Local News
Jewish Federation to increase allocations to beneficiary agencies by considerable amount
By BERNIE BELLAN The Allocations Committee of the Jewish Federation has submitted its report to the Federation. The committee is recommending a total of $3,523,098 in allocations to the 12 beneficiary agencies of the Federation for the 2021/22 fiscal year, which begins Sept. 1, 2021.
That amount represents an increase of $163,000 in allocations over the previous year, and will be the single largest increase in allocations year over year in the history of the Federation. As we reported in our April 28 issue, the Combined Jewish Appeal did raise a record amount in 2020 – $6,439,994 (which has actually increased to $6,451,061 as of the time of writing), which is the reason the Federation is able to increase its funding of agencies by such a large amount. There were, however, some one-time donations that were earmarked for specific organizations and which were already allocated during the 2020/21 fiscal year.
Nonetheless, as Allocations Committee Chair Marcelo Aprosoff noted in the committee’s report, “The Committee was excited to have more money to allocate than ever before…They are conscious of the fact that some donations in this year were singular and will not be repeated. They would like to caution Beneficiaries not to expect or rely on continuing increases in the next few years, even as we remain hopeful about the future.”
Here are some highlights from the report:
Every single one of the beneficiary agencies will either receive an increase in allocations over the 2020/21 year or will at least receive the same (except for the Kaufman Silverberg Library, which is not actually a separate beneficiary of the Federation; it is lumped in with Gray Academy). In addition, if you read on you will see that additional funds that have come in the form of designated donations to various agencies will also mean that some agencies will be receiving considerably more in funding from the Federation than they had requested.
In the case of one agency, Jewish Child & Family Service, the amount the Allocations Committee recommended that agency will receive is actually $40 more than JCFS requested – $880,600, which represents an increase of $65,300 over the 2020/21 allocation.
The next highest increased allocation will go to BB Camp: $80,000, which represents a $20,000 increase over the previous year.
Gray Academy also received a $16,000 increase, while the Simkin Centre received a $15,000 increase.
Other notable aspects of the Allocations Committee’s report included an increase in allocation to the Jewish Learning Institute from $1,800 to $10,000. No other agency had suffered as dramatic a cutback in allocations in 2020/21 as the Jewish Learning Institute – from $5,642 in 2019/20 to $1,800 in 2020/21.
Other than noting that “The Jewish Learning Institute is reaching many more students virtually than they could in person”, there was no explanation given for the large increase in funding for the JLI.
The Committee did make specific reference to some specific challenges that agencies faced as a result of the pandemic:
“Despite almost endless challenges and disappointments, community leadership proved resilient, flexible, creative, adaptable and compassionate.
• Loss of life at the Simkin Centre was heartbreaking.
• Closures at the Rady JCC left huge gaps in social opportunities for every demographic group.
• Fundraisers were cancelled or scaled back, limiting the capacity of some organizations.
• The community has become accustomed to programs online that are free.
• Some individuals don’t do well in the virtual world and are even more isolated in a world of isolation.”
The table on this page offers readers the chance to compare allocations to agencies over the past seven years. In the meantime, here is a list of the increased allocations each agency will receive (in comparison with what they received last year), as recommended in the Allocations Committee report:
Aleph Bet Child Life Enrichment $3,000
BB Camp $20,000
Camp Massad $10,000
Gray Academy $16,000
Kaufman Silverberg Library* $1,500
Gwen Secter Centre $10,000
Kosher Meals on Wheels $5,000
Irma Penn School $2,400
Jewish Child & Family Service $65,300
Jewish Heritage Centre $2,600
Jewish Learning Institute $8,200
Rady JCC no change
Shalom Residences $4,000
Simkin Centre $15,000
*While Kaufman Silverberg Library’s allocation is listed as a separate item, it is part of Gray Academy’s allocation
**While Kosher Meals on Wheels is also a separate line item, it is run out of the Gwen Secter Centre and is part of Gwen Secter’s allocation
As mentioned, in addition to the allocations from the Jewish Federation given on the table on this page, the Federation will also be allocating funds to certain agencies that have come from donors who have designated that their donations go to those agencies. (Donors who have given at least $18,000 the previous year and donate at least as much in the current year are able to “designate” which agency will receive their donation.)
The total of those designated funds came to $520,098, bringing the total amount to be received by the beneficiary agencies to $3,523,098. Interestingly, of all the agencies, the only ones that will not be receiving at least as much as thay had requested are Aleph Bet Child Life Enrichment ($50,000 less than requested) and the Kaufman Silverberg Library (which will receive $20,000 less than requested).
Here is how much more some agencies will receive than their requested allocations:
Gray Academy $25,250
Gwen Secter Centre $30,091
Jewish Child & Family Service $256,681
Jewish Heritage Centre $66,100
Jewish Learning Institute $5,000
Rady JCC $110,650
On top of the allocations to beneficiary agencies the Jewish Federation will be allocating another $2,918,693 to various programs, including $269,900 to the following:
Birthright Israel
GrowWinnipeg
Hillel Winnipeg
March of the Living
PJ Library & PJ Our Way
Young Adult Division
Other funds
A further $1,052,732 in designated funds will be given, some to the programs just listed.
As well, $525,000 will be sent outside Winnipeg to such organizations as The Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs.
Finally, the Federation operates a number of initiatives, such as government relations, combating anti-Semitism, 50+ programs, and many more. The total for those initiatives plus operations of the Federation comes to $667,472.
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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.”
