Local News
Jewish Federation holds mayoralty election forum in front of packed audience at Berney Theatre, October 3rd
By BERNIE BELLAN On Monday, October 3 the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg sponsored an election forum in which six of the leading mayoralty candidates were invited to participate.
As was explained by moderator Jason Gisser, the rules were that each candidate would be invited to give an introductory statement, after which he would pose a series of eight questions to the candidates.
Each candidate would be given one and a half minutes to respond to the question. Once all the candidates had responded to the question, Jason would invite two of the six candidates to add a further 20 seconds to what they had said initially.
While the format was conducive to what turned out to be a relatively genteel event, the fact that the candidates were not allowed to enter into any sort of exchanges with each other no doubt removed any opportunity for a livelier debate. Also, five other candidates for mayor were not even invited to participate.
What follows is my impression of the evening. I want to make clear that I do not support any particular candidate and have not made up my mind how I will vote. Reports that I have read to date either tend to focus on individual candidates or, when they do report on a particular election forum, are relatively truncated. Instead, as is my usual style in reporting on a fairly lengthy event, I like to offer the reader snippets of what occurred so as to give more of a flavour of what went on – without intending it to be a comprehensive repetition of what was said.
Looming over the entire evening, it must be noted, however, given the news story that the CBC had recently broken which raised questions about Glen Murray’s behaviour while he was the executive director of the Pembina Institute, was the possibility that one or another of the candidates would want to launch into some sort of attack on Murray, who is the clear front-runner according to the most recent poll.
The fact is that the only reference to that news story came at the very end of the evening when Robert-Falcon Ouellette made an obvious allusion to the story – when he told of his experience having served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 27 years. During that time, he noted, there was a strong emphasis placed on maintaining the utmost respect for moral behaviour within the armed forces.
Ouelllette went on to say that “No matter what you do at the end of the day, you need a moral leader who will stand up for what is right in our city, that there are certain actions which are unacceptable in our city and there are times as a leader you must say the truth and speak that truth.”
“And so I speak it here today and I hope people understand what it is I’m talking about because it’s certainly unacceptable for us to be here on this stage all together.” (Interestingly, the CBC story that quoted Ouellette had the spelling of that last word as “altogether.” I would suggest that would impart quite a different meaning to what he meant.)
But, that remark came late in the evening, when the candidates were invited to give closing remarks for two minutes each, and – after moderator Jason Gisser had finished posing questions to the candidates.
Prior to that time though each of the candidates certainly came across as articulate and passionate. Perhaps the one candidate who decided to try to separate herself from the pack most distinctly was Jennie Motkaluk, who took a more strident approach when, for instance, she referred at different times to “critical race theory” and “woke” attitudes. She also brought a few smiles from the other candidates when she said she really likes “growth and money.”
The first two questions that Jason Gisser posed, however, might have seemed somewhat parochial to any non-Jews in the audience (and probably a good many Jews as well). The first had to do with anti-Semitism and what each of the candidates would do to combat it if they were mayor. Would they be willing to attend a planned mayors’ conference on combating anti-Semitism? they were asked. Not surprisingly, none of the candidates came out with a position defending antisemitism.
The second question – and one that evidently caught some of the candidates off guard, was whether they would want the city to adopt the “IHRA” definition of anti-Semitism. It was clear that not all the candidates were up to speed on what the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism is. I’m not quite sure what bringing it up had to do with a mayoralty contest in Winnipeg. It reminded me of the effort some years back – not just in Winnipeg, but throughout the world, to declare cities “nuclear free zones” – an interesting proposal, no doubt, but what relevance does it have to urban issues?
The next question though was very much one that has elicited a huge amount of discussion during this election: What would the candidates propose to do about poverty and homelessness?
Glen Murray said that he had practical experience combating homelessness – even prior to serving as mayor of this city, when he helped to foster a neighbourhood housing project in the Spence neighbourhood where, he said, 300 houses were built.
Shaun Loney demonstrated an especially keen knowledge of this file, citing his own background as what he described as a “social entrepreneur,” placing a strong emphasis on creating jobs. “I would add add 1,000 social enterprise jobs to Winnipeg,” he said.
As far as housing is concerned, Loney said he would create a “$100 million land trust.”
“It’s not a money problem,” he added; “it’s a system problem.”
Robert-Falcon Ouellette was somewhat dismissive of candidates’ promises to alleviate homelessness and poverty, asking whether “any of the politicians here are going to do anything but check off all the right boxes? Politicians are great at discussing things,” Ouellette suggested, but when it comes to actually doing things –well, that’s a different matter.
Later he added this observation: “Seventy-five percent of homeless people are aboriginal. They don’t need a home; they need a friend.”
Kevin Klein related his own experience growing up in poverty. His mother was actually killed by his abusive father when he was a kid, he told the audience and “I’ve lived under the poverty line a good part of my life,” he said.
As for politicians not ever doing anything but discuss things, Klein said that he personally brought forward a motion at City Hall to create “Homes for Heroes” – a project that saw a small number of homes allocated to war veterans in Winnipeg.
Scott Gillingham said that he was proud to have been involved in the effort to create a certain amount of “modular housing” for people living below the poverty line. He also said that City Council is implementing a “poverty reduction plan” that he was involved in crafting.
As for Jenny Motkaluk – she said that “the solution for poverty is a really nice job.”
“I want to bring 16,000 high paying jobs” to Winnipeg, she added.
As for homelessness, Motkaluk said “there are 780 derelict houses in this city. I want to auction them off.”
Shaun Loney added that “we need to realize that governments and not-for-profits need to work together.”
Jason Gisser asked each of the candidates to describe their “bold vision” for the future.
Jenny Motkaluk said that “the single biggest impediment to growth and investment in this city is our political leaders.”
Glen Murray said “We need to spend money on things that will make this city more beautiful.” He noted that when he was mayor three of the projects that were built during his time in office included: Waterfront Drive, the Esplanade Riel, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (He observed as well that the CMHR was a great example of all three levels of government working together.)
In contrast, he noted that the single largest project undertaken by the city since his time in office was “$200 million spent of refurbishing the Post Office.”
Shaun Loney pointed to the deterioration of Winnipeg’s “green canopy”, saying that there are 30 different organizations devoted to protecting and expanding the number of trees in the city. He said he would like to consolidate all those efforts and work hard to protect our imperiled urban canopy.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette proposed the creation of an “urban national park” within Winnipeg to add green space to the city.
Kevin Klein said that his bold vision is to make Winnipeg “safe”, noting that “We can’t attract more people here if they don’t feel safe. People won’t ride the bus if they don’t feel safe.”
The next question was about infrastructure.
Jenny Motkaluk said “We’re going to end the corruption” associated with infrastructure projects.
Glen Murray said “We need more value planning to determine whether a project will return in value what it cost to build.” He cited Waterfront Drive as a project that has paid back many times over what it cost the city to create the infrastructure for that development.
Kevin Klein did comment later though that residents of Waterfront Drive are now having to deal with a huge upsurge in break-ins.
Shaun Loney said that rather than think about expanding infrastructure we ought “to focus on the infrastructure we’ve already built.”
Robert-Falcon Ouellette cited the example of Quebec City and its transit system as something Winnipeg could emulate, saying that in that city “People really enjoy taking the bus.”
In response to that suggestion, Kevin Klein said that currently “Seven thousand people a day in Winnipeg don’t even pay for the bus.”
Scott Gillingham proposed extending the Peguis Trail and widening Kenaston Boulevard.
Jason Gisser asked about public safety and what each of the candidates would do to make Winnipeg safer.
Scott Gillingham said that as mayor he would sit on the police board. He also said that he would split up police calls so that police don’t respond to every call for service, with other personnel used in situations that would be better served by another type of emergency responder.
Shaun Loney called for a return to community based policing – with “more cops walking the beat,” adding that “people are going to continue to commit crimes unless they get the intervention they need.” He also observed that we need to “address homelessness” before we can make inroads in enhancing public safety.
After the final question was answered the candidates were allowed one final opportunity to sum up their platforms. As noted, it was then that Robert-Falcon Ouellette was the only candidate even to obliquely refer to the controversy that had recently surfaced about Glen Murray.
And, while five of the six candidates hung around afterwards to schmooze with audience members, Glen Murray took off immediately after the forum was over. I offer that not as an editorial comment – merely an observation.
Local News
Inspirational Gray Academy teacher Sheppy Coodin retiring
By MYRON LOVE After 20 years at Gray Academy – and 30 years overall as a teacher, Dr. Sheppy Coodin is retiring – leaving behind many indelible memories – not only for himself but also for the numerous students he has taught over the years.
“I tried to inspire my students – and I was in turn inspired by them,” says Coodin, the son of Kayla and the late Fischel Coodin, who was one of the longest serving teachers currently teaching at the school.
The beloved biology teacher’s relationship with our community’s Jewish school system actually goes back much longer than 20 years. He is an alumnus of both the former Talmud Torah School and Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate and his father-in-law, Jerry Cohen, served as principal of Joseph Wolinsky for 17 years – from 1980-1997.
Coodin recounts that his teachers at Joseph Wolinsky – in particular the Grysmans and Binenfelds – inspired his passion for Judaism.
Coodin earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Western University – graduating in 1993. He says though, that his goal all along had been to become a teacher. After Western, he and his late wife, Naomi, returned to Winnipeg where he earned his B. Ed at the University of Manitoba.
He first taught for a year in the Seven Oaks School System – followed by eight years at St. John’s-Ravenscourt. At Ravenscourt, he taught Grade 8-12 Sciences.
Coodin taught at Ravenscourt for eight years before moving to Gray Academy. At the latter, he taught high school Biology and Judaic Studies.
Coodin describes Gray Academy as a very special school. “My colleagues and the students – we are a family,” he observes.
One important trait that Coodin brought to his role as a teacher was his enthusiasm. “I have always loved lesson planning,” he says. “I loved the challenge of finding new ways to help my students connect with the material.
Coodin also has one talent that is unique among his fellow teachers: He can juggle…no, not in the sense of juggling responsibilities – but real juggling. It was an avocation that he learned in high school. In his younger days, he occasionally worked children’s birthday parties as “Sheppy the Clown” – an act that naturally included juggling.
And from his first year as a teacher, he taught interested students to juggle as part of his school’s extracurricular activities. At Gray Academy, he started a yearly Purim variety show which included his student jugglers as well as other students and staff offering stand-up comedy, song and dance.
He happily reports that the variety shows will continue even though he will no longer be a part of them.
Living and modelling an observant Jewish life has also been important to Coodin. For 30 years, Jewish scholar Barry Bender form New York would fly into Winnipeg in January – with a dozen yeshiva students, to lead a weekend Shabbaton for the school’s high school students – a Shabbaton that Coodin was involved in helping organize.
That came to an end with the Covid lockdowns in 2020 but, Coodin reports, last year, he and his fellow teachers organized their own Shabbaton for their students.
“All 14 of us high school teachers who went were actively involved,” he points out.
Another initiative that Coodin started – with fellow Gray Academy High school teacher Avi Posen (who made aliyah in 2019) was the annual “Shabbat Unplugged.” The two created Shabbat Unplugged in 2016 with the idea of building on the annual high school Shabbaton and organizing an annual Shabbaton for Jewish university students, not only from Winnipeg, but also from other Western Canadian Jewish communities.
The Shabbaton is now run by Hillel, he notes. “It was nice to be invited back by (Hillel director) Raya (Margulets),” Coodin commented in an interview with the Post a few months back. “Raya is also a former student of mine who took part in the 2017 Shabbat Unplugged.”
One of the highlights of his teaching career at Gray Academy, he notes, was being able to teach his own sons, Yoni and Elly. “That was really special,” he recalls.
In retirement, he says, he is looking forward to spending time at Gimli over the summer with his partner, Leslie Singer, who is also retiring from teaching this year. “I am planning on renewing my gym membership and getting back to golf,” he continues. “Leslie and I will most likely do some traveling in the fall. I am also looking forward to spending time with family. ”
And though his teaching career is at an end, Coodin fully expects to keep in touch with many of his former students.
Local News
Winnipegger Mark Joseph leading efforts to fund treatment for rare genetic disorder that afflicted his daughter
By MYRON LOVE It’s not likely that many readers are familiar with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), but it is a condition that Mark and Jennifer Joseph know all too well, as their ten-year-old daughter, Darwin, lives with this disorder.
Prader-Willi Syndrome is a rare life-threatening genetic disorder that occurs in approximately one out of every 15,000 live-births. PWS affects many aspects of an individual’s life. A particular symptom is a relentless and insatiable hunger.
“We were fortunate that we were living in Toronto when Darwin was born so that we had access to many, many specialists and the Hospital for Sick Children,” says Mark, a pilot with Westjet who moved to Winnipeg in 2021. Immediately at Darwin’s birth the doctors knew there was something atypical about Darwin. The room flooded with specialists to assess and treat the newborn, who was labelled “failure to thrive,” as she was as limp as a rag doll, and wasn’t crying. “This was definitely one of the scariest and most traumatic experiences of our lives,” adds Mark.
“The hospital’s lead paediatrician had no experience with PWS, but remembered hearing of it. Genetic testing began, and by one-month-of-age, we had a definitive diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome – a diagnosis that would change the trajectory of our lives,” notes Jennifer.
“Darwin’s diagnosis required us to become experts in her condition,” says Mark, who is the newly installed President and Chair of the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research Canada. “Most medical professionals have never encountered anyone living with it. We had to learn all we could to best advocate for our daughter so that we could have the best possible outcome for her future.”
“Darwin’s early years were filled with therapies – physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hippotherapy, even feeding therapy, as an infant due to her low muscle tone. We still have therapies, but nothing like in Darwin’s first year of life. Before the age of one, we had attended over 165 medical appointments and therapies. It was exhausting and mentally very hard. This was our first child and definitely not how we had envisioned parenthood,” says Jennifer.
As Darwin has aged, her insatiable appetite has grown with her. In order to keep her safe and provide her a bit of independence in her own home, Darwin’s parents have had to put locks on the fridge and pantry. “Anywhere that food is stored needs to be locked. This helps us keep Darwin safe from overeating, as individuals with PWS have a high pain threshold and can unfortunately eat until they rupture their stomach. But it also helps Darwin manage her food-related anxiety so she doesn’t have to worry about gaining access to food and hurting herself,” notes Mark.
Food needs to be controlled and scheduled in any environment in which Darwin is present. Her school has taken great lengths to ensure food safety and open communication about food-related activities. Every meal has to be nutritious and portion controlled, as not only is Darwin always hungry, her slow metabolism requires her to need only half the typical calories of her peers – otherwise she will face life-threatening obesity and its related diseases.
Locally, on Sunday, June 9, Mark and Jennifer – in conjunction with three other Winnipeg families who are raising children with PWS, organized their second annual “One Small Step” Walk for Prader-Willi Syndrome Research at Kildonan Park. Mark reports that this year’s walk attracted 130 participants and raised over $22,000 – about $6,000 more than last year.
The funding, he reports, is being directed toward research. Clinical trials are taking place around the world to help understand the mechanisms of Prader-Willi Syndrome and investigate new treatments. One such trial is being conducted by Dr. Jennifer Miller, a professor and researcher in the division of Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Miller, the world’s leading specialist in PWS, currently works with over 500 patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome from around the world, and has been working towards achieving an effective treatment for hyperphagia (insatiable hunger) for the past 12 years.
The Josephs report that research may be close to a breakthrough in developing a treatment that can minimize some of the more challenging aspects of PWS. “Right now, Darwin is in public school,” Mark notes. “She can read and write and is fairly high functioning, but she is constantly hungry and anxious about food and distracted by the desire to attain food. This obviously has a huge effect on her ability to concentrate and learn. Without treatment, she will not be able to manage the demands of high school or look forward to a career.”
“A treatment will be life-changing for her and for us as a family – she may be able to lead a full and independent future… something we never thought we’d see in the early days of her diagnosis,” adds Jennifer. “Mark himself was responsible for much of the increase in the amount of money raised at this year’s walk thanks to the extensive network of contacts that he has built up over the years through his career in the aviation industry, and as a part of the Jewish community.
“A lot of people are willing to help, but they don’t know how,” Mark observes. “Our fundraising walk provides focus for friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers who want to help.”
For Mark, this is his second go-around in Winnipeg. He previously lived and worked here in 2008. That was when he met Jennifer. He himself is originally from Toronto. He notes that his father is from Haifa and his mother grew up as part of a small Jewish community in Cornwall – which is about 90 km southeast of Ottawa. Although his wife Jennifer is not Jewish, the couple agreed to raise their children – Darwin and younger brother Edison, in the Jewish faith.
“In Ontario, we were living in an area called the Blue Mountains, two hours north of Toronto, and there was no Jewish community,” Mark notes, “So when the pandemic happened, we decided that it was time to move back to Winnipeg to be closer to Jenn’s friends and family. Knowing that there was a large and vibrant Jewish community here made the decision an easy one.”
The Josephs enrolled their son Edison in Gray Academy for junior and senior kindergarten, and then transferred him to the Brock Corydon Hebrew Bilingual program. “We want him to have a strong foundation and connection to his Jewish roots,” Mark says. And though Darwin is not enrolled in the Hebrew program, she enjoys many activities and programs through the Rady JCC. “We are looking forward to deepening our involvement in the Jewish community,”Mark adds.
Readers who would like to support the Josephs’ efforts to develop a treatment for PWS and alleviate the challenges that Darwin and those afflicted with PWS face, can do so by visiting their One Small Step fundraising page at: tiny.cc/70cpyz
To learn more about Prader-Willi Syndrome and the research being conducted you can visit: www.fpwr.ca or www.fpwr.org
Local News
Former Winnipeg JNF Shaliach and Ben-Gurion University Executive Director Ariel Karabelnicoff has new gig with Haifa University
By MYRON LOVE Ariel Karabelnicoff left an indelible mark on our community over the 16 years that he and his wife Grabriela and their daughters lived here. Originally from Argentina, Ariel and Gabriela came here – by way of Israel – in 2003.
On first arriving, Karabelnicoff worked for investment firm Jory Capital. Subsequently, by turn, he served as the State of Israel Bonds’ point man here, then executive director of the local chapter of the Canadian Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev – followed by filling the same role for the JNF here. In 2019, he was lured to Toronto by former employer Israel Bonds to serve as national sales director.
About two years ago, Karabelnicoff left Israel Bonds for a new gig as executive director of Canadian Friends of Haifa University.
“I was excited to take on this new role,” Karabelnicoff says. “I strongly believe in the importance of higher education. Higher education broadens the mind and is a path to opening doors to multiple opportunities in life. It is a key to social mobility.”
Karabelnicoff reports that, among the largest universities in Israel, the University of Haifa is the youngest. Fully accredited in 1972, he notes, the university has an enrolment of 18,000 students – with a student body that reflects the diversity of Israel’s population. About 40% of the students come from the Druze, Circassian and Arab communities and – among the Jewish students – there are many whose families are from Ethiopia.
The University of Haifa , he adds, also boasts the highest percentage – among Israeli universities – of students who are the first generation in their families to attend university.
The university has several campuses. The original campus – a 30-floor structure – on Mount Carmel – houses several faculties, among them the Faculty of Law – in its new building – and the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, which offers the only graduate program in Israel in that field. The Computer Science Faculty is located in the port area. The Faculty of Design and Architecture – formerly the Neri Bloomfield School of Design under Hadassah-WIZ Oauspices – is situated in Haifa’s German Colony neighbourhood.
Coming soon for the University of Haifa, Karabelnicoff reports, will be a new School of Medicine. “There is a serious doctor shortage in Israel,” he points out. “The plan is to work in cooperation with Carmel Hospital. The University of Haifa is proud to lead in the efforts to train medical doctors and to be able to serve and take care of the population in the north of Israel.”
He adds that, as a result of the ongoing war, thousands of young Israelis that fought and are fighting right now, will be able to receive treatment and rehabilitation to their injuries and physical disabilities at the “Rehabilitation Training Center,” which will be built as part of the new Medical School of the University of Haifa . The Center, he says, will be one of the most important facilities to be developed at the School of Medicine to train doctors in rehabilitation.
Karabelnicoff further reports that the new School of Medicine was inaugurated at an event during the recent Board of Governors meeting held on June 2, 2024. The school will start teaching its first 50 students in October 2025. In subsequent years 150 students a year will begin training annually.
The school will be built on the grounds of the main campus of the University of Haifa on Mt. Carmel. The capital campaign that was recently launched totals US $120 million. The university has already secured US$65 million – including US$50 million from the Amir Family, US$10 million more from the Bloom Family in Boston, and another US$5 million from other donors around the world so far.
The Canadian Friends of Haifa University, he notes, has been in operation since 1973. The Canadian chapter has been, until now, largely focused on Toronto. The new executive director is working to expand the CFHU outreach to other Canadian Jewish communities.
“There are a lot of Israelis living in Winnipeg, for example,” he says. “I have begun reaching out to them.
“I would also like to see if we could negotiate some joint programming between Haifa University and the University of Manitoba.”
Karabelnicoff reports that the school year, which was delayed by the October 7 attacks and the current ongoing IDF operation in Gaza, began at the beginning of January. “Things are slowly getting back to normal in Israel,” he says. “We had about 1,500 students and faculty fighting in the reserves. Two-thirds are back in class.”
A current fundraising goal for the CFHU is to raise money for students returning from the fighting to provide scholarships to help pay tuition and rent to make up what they had to sacrifice financially while serving in Gaza.
As an individual whose work history has been all about building relationships, Ariel Karabelnicoff may be just the man to expand CFHU’s footprint across Canada.
For readers interested in contacting Ariel about supporting Canadian Friends of Haifa University, his email address is ariel.karabelnicoff@haifa-univ.ca.