Local News
Jewish Child and Family Service stepping up to meet the needs of the neediest members of our community in this extraordinarily difficult time

By BERNIE BELLAN
With the Corona virus enveloping the entire world, and with seniors being among the most vulnerable members of our community, the agency whose mandate it is to provide social services to seniors in our community has been thrust into the role as the primary source of contact for many seniors – and others who rely upon social support.
Rather than being able to provide in person counseling and other services to its clientele, however, the Jewish Child and Family Service is front and centre among Jewish organizations in this city that have had to improvise how it provides its normal services.
According to Al Benarroch, Executive Director of JCFS, various staff members of JCFS have been working strenuously to try and assist in “reducing the social isolation of seniors” and other clients of JCFS who are finding themselves not only psychologically and physically isolated from the community, but often desperately in need of such things as groceries and prescription drugs.
“We’re checking in by phone for sure,” Benarroch said, “and where possible – electronically”, i.e., by computer.
“All of our staff are set up with Zoom, so they’re able to set up virtual appointments that way…With seniors we want to make sure that we’re reducing their sense of isolation. We want to make sure that they have essential services provided to them – particularly food and medications.”
In terms of how many clients JCFS is actually serving at this excruciatingly difficult time, Benarroch explained: “We’re prioritizing those that are at the highest risk for isolation. That would be our elderly. We deal with about 425-450 households in that category alone. We’re talking about 600-800 people. In that group we include our Holocaust survivors, our newcomer seniors; we have many seniors that are living with mental health issues.”
Benarroch added that “We have a lot of mental health clients who live in isolation; many of them are younger and can get out. However, this whole pandemic is going to impact them emotionally – with their anxiety. We’re checking in on them regularly – with those electronic meetings.”
Asked what JCFS is able to do in particular with respect to providing food for shut-ins, Benarroch elaborated, saying that “What we are able to do is help coordinate, make sure that we have food delivered to them. As an example, we had a client this morning who said: ‘I’m more than capable of getting out. I have some mobility issues. I can get to the grocery store through handi-transit, but I need to get home – and they won’t wait.’
“So we were able to coordinate a taxi for them to get back home. We can do this on a case by case basis. In most cases we want to follow all of the protocols in insuring that people stay socially distant, where possible stay at home.
“We have a driver right now who’s taking orders from clients for groceries. We’re placing them on line. We’re arranging pick-up and we’re dropping them off in a no-contact drop off for them, and we’re working out an invoicing system where clients will be invoiced by the agency for reimbursement.
“Certain pharmacies are still delivering, certain grocery stores have actually added delivery as an option. We’re trying to take every precaution to make sure that everyone stays safe, but everyone has what they need.”
Benarroch also cited the JCFS’s child welfare program as another facet of the agency’s mandate to provide specific services that is receiving priority attention: “It’s interesting because it’s a legally mandated service to make sure children are safe in their homes or where they’re living – that is the one program that often requires direct contact. Again though, there are government protocols how you deal with that.”
I asked Benarroch whether “you’re fielding an increase in requests for help from people who ordinarily wouldn’t be contacting you?”
He replied: “It’s too early right now to tell. We’re preparing for it in terms of whether there are more financial needs for people, whether there are more requests for accessing – for getting vital services to them. That’s why we’re one agency that has not laid people off. It’s actually very interesting to see how much we’re able to do remotely. It’s quite amazing.”
Looking ahead, Benarroch predicted that “the clients who are on our caseload are going to be receiving more check-ins than when we did face to face.
“Once we get our Passover hampers out – which is happening over the next two weeks, we’re also planning to have our volunteer coordinators do more. We’re planning on doing more of a community response to isolated seniors so that (while now) they may get one or two calls a week – “at minimum,” he explained, “one call a week from their social worker – we’re hoping that they may get one or more calls a week from the same volunteer. That will be more of a social call: ‘Hi, how are you? Would you like to have a conversation about something in the newspaper? Tell me about when you were younger…’ – things that will keep people engaged.”
Asked whether JCFS has sufficient volunteers at the present time, Benarroch stated that “We’re fielding lots of requests. We have our core volunteers, but I think we’re a very giving community. I’ve been getting lots of requests: ‘What can I give? What can I do? Is there a way I can help?’
“You know, I’ve been fielding four or five emails a day – that’s just me, from individuals saying: ‘Al, is there anything we can do?’ I just got an email from Temple Shalom saying ‘Our congregation wants to do something. What can we do?’”
“The safest thing we can do is have people make phone calls, so we’re starting to coordinate those efforts.”
(Ed. note: A day after I conducted the interview with Al Bennaroch I was contacted by a representative of the Jewish Federation who informed me that the Federation is also now in the process of organizing volunteers who can call isolated members of the community. visit the Federation website.)
At that point in our conversation I digressed into something a little more esoteric, but given Al Benarroch’s own background as an observant Jew, I thought it would be somewhat interesting for him, which was to discuss how you could say kaddish if you aren’t part of a minyan. (For more on this turn to an article on page 20 .)
Benarroch noted that a recent rabbinical ordination came out from some of “the muckety muck Sephardic rabbis in Jerusalem that said for the purposes of the seder you can bring on your elderly loved one remotely – and use the computer – under certain circumstances, so you can Zoom them into a meeting – or use something like Facetime.”
I also noted that I had been emailing with Becky Chisick (executive director of the Gwen Secter Centre) about Meals on Wheels – but that I had discovered it’s quite a bit of a rigmarole to start getting them (at least a two week wait time).
Benarroch responded that “it’s not our program, but I commend Becky for stepping up some of those opportunities to do that,” adding that “Schmoozers is still providing meals. I have seen some people come in to the building and take out.”
Local News
Thank you to the community from the Chesed Shel Emes

We’re delighted to share a major milestone in our Capital Campaign, “Building on our Tradition.” Launched in November 2018, this campaign aimed to replace our outdated facility with a modern space tailored to our unique needs. Our new building is designed with ritual at its core, featuring ample preparation space, Shomer space, and storage, creating a warm and welcoming environment for our community during times of need.
We’re grateful to the nearly 1,000 generous donors who contributed over $4 million towards our new facility. A $750,000 mortgage will be retired in November 2025, completing this monumental project in just seven years.
We’re also thrilled to announce that our Chesed Shel Emes Endowment Fund has grown tenfold, from $15,000 to $150,000, thanks to you, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s FundMatch program, and Million Dollar Match initiative in 2024. Our fund helps ensure that everyone can have a dignified Jewish funeral regardless of financial need.
As we look to the future, our goal remains to ensure the Chevra Kadisha continues to serve our community for generations to come. Our focus now shifts to replenishing our savings account and growing our JFM Endowment fund.
We’re deeply grateful for your support over the past several years.
It’s our privilege to serve our community with care and compassion.
With sincere appreciation,
Campaign cabinet: Hillel Kravetsky, Gerry Pritchard, Stuart Pudavick,
Jack Solomon, and Rena Boroditsky
Murray S. Greenfield, President
Local News
Winnipeg Beach Synagogue about to celebrate 75th anniversary

By BERNIE BELLAN (July 13) In 1950 a group of cottage owners at Winnipeg Beach took it upon themselves to relocate a one-room schoolhouse that was in the Beausejour area to Winnipeg Beach where it became the beach synagogue at the corner of Hazel and Grove.
There it stayed until 1998 when it was moved to its current location at Camp Massad.
On August 2nd members of the synagogue will be holding a 75th anniversary celebration.

As part of the celebration anyone who is a descendant or relative of any of the original members of the first executive committee (as seen in the photo here) is invited to attend the synagogue that morning.
If you are a relative please contact Abe Borzykowski at wpgbeachshule@shaw.ca or aborzykowski@shaw.ca to let Abe know you might be attending or for more information about the 75th anniversary celebration.
We will soon be publishing a story about the history of the beach synagogue, which is something I’ve been writing about for over 25 years.
Local News
Vickar Family cuts ribbon on new Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre

By MYRON LOVE In the words of Larry Vickar, the Shaarey Zedek’s successful Dor V’ Dor Campaign “is not only a renewal of the synagogue but truly a renewal movement of Jewish life in our community.”An integral part of that renewal movement was the creation of a daycare centre within the expanded synagogue. On Monday, June 23, Larry and Tova Vickar cut the ribbon, thereby officially opening the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre in the presence of 100 of their family members, friends and other supporters of the project.
The short program preceding the morning ribbon-cutting began with a continental breakfast followed by a welcome by both Fanny Levy, Shaarey Zedek’s Board President, and Executive Director Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze. In Elbaze’s remarks, she noted that Larry and Tova wanted their family (including son Stephen and family, who flew in from Florida) and friends at the event to celebrate the opening of the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre, “not because of the accolades, but because, as Larry put it, he hopes that their investment in the congregation will inspire others to do the same.”
“When Larry and I spoke about what this gift meant to him and the message he wanted people to take away,” she continued, “I couldn’t help but connect it to the teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi whose book – Age-ing to Sage-ing – changes the whole way we look at the concept of ageing and basing it on our ancestral teachings.”
She explained that his concept of “Sage-ing” is based on three key ideas – Discover your meaning and purpose; accept our mortality and think about the legacy you want to leave.
“Larry spoke about these exact concepts when we met,” she said.
Elbaze also noted the presence of Shaarey Zedek’s newly-arrived senior Rabbi Carnie Rose, former Rabbi Alan Green, and area MLAs Mike Moroz and Carla Compton.
Larry Vickar expressed his great appreciation for all those in attendance. “Tova and I are deeply moved to stand here with you today for this important milestone in our community”, he said. “We are grateful to be surrounded by all of you, the people we care about, our family and friends… you who have touched our lives and played some part in our journey.”