going to get back to normal. We’re going to be in a ‘new normal’. When that takes place we will begin offering groups again – mental health support groups, bereavement groups, and parenting groups.”
She adds though that “We can’t have a large number of people when we do start to ease up on the restrictions that are going to be gradually lifted.
“So, right now we’re developing online support groups, webinars – that’s what we’re working on at the moment.”
I mentioned that our news service (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) has been sending us a lot of material about what people are doing in lieu of holding a shiva. I wondered whether JCFS is doing anything for people in that situation?
“There are a lot of bereavement issues,” Shelley noted. “The funeral is small, they can’t have a shiva; usually we have rituals that provide us with comfort and support. All that’s missing at this point.
“In terms of bereavement- the loss of a loved one is excruciatingly difficult at the best of times. It is markedly more so during the challenging times we are currently faced with. Families who have lost a loved one, are unable to engage in the various mourning rituals that typically provide comfort and support. Funerals, sitting shiva, visits from family and friends are key elements in our healing journey. Physical distancing and the inability to gather in large groups interferes with this.
“We are currently in discussion about how to best meet the needs of grieving individuals and families now that we are unable to offer our bereavement support groups. We would ideally be able to work with Winnipeg synagogues in this endeavour.
“Also, a group for anxiety. We’re not just talking about people who may have an anxiety disorder. We have clients like that in normal times; right now we’re hearing from people who don’t normally experience anxiety.”
As far as the billing goes for counselling sessions,” Shelley explained at the end of our conversation, “people give a credit card number prior to each session. A lot of times it’s the minimum fee of $10 that we charge.”
The number for JCFS again: 204-477-7430
Local News
Nakba exhbit at CMHR – you can see it right here and make your own assessment
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted June 26, updated July 19) The Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Exhibit for Human Rights opened to the public June 27. The morning before the exhibit was set to open to the public, (it had a private opening for invited guests the evening of June 26) we received a press release from the CMHR. That press release gave a very detailed description of what was in the exhibit, along with photos (supplied by Annie Kierans of the CMHR).
There is also a link right at the beginning of the press release that will allow you to watch the same videos that anyone attending the exhibit can watch. We reprinted what was sent to us without making one edit. We leave it to you to form your own opinion as to whether the exhibit is fair in its presentation, and whether it is lacking “context” – which is an accusation that has been levelled at the exhibit’s organizers by some representatives of Jewish organizations.
We have received many emails in reaction to the exhibit. If you have an opinion and would like to see it published on this website, you can send it to jewishp@mymts.net, but please indicate whether you would be willing to have it published on this website.
Here is what we received the morning of June 26:
Winnipeg, MB — June 26, 2026 — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will open a new exhibit tomorrow that explores human rights violations related to the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian Canadians.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present will be on display in the Rights Today gallery on Level 5 until 2028. Featuring personal stories told through artifacts and video testimonies, the exhibit presents Palestinian Canadians reflecting on their ongoing struggle for human rights. The small exhibit reveals enduring patterns of loss and resilience, helping visitors understand more about this contemporary human rights story.
Palestinian Canadian stories are now included alongside many other stories of forced displacement and human rights violations featured in the Museum’s galleries. Each of these stories contribute to our visitors understanding of human rights and help the Museum fulfill its mandate to foster reflection and dialogue.
Exhibition highlights
Personal stories and artifacts: Experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian Canadians sharing their journeys of displacement and memory through a series of five artifacts. Cases display artifacts like property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, accompanied by short videos that deepen understanding of the impacts of displacement.
Powerful artworks: In her painting Bound Together in Gaza, Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist, captures the struggles and resilience of her generation shaped by conflict. Her work pays homage to Guernica, Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Curfews and Closures, by Rajie Cook, bears witness to life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when curfews and closures were expanded and further limited basic rights and freedoms.
Cultural heritage: Discover traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. Tatreez motifs and colours are tied to place, family history and regional identity. Patterns are associated with particular towns, villages or areas of Palestine. In this way, tatreez is a form of storytelling: a way of preserving memory, sustaining identity and expressing resilience across displacement and exile.
Poetry and reflection: Engage with Mahmoud Darwish’s evocative verses, inspiring personal reflection on exile, voice, and responsibility. Visitors can take a card containing Darwish’s poem and add a personal note, fostering ongoing dialogue beyond the exhibit.
Contemporary context: Witness striking images of current events in Gaza and the West Bank, connecting past displacement to ongoing struggles.
Quotes:
“No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.” -Fouad Sahyoun, a Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit
“We developed this exhibit with a clear awareness that Palestinian Canadian voices have too often been marginalized, silenced or spoken over — and that anti-Palestinian racism affects whose stories are heard and whose suffering is recognized. That is why we intentionally centred Palestinian Canadian voices throughout the exhibit.” -Isabelle Masson, Curator of Palestine Uprooted
“Human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient, when the question of who deserves the dignity of having their rights recognized is genuinely contested. These are the moments where having a national museum for human rights is most important.
There are people who believe this exhibit should not exist in its current form. There are people who believe it should have existed sooner. There are people who will visit this exhibit and feel that it does not say enough, and others who will feel it says too much.
We have listened to every one of these voices. We have reflected. And we have renewed our resolve to continue the difficult, sometimes contested, and often controversial work of building understanding about human rights. We are a museum grounded in Canada’s human rights framework, whose mandate requires us to bear witness to the full complexity of the human story. We are proud to open this exhibit because the story it tells will help achieve that mandate, and because this story belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
- – Isha Khan, CEO
Local News
A photo that’s being circulated on the internet about me
For those of you not familiar with nutjob Michael Kalo – the psycho who created the notorious “$hitler’s List” years ago and the same psycho who went after Ben Carr, well – now he’s obviously taken a strong disliking to the stance I’ve taken on the Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (You can read elsewhere on this website how I simply posted the entire exhibit as it is – and asked readers to form their own opinions.)
Kalo likes to send out emails to various individual using phony names – such as Frank Ostrowski. When people ask me (or asked Ben Carr) why we don’t take action against him, my answer is: What’s the use? He only basks in the attention.
So Michael – enjoy the attention you’re receiving. I know how much of an embarrassment you are to your wonderfully talented daughters.
Local News
Ami Hassan returning as owner of Falafel Place
By BERNIE BELLAN In a surprise move – and after more than a six-year absence as owner of Falafel Place (Corydon at Wilton) the legendary Ami Hassan has decided to return as owner of one of Winnipeg’s most famous eateries.
Long known for his sometimes irreverent attitude to his customers, e.g., “If you’re finished, get out!”, Ami decided to return to running Falafel Place after having retired years ago (or so he thought) from running the Corydon Avenue restaurant.
We asked Ami whether he’ll be sending a special invitation to Julia Roberts to come visit him at Falafel Place. He asked again: “Who’s Julia Roberts?” (Just kidding – he really does know how Julia Roberts is.) Read the story how Ami told her to leave the restaurant and come back later at Julia Roberts turned away from Falafel Place
Ami did note that when customers saw him inside the restaurant one recent day as he was getting it ready for the reopening Monday, August 10, over 20 of them came in asking him if he was open already.
We asked Ami whether the menu will be the same as it was when he last ran the place and he said everything will be the same.
Falafel Place will be open 7 days a week from 7 am – 2 pm. Remember, if you’re finished – get out!
