Local News
Jewish Heritage Centre publishes new collection of essays about the history of Jewish life in Manitoba
Jewish Life and Times: A Collection of Essays Volume X
Review by MARTIN ZEILIG This soft covered collection of interesting and even entertaining essays, which are grouped under umbrella topics, brings together, as is stated in the introduction, presentations made to the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada over the past few years.
It provides a glimpse into the life of Jews in this part of Canada, as well as, at least in some of the essays, lessons for today’s world.
For example, in the section, Social Issues in Winnipeg’s Jewish Community, Esyllt Jones, Professor of History at the University of Manitoba, has contributed an essay, Jews In Winnipeg’s Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919. It’s based on a talk she gave to the JHC in 2006, and formed part of her award-winning book, Influenza 1918: Disease, Death, and Struggle in Winnipeg (University of Toronto Press, 2007).
This exploration has contemporary significance because the COVID pandemic, as is stated, “has increased awareness of the social implications of disease.”
As Professor Jones writes, “… the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 hit Winnipeg and worldwide societies hard. Both the course of the disease and the response followed along class and ethnic lines of division within society. The poor, especially in Winnipeg’s immigrant-dominated North End, lived and worked in conditions that put them at greatest risk, as death statistics show. Their poverty made treatment difficult and often depended on the willingness and ability of wealthier strata to provide nursing care and financial relief. This extended even to burying the victims.
“Within this context, the Jewish community drew on its long tradition of community self-help through philanthropic organizations and through mutual-aid societies that reflected the North End community more closely.”
Communal Solidarity: Immigration, Settlement, and Social Welfare in Winnipeg’s Jewish Community, 1882-1930, is a contribution by Arthur Ross, Professor Emeritus and Public Administration at Metropolitan Toronto University and a former Winnipegger “with deep roots in the North End.” It is based on his book, which published by the University of Manitoba Press, of the same name that was launched at the JHC in 2019.
Ross describes the activism of the North End Jewish community.
“Few of the Jewish immigrants who established Winnipeg’s Jewish community could have imagined that their children and grandchildren would live in a society in which the government was responsible for universal health care, provided various forms of income assistance, and funded social services,” he concludes.
“Certainly, the establishment of the welfare state reduced much of the need for Winnipeg’s Jews to engage in collective action to protect each other from life’s misfortunes. After the 1930s, communal solidarity continued to shape the development of Winnipeg’s Jewish community.”
The section entitled JEWS IN WORLD WAR 1 contains a series of essays that, taken together, form a fairly comprehensive look into Jews as soldiers on both sides during that four year long pointless war: Jewish Canadians and the Great War, by (the late) Jim Blanchard; German Jewish Soldiers in World War 1 by Lionel Steiman; French Jewish Soldiers in World War 1, by Robert J.Young; Russian Jews During the First World War, by Daniel Stone; The General Monash Branch, by Daniel Stone.
“Jews made good citizens in all countries in which they lived and fought valiantly; although their efforts were not always recognized or appreciated,” noted a presenter, during a panel discussion at the JHC to mark the centenary of the Great War (which erupted in August 1914).
Some of the other fascinating essays in this useful little book deal with The 1919 WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE, RABBI ZALMAN SCHACTER, THE GARMENT TRADE IN WINNIPEG, LEISURE ACTIVITIES, and BEYOND THE CITY.
A section at the beginning, PASSAGES, acknowledges the passing of several board members and staff members of the JHC and its predecessor, the Jewish Historical Society: Abraham J. “Abe” Arnold, CM (1922-2011); Mildred Gutkin (1921-2021); Leon Michaels (1925-2015); Irma Rachel Penn (1945-2013); Judith Putter (1948-2021); Maurice Steele (1929-2022); Roseline (“Roz”) Wolodarsky Usiskin (1928-2022); Norman Vickar (1917-2015); Marshall Wilder (1926-2017).
“Their insight, dedication, and contributions have greatly furthered the win aims of the Jewish Heritage Centre: the documentation, preservation, and sharing of information on the development of the Jews in Western Canada and advocacy of anti-racism, especially through Holocaust education,” says the Introduction.
One now awaits the next installment of Jewish Life and Times. What an invaluable historical resource for our community. It reinforces the truth that all people and cultures are living histories.
Jewish Life and Times: A Collection of Essays Volume X
Edited by Daniel Stone & Annalee Greenberg
Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada
184 pages
Local News
The Jewish Post Ltd. launches new website for food lovers
By BERNIE BELLAN Three months ago I wrote a story about something my daughter, Shira, had started doing on social media that had proved to be wildly successful – much to her own surprise. That story was titled: Local foodie finds fame by trying foods on Facebook Marketplace
What Shira was doing was going on to Facebook Marketplace and trying different foods that she was able to buy from local vendors. She often didn’t know what the heck it was she was ordering, but each time she would get a new food she would film herself reacting to that food.
The results have been consistently entertaining – often hilarious, to the point where Shira now has over 10,300 followers on Instagram, as well as on Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube. (You can find her Instagram page at Winnipeg Marketplace Food Finds.)
I suggested to Shira that she ought to parlay the success she’s found by posting on social media into a further venture: creating a website that would give wider exposure to the food vendors whose food Shira liked the most.
As a result, Shira and I teamed up with the marvellous web designer whose name is Mario Lacunza who is responsible for the design of jewishpostandnews.ca -to create a brand new website called Winnipeg Marketplace Food Finds.
On that website you will find pictures of some of the most popular foods Shira has tried from Marketplace, along with links to the original Instagram posts where she reviewed those foods – and links that will take you directly to the vendors’ Facebook pages.
There are so many brilliantly creative people selling food on Marketplace and Shira’s social media posts have brought many of them a lot of new business. Our hope is that our new website will bring them even more business.
The website will also offer stories about food from a variety of sources. So, take a look at the new site and be amazed at the originality of the foods being produced on Facebook Marketplace.
Local News
UNVEILING for the headstone of Dr. Velimir Kon (Sept. 18, 1950-June 27, 2025)
A true mensch and person of many talents and profoundness, Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon is deeply missed and loved by his family and friends.
Known for his warmth, kindness, integrity and love of learning and teaching, Velimir continues to inspire all who knew him and his memory warms our hearts and souls. Velimir is deeply missed.
You are invited to helps us remember and honour our beloved husband and father who passed away almost a year ago.
We, Branka, Deborah and Lea Kon, wish to inform our relatives and friends of the unveiling of a headstone dedicated to his loving memory on FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2026 at 11:00am at the HEBREW SICK CEMETERY (2605 McPhillips Street) followed by lunch at the Chabad Lubavitch of Winnipeg – Jewish Learning Centre (1845 Mathers Avenue). Please come say a l’chaim in his honour.
In Memoriam
1st Yahrzeit
In loving memory of Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon who passed away June 27, 2025, 12 Days in Tammuz.
⁃ Forever and deeply loved and missed by his wife of over 50 years, Branka, and daughters Deborah and Lea Kon. Velimir brought joy to our lives with his boundless kindness and gentleness, irrepressible humour, great intellect and love of people, tikun olam and Judaism.
Not a day goes by that we do not mention Velimir and feel his presence with us. Our lives are not the same without him and we deeply miss and cherish him. We can never forget his presence that was larger than life, yet also his humility and thoughtfulness.
A gentleman to the very core, Velimir was respected as a scientist, academic, professor, researcher, and later as a teacher and mentor. He always endeavoured to make every place he worked and lived at better and was able to bridge many cultures. He was Abraham of his generation and made many personal sacrifices; giving up status, position and privilege in order for his family to have a better and peaceful future.
May his memory always be a blessing. He left us at only 74 years young and we wish we had had more time together. Indeed, to know him was to love him.
Local News
Younger Jewish talents continue to shine in their respective categories at annual Winnipeg Music Festival
By MYRON LOVE A number of younger members of our community were repeat stars at the most recent (108th annual) Winnipeg Music Festival – which takes place annually in March. Among the repeat Jewish singers and musicians in the ranks of high achievers this year were” Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, Gregory Hyman, Alex Schaeffer, Juliet Eskin, Noah Kravetsky, and Lyla Chisick.
Vocalist Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, the oldest of this year’s group of Jewish repeat winners, was competing in his fifth straight festival, where he continued to build on his accomplishments in previous festivals. This year, the 20-year-old son of Samantha and Peter finished first in two musical theatre categories – songs from musical theatre productions between 1965 and 1999, and shows from the past 26 years. Yale sang “I’m Allergic to Cats,” from the 2016 musical “The Theory of Relativity,” and “Suppertime,” from the 1967 musical, “You’re a Good man, Charlie Brown.”
The former Gray Academy student is currently enrolled at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music in the Choral program. Yale says that he is hoping to get into the performance track in the fall with the goal of earning a degree in Classical Voice Performance en route to pursuing a career in musical theatre.
As reported previously, Gregory Hyman is a multi-faceted artist who can do it all. The 18-year-old son of Hartley and Rishona Hyman is a singer/songwriter/musician (guitar) who records and performs under the stage name, GMH. His versatility shone through once again in his eighth Music Festival, in which he registered first-place finishes for vocal performances in both “Popular and Contemporary Music” and “TV and Movie Music “categories.
Gregory notes that he was also recommended to compete in the provincial finals in June. The St. John’s-Ravenscourt student (and soon-to be) graduate continues to be busy on stage. In January, he headlined a sold out solo show at Sidestage on Osborne featuring some of his new material. In March, he released an album of his newest songs. Readers can check out his latest compositions on any of the music streaming platforms as well as his own social media (thegmh) on Instagram.
Gregory also continues to host his own podcast: “Talk and Rock with GMH – now in its fifth season – in which he interviews various people in the music business across Canada.
While Gregory says that a musical career is his “dream,” he reports that he is hedging his bets and considering different potential career opportunities. Come September, he will be enrolled at the University of Manitoba in a University One program, which will allow him to select from a variety of courses that can count toward a degree.
Sixteen-year-old Alex Schaeffer won first place this year in the “Musicals Prior to 1965, 16 Years and Under” category with “Try Me” from “She Loves Me,” and was runner-up in the “Musicals 1965 to 1999, 16 Years and Under” category with “On My Own,” from “Les Misérables.” For the son of Marc Schaeffer and Kae Sasaki, this was his fifth year competing in the festival.
The Grant Park High School student made his big stage debut three years ago as Kurt von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” followed by playing Michael Hobbs in “Elf the Musical” this past winter at the Royal MTC.
Alex recently performed in Grant Park High School’s production of “Something Rotten!” This summer Schaeffer can be seen again at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, where he will be appearing in a production staged by Rem Lezar Theatre.
Rounding out the voice winners is Lyla Chisick. The daughter of Daniel and Baillee was competing in her second music festival. This year, she scored Gold performances in the “Vocal Solo,” “Manitoba Composers,” and “TV/Movie Musical, 12 and under” categories.
Lyla reports that she began taking voice lessons from Jessica Kos-Whicher three years ago. She says she regularly takes part in the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Family Service and has sung at several community events. Lyla adds that she is already looking forward to next year’s music festival.
Nate Kravetsky and Juliet Eskin competed in the festival as musicians rather than singers. Juliet, 16, plays the viola, and is also is the violist in the Assiniboine String Quartet. In this, her fifth go-round at the festival, Juliet, the daughter of the musically talented Kelly Robinon and Josh Eskin, had first place finishes in the “Viola Solo, level 8,” “Baroque or Classical Concerto,” and “Romantic Composers” categories.
Juliet originally took up the violin – adding the viola a couple of years after. She also just finished performing in the Grant Park High School production of “Something Rotten!”
Nate Kravetsky is currently in Grade 5 level piano. He studies with Erica Schultz and has been taking lessons from her since age 5.
Nate competed in three categories at the Winnipeg music festival: “Baroque,” “Sonata,” and “Contemporary/own choice.”
His own choice selection was the theme from his favourite video game, “Hollow Knight.”
Nate, who is in Grade 7 at Gray Academy, is also preoccupied preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah.
We look forward to the continued musical success off Yale, Gregory, Alex, Nate, Juliet and Lyla, and what new talent may be unveiled at next year’s Winnipeg Music festival.
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