Local News
Jewish organizations struggling with realities of dealing with unprecedented situation
By BERNIE BELLAN
The impact that COVID-19 has had on Jewish organizations in Winnipeg has taken many forms.
Arguably the most immediate impact was felt by staff at the Rady JCC when all activities came to a crashing halt there in the middle of March. Over 160 staff were laid off as a result, although 30 members of the day care staff were rehired when the Province ordered the Rady JCC to reopen the Kaufman Early Years Centre, which the Rady JCC operates at the Asper Campus.
When I spoke with Rady JCC Executive Director Rob Berkowits the third week in March he told me that he and staff who work in the finance department has just finished processing 1900 refunds of various sorts, including tickets for the sports dinner and registration payments for various programs – all of which had been canceled.
I asked Rob whether the “financial hit that the Rady was taking could be measured in the hundreds of thousands of dollars” and he agreed that was the case.
The news hasn’t got much better, although when I spoke with Rob again recently he did tell me that the provincial government has given permission for the summer day camp program to go ahead, but with tight restrictions involving social distancing. (There will be no swimming in the pool, for instance – which has always been a highlight for most of the kids in the day camps.)
As far as operating the day camp program goes, Rob said that “We’re pleased to offer a service to the community – and not just the Jewish community.”
When asked how many campers attended the day camp last summer, Rob said it was from 800-900, but since many of the kids were enrolled in more than one session, he wasn’t able to say how many individual kids were enrolled in the day camp altogether.
What he did say though, was that losing the sports dinner would deal a huge blow to the day camp program, since one of the principal benefits of the dinner was that much of the profit has flowed into camperships for families that otherwise might not be able to send their kids to camp.
Turning to the day care program, Rob was glad to report that the daycare at the Campus had once again reached its maximum capacity of 50 and, as a result, the David and Ruth Asper Early Learning Centre on Grosvenor had now also reopened (on Monday, May 4). At the time that I spoke with Rob (which was on May 7), he said there were now 10 kids at the day care on Grosvenor.
As far as any other programming at the Rady JCC goes, like just about everything else, it’s all up in the air. “We are planning our programming for the fall,” Rob said, but whether it will proceed as planned, of course, is totally unknown.
While the Rady JCC has seen an almost total shutdown of all activities, the Gwen Secter Centre has found itself in a situation where it is being called upon to serve an unexpectedly vital role in the Jewish community.
As I noted in our April 15 issue (which was our last printed issue), “the Gwen Secter Centre has stepped up to fill a void left by the inability of Meals on Wheels to take on any new applicants.
“Gwen Secter Executive Director Becky Chisick told me that the kitchen staff (which consists of only two women, Galina Melenevska and Cathy Koltowski) had been busy all week the week of March 30-April 3 preparing some 60 meals for seniors who had been unable to register for Meals on Wheels.”
When I contacted Becky again on May 5 to ask her whether the kitchen staff was turning out as many meals as it had been when I last spoke with her, she sent me the following email response:
This week we are sending out 194 meals (emphasis mine, Ed.) – a huge increase from the first week of 6 meals. When I started organizing this initiative I figured that we would eventually get to around 120 meals weekly. The recipients of the meals are beyond grateful. I get regular phone calls expressing appreciation not only for the meals but the friendly wave (and smile if someone isn’t in a mask) from outside their windows. We are so happy to be a part of something so special during these unpredictable times.
Currently it is still Cathy & Galina in the kitchen. The numbers have increased so rapidly that we are considering a part-time kitchen assistant.
“We did receive support from JFM and we are very grateful. Additional support is coming from:
The Azrieli Foundation
The Winnipeg Foundation
Seniors Can!
Foodrescue
“Starting this week we are including challahs every Friday so everyone will have the opportunity to celebrate Shabbat in their homes.”
And, although I did ask the directors of every Jewish organization that is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation to send me a brief description what the major impact has been upon their organization as a result of COVID-19, I received only one response from the director of a Jewish organization, who asked that their response not be quoted.
I’m sure, like many of you though, you received an email from a synagogue describing the difficulties that synagogue is now facing. Here is an excerpt from an email sent out by the Shaarey Zedek to its members:
“Over the last number of weeks, we have been working to mitigate as much as possible the impact on our congregants and community during this pandemic. The need to still be your synagogue during these times was paramount in all our decision making. Our Executive was very mindful in terms of the financial impact this was and continues to be on the well-being of our institution. Obviously, our revenue streams have been affected in many areas. With the closure of the building many events scheduled to take place in our synagogue have either been postponed to later dates or cancelled outright. All Bar / Bat Mitzvahs for May & June have been postponed. Rabbi Leibl, the head of our B’nai Mitzvah program has been working directly with the families impacted by this decision, to reschedule to a more suitable date. Major Dinners, Galas and celebrations scheduled to take place at the shul have been postponed. This includes the Gray Academy Graduation Dinner and Dance, which we were all looking forward to hosting. All the above translates into significant reduced revenues to our Catering department.
“Some of our other revenue streams, such as Membership Dues, Donations, Programming Registrations, etc., have all been drastically reduced with the shutdown of the building.
“To offset a great deal of this loss in revenues, we have significantly reduced many of our ongoing expenses. It was decided and agreed that rather than layoff some staff with uncertainties as to their expected return, for the short term all staff would have their salaries drastically reduced. We will also be applying to the CEWS (Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy) which should help retain our staff, at least until Mid-June. We have created new, albeit reduced, revenue streams through our catering department. Joel Lafond and staff prepared and supplied significant Passover meals to many of our congregants. After this, he developed a Takeout Menu with Friday pickups, which has been greatly received by many. Thank you to all who are supporting us in this initiative. I encourage you to check out our Takeout Menu on our website if you have not already done so.
“Our cemetery operations have not been affected as much by Covid19, as we are still able to perform funerals. However, with the coming of spring it remains to be seen as to how we maintain our cemetery over the summer due to reduced resources. All major projects at the cemetery, which include maintenance and repair of concrete stripping and borders, and headstone repairs are done in the summer months when warm weather better allows for the work. Also, the main tasks of cutting the grass and removal of weeds and diseased trees account for much of the labour expense incurred over the summer. An area yet to be determined will be the planting of flowers on our graves, as this requires a significant amount of money, time and manpower. The Board of Directors in conjunction with the Cemetery committee will need to determine whether this should be a consideration for this year.
“With the closing of our building to the public, our expenses have dropped significantly. We want you to know that overall, we are doing okay and are preparing for the safe return to activities in our synagogue and community. Our Executive Committee and senior staff have been working on scenarios and preparing various budgets based upon when and how we emerge from these most unusual times. We are beginning to plan for scheduled B’nai Mitzvahs in the Fall and Spring and have rescheduled many of the earlier events that were postponed. We are now in the planning stages for our upcoming High Holy Days and want you to know that we will do everything possible to ensure we are able to celebrate together in a healthy, safe environment.”
In an email sent out by Congregation Etz Chayim to members, much the same sentiment as was expressed in the Shaarey Zedek email was present:
“…And so, we adapt, we learn, and we serve our congregation—our community—in unconventional ways. Unfortunately, our new reality—though temporary—has put us in a precarious situation financially. Many of our programs and events have been cancelled or postponed, including B’nai Mitzvah, community events, the annual golf tournament, and other catered functions that typically generate substantial revenue. To be blunt, there is very little money coming in.
“We have already made some tough decisions to adjust our staffing and cut other expenses, and we continue to look for additional savings. We have applied for funding from government and community programs, but there is still uncertainty around the nature and timing of this possible funding.
“We will emerge from this challenging period a stronger, healthier, and more tightly knit community deeply committed to enriching Jewish life. Imagine the joy we will all experience the first time we gather in person at Etz Chayim for a simcha or for Shabbat. And imagine the comfort we will bring to each other in times of sorrow when we can meet face-to-face in our sanctuary.
“These days will come, but we need your help to weather the storm until we can start generating new revenue again.”
Local News
Application filed by two former members of Etz Chayim Congregation against the congregation to have their memberships restored dismissed by judge
The following is taken from the Canadian Jewish News website: “Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench has dismissed Hadass Eviatar and David Hoult’s application challenging the termination of their membership at Congregation Etz Chayim. In his decision, Justice Vic Toews noted that, although Hoult’s letter describing a hypothetical attack on the synagogue may have lacked sensitivity given the political climate, he did not intend to threaten violence against congregants. However, the judge ruled that the court did not have jurisdiction to intervene in the membership dispute under Manitoba’s Corporations Act, finding that the couple had no financial, proprietary or economic interest that would entitle them to the remedies they sought. The judge concluded that religious organizations are generally free to determine their own membership rules and ordered each side to bear its own legal costs.”
If you would like to read the original article that broke the story about the battle between Hadaass Eviatar and David Hoult with Etz Chayim Congregation you can go to Epic Court Battle.”
Local News
Jewish Federation now says Jewish population of Winnipeg in 2021 (according to the census) was 13,940 – not the 16,000 figure that the Federation had been touting for years
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted Oct. 27, 2026) Longtime readers of The Jewish Post & News (and this website) would probably know that I have long had a very strong interest in establishing as accurate figures as possible when it has come to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish community.
For years I argued that our Jewish Federation was exaggerating the size of our Jewish population. I heard the figure of 16,000 bandied about by leaders in our community quite often when it came to reporting the size of our Jewish population – without any empirical evidence to back that figure up.
I had long maintained that the only reasonably accurate figures when it came to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish population were those produced by the late Evelyn Katz, when she was the unofficial demographer for the Jewish Federation – over 30 years ago. What Evelyn would do is keep careful track of births, deaths, numbers of newcomers but, perhaps most important: the number of people who had left our community.
Thus, in August 2022 when I interviewed Faye Rosenberg Cohen who, at the time, was just about to retire as the Jewish Federation’s Chief Planning and Allocations Officer, I was somewhat astonished to hear Faye say, when I asked her what proportion of our Jewish community was made up of immigrants, she answered that “I can honestly say when I look at those numbers it’s somewhere around 1/3 of the community.”
In response, I asked: “So you’d say it’s somewhere between 4-5,000?”
Faye said: “I think it’s more than that.”
I wrote in that article, “I indicated my skepticism at that time, saying ‘You know that I’ve always been skeptical about the numbers that have been used by the Federation for the population of the Jewish community. I think though that it’s always been more of a case of identification – who identifies as Jewish.’ ”
Later, after the results of the 2021 census were released, I wrote that “if you take into account the results of the 2021 census, the Jewish community cannot be larger than 14,270 at a maximum. But that figure would also include anyone who had either said either their ethnic origin was Jewish or their religion was Jewish.”
Since many of the individuals who had said on the 2021 census that their ethnic origin was Jewish, but their religion was something else, I maintained that ascertaining the real size of our Jewish community was highly problematic.
Still, for the sake of argument I was willing to accept that, realistically, it was somewhere between 13,000-14,000 – but nowhere close to the figure of 16,000 that had come to be suggested by our then president of the Jewish Federation or by other leading figures in our community.
So, it was with a sense of satisfaction that I heard Sharon Graham, who is now the Jewish Federation’s Community Planning and Allocations Lead say to an audience of over 50 people who were at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, October 22, that the Jewish community in 2021 was – at a maximum: 13,940.
Sharon was at the Gwen Secter Centre to speak to Remis Lecture attendees. Her presentation preceded a presentation by Jewish Federation CEO Jeff Lieberman. Sharon used a PowerPoint presentation to provide some very interesting insights into where our Jewish community was at in 2021- and I’m offering some parts of her presentation here for you to read because I thought they were so interesting.
I had actually made many of the same observations about the results of the 2021 census in my own reporting back in 2022, but seeing what I had written confirmed by the Jewish Federation’s point person on planning told me that Sharon has a much more realistic view of our community than did Faye Rosenberg Cohen.
Here, for instance, is a slide that shows the proportion of our Jewish community that is made up of immigrants. It’s slightly under one fifth, not the one third percentage that Faye had suggested.
But, what really set Sharon’s presentation apart from anything else I’ve ever seen presented by someone from the Jewish Federation – other than the aforementioned Evelyn Katz, was the slide she projected which showed that, while there had been a large influx of newcomers to Winnipeg’s Jewish community between 2016-2021 there had also been a significantly high number of people who had left our Jewish community in those same years, as you can see in the following slide:
That is something we just don’t hear discussed by leaders of our Jewish organizations, but let’s be realistic: For many newcomers who came to Winnipeg and were counted as new members of our Jewish community, Winnipeg – for a variety of reasons, was a stepping stone to other communities. It may have been for reasons of better job opportunities, moving closer to other family members, or – the reason that we hear so often when it comes to people saying they want to leave Winnipeg: the weather.
But, whatever the reason, Sharon’s figures show that, as much as GrowWinnipeg may have been an abiding success when it’s come to attracting newcomers to our Jewish community here, getting them to stay long term is a different story.
And, while there were other aspects of Sharon’s presentation that certainly merit discussion, especially the figures she produced about intermarriage, rather than delving into them here, I thought it useful simply to insert them for you, the reader, to see – and draw your own conclusions.
Local News
Marty Green expands his protest against extremist Jewish settlers to two more venues – and is arrested twice more
(Tuesday, October 27) We received the following press release about Marty Green being arrested again, both at the University of Manitoba and at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue:
Both sides came to blows on Saturday, October 24, at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue as security personnel sought to prevent Marty Green from interfering with synagogue traffic as he protested just outside synagogue grounds against the actions of religious settlers in Israel’s occupied West Bank territory. Synagogue Executive Director Rena Secter Elbaze quickly intervened to prevent further escalation. Police arrived shorty thereafter and detained Green for 45 minutes before driving him home and releasing him. It is not clear whether their decision not to lay charges was the result of their own onsite investigation or whether it was at the request of the synagogue executive.
Green has now been arrested four times in the last month and faces multiple charges for disturbing the peace, including two episodes at the Asper Campus and one more this past Friday (Oct. 23) at the University of Manitoba. While Green says initially he was merely handing out leaflets (at the Asper Campus), since his first arrest on September 23, he has returned to the campus with a large placard and an acccordion, accompanying himself while singing songs with lyrics that include such phrases as “The Jews Are Bananas….B-A-N-A-N-A-S”. In addition to listing actions of the religious settlers as including arson, vandalism, and theft, he pointedly alleges that the IDF has been backing up the settlers in their actions.
Green had earlier notified the Shaarey Zedek that he was contemplating bringing his protest to the synagogue. He was told that if he attempted to enter the grounds he would be prevented from doing so. At that time, Secter Elbaze told Green that his intentions were inappropriate, declaring the synagogue to be “a house of worship dedicated to prayer, learning, community, and spiritual engagement.” Green responded that if the synagogue were willing to contact the Crown and inform them that “that there was never any legal basis for their claims that I was conducting myself inappropriately at the Asper Campus” (with regard to his earlier arrests) that he would “voluntarily refrain from carrying his informational campaign to the synagogue(s).”
Green further argues that the recent “psak” (religious ruling) by leading Israeli rabbi Rov Dov Lior, in which Lior declares that it is not merely permissible but praiseworthy for Jews to steal olives from Arab orchards….that this ruling brings his protest within the proper realm of religious discourse. He says further that if the local rabbis were willing to speak out to their congregations against the aforesaid psak, that he might have refrained from taking his campaign to their grounds.
Although Green was released on Saturday without charges, police confiscated his placard. They explained that it was being held as evidence pending an investigation by Major Crimes as to whether it constituted hate literature.
There was no further information given as to what happened at the University of Manitoba.
