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JNF-Canada responds to CRA decision to revoke its charity status

(Posted August 30, 2024) We have been attempting to provide full information as to the ongoing situation in which the CRA has revoked JNF-Canada’s charitable status. Elsewhere on this website you can read stories that outline what has happened.

On August 28, JNF-Canada sent an email to supporters in which it provided a rigorous defence against the decision by the CRA to revoke its charitable status.

Here, in full, is what that email contained:

Dear JNF Supporters, We thank you for your continued support and attention during this ongoing matter. The number of kind calls, texts, and emails to our offices have been overwhelming. Todah Rabbah.

The following is JNF’s official response to the claims made in the CJN. The most upsetting thing about the article is that it plants doubt in our supporters minds. Your generosity and support is not something we take lightly, and keeping your trust is our #1 priority. Thank you for taking the time to read it and as always, we welcome any questions or concerns you might have. 

In the coming days, we will also be releasing additional documentation that we have submitted to the CRA to further explain JNF’s position. We believe we have a strong legal case, have more than demonstrated cooperation and compliance with CRA, and we are proud of what we have achieved in Israel and across Canada thanks to you – our donors and supporters.

You can also read the following statement on our website. 
JNF Canada’s Official Response to CJN 
15+ Million Trees is No Gimmick

We wish to respond to the recent coverage in the CJN with respect to our multi-year battle with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It is time to set the record straight.

Although JNF was in regular contact with the CJN reporting team prior to the publication of the article on the history of our relationship with the CRA, we were never asked for our views on critical issues raised in the article. Furthermore, the behaviour of the CRA or their findings, are never questioned or criticized. Rather, it assumes that the CRA is righteous and just, and JNF is the guilty party.

Not surprisingly, this leaves the readers with a one-sided and unbalanced impression.

A few issues raisedDue to human error, we provided the CRA with documentation on the wrong psychiatric hospital project. We annually oversee funding for multiple projects and at the time, we were supporting two psychiatric facilities in Jerusalem. A phone call would have quickly resolved the matter.Hebrew is the language of work in Israel, the language in which we receive 100s of documents, and a language our leadership can read and work in. While there is no law that requires documentation to be submitted to CRA in English or French, we should have translated certain documents to make it easier for the CRA to review.  Again, a phone call would have resolved the matter quickly.A statement from a staff person that trees are simply a marketing trick – what? JNF has planted 15+ million trees over the decades  – that’s in no way a “gimmick”. It’s integral to our entire organization and we are proud of this work.And still, these are periphery issues in the matter of our revocation. The CRA revoked our charitable status without a fair process even though we have addressed their principal concerns. Fundamentally, CRA is questioning our charitable objects and therefore our charitable activities in support of the people of Israel. 
The JNF-CRA Relationship
The CJN misconstrues the nature of the timeline between the CRA Charities Directorate (“CD”) between 2014, the year the auditors came, and August 10, 2024, the date of revocation. The CJN article says that the CD, for example:“lost patience”“had known for years … major concerns with how the Charity operates”“warned them again in 2023 and in 2024”“warned repeatedly to clean up its act between 2016 and 2023”The entire CRA-JNF relationship was based, rather, on the premise of investigation/prosecution/sanction. This approach is in accordance with provisions of the Income Tax Act (ITA), read literally, but is not in accordance with CRA official guidance and not in accordance with the treatment afforded to almost all other charities. There were no “repeated warnings”. There were repeated accusations, all of which were addressed by JNF. Over the course of the 10-year process, CRA refused on more than 10 occasions to meet with JNF representatives. Throughout, CRA simply threatened revocation, rejecting all of JNF’s requests to discuss solutions in person.

Furthermore, evidence suggests that CRA took a position in the process prior to even conducting the actual audit. As early as 2013 a representative of CRA said to the CRA audit team that the campaigns and complaints of JNF’s detractors provided “excellent background about the Charity…and a view of potential areas of concern for the current audit.”

It was not until JNF obtained access to CRA’s heavily redacted audit file in July 2021 that JNF learned of the extent of the role of its detractors in the audit and sanction process. Interestingly, the redacted materials fail to divulge the fact that JNF’s most vociferous detractor had submitted over 100 pages of writing to the Director of the Charities Directorate (CD) and had actually met with him in October of 2017. This fact was only discovered by JNF in August 2024. Why did the Director of the CD meet with a major detractor, and not understand that it was therefore incumbent upon him to meet with representatives of JNF?

Instead, there was unrelenting determination to revoke JNF from the outset, due almost entirely to the CRA’s apparent but unexpressed view that JNF was entirely subservient to Karen Kayemeth Le’Israel (KKL), and therefore that it did not undertake any independent operations. All of the detractors have taken this view. None accord JNF any existence or integrity independent of KKL.

We point out that, to address this, we have reduced the number of our projects with KKL, entered into a robust compliance agreement with them, and changed the way that KKL describes its relationship with our charities on its website. KKL works for JNF Canada, just like any other agent that we utilize. (The term “agent” is CRA nomenclature. If a charity is doing work in a foreign country, they need an agent to assist with their charitable work.) JNF’s leadership selects the projects we wish to support, and we always have direction and control over all of the funds, as we only reimburse expenses upon receipt of valid expense reports. In short, we have addressed the CRA’s concerns.

In summary, this was a vigorous prosecution from Day 1. There was no discussion afforded to us. Rather, there is evidence of the CRA’s determination to reach a result of revocation from the outset, and there is a reasonable apprehension of bias based on the above and other documents that we obtained through our access to information request.

CRA Guidance
The CRA’s own published guidelines for applying sanctions highlights the irregularity with respect to the treatment afforded to the JNF. “As a general rule, the Directorate intends to start with educational methods to obtain compliance, and then move progressively through compliance agreements, sanctions, and the ultimate sanction of revocation, if necessary.” Only in cases of “aggravated non-compliance” does CRA decline to follow this approach. CRA has never alleged or maintained that JNF was guilty of “aggravated non-compliance.” There were no educational methods presented nor was there any effort on the part of CRA  to develop a compliance agreement. 

The question for CRA is why it abandoned its own guidance, and whether the detractors played any role in that decision?  

“Repeated warnings”
The recent CJN article mentions a 358-page document. The 358 pages is actually several documents.  The sequence of messaging in the documents is not “repeated warnings” – it is CRA’s position repeated several times, in a process in which JNF offered a vigorous defense. CRA actually abandoned several arguments including those related to KKL, as well as to projects on disputed territories and projects situated on IDF land. Nevertheless, we made changes even though we disagreed with the CRA’s legal reasoning.

There are several other documents, from both sides, subsequent to the 358 pages of documents. JNF’s full position is stated in multiple submissions, most of which, unfairly, are not referred to in the CJN article. JNF’s last submission of October 2023 is over 90 pages long. JNF presented a detailed and well reasoned legal argument based on dozens of precedents prepared by an eminent lawyer, and CRA’s response did not address these issues at all. The CRA letter of July 2024 purports to deal with the arguments raised in our October 2023, but fails. Our position was ignored.

“One last chance”
The CJN claims that the CRA gave JNF “one last chance.” The timing and the legal logic are incorrect. JNF had a legal right to object to CRA’s ‘notice of intent to revoke’ letter of August 20, 2019. There is no discretion or power in the CRA to “give” a charity ‘one more chance’. JNF prepared a Notice of Objection to CRA’s notice, on October 18, 2019, and requested that CRA provide JNF with its whole file, as it had a legal right to do. CRA provided a heavily redacted file on July 21 2021, 18 months later. JNF prepared two further submissions as part of this appeals process, the second of which was submitted on December 17, 2021, after it had had a chance to review the heavily redacted file. CRA provided its response to JNF’s appeal in a letter dated July 26, 2023, another 18 months later. JNF responded in October 2023 with its 90-page letter.

There was no ‘one last chance’ and the origin of CJN’s February 2023 date is a mystery. Three full years of the delay were caused by CRA. The CJN article makes it appear as though JNF never responded to ‘warnings’ and that the CRA, out of the sheer goodness of their collective hearts, gave the truant ‘one last chance’. The exact opposite is true. We have responded to all of their communications, addressing their concerns or expressing our objection of their position. It’s worth adding that each CRA letter in the process dropped significant arguments that had been sufficiently refuted by JNF, despite their unrelenting drive to revoke JNF’s registration, contrary to its own guidance.

Improvements since 2016In 2016, JNF Canada retained legal counsel who has not only represented us to CRA but has also filled the function of a compliance officer.  We have worked closely with David Stevens (Gowlings) and his colleagues for over 8 years, to ensure that our undertakings are CRA compliant.JNF Canada has worked side by side with Keren Kayemeth L’Israel for decades. There was confusion about the relationship. To demonstrate that we are an independent Canadian charity, in 2018, JNF Canada fully rebranded to remove any association with KKL.JNF Canada also rewrote, thereby modernizing and strengthening, the agency agreement between the two organizations and utilized this agreement as a template for agreements with other Israeli organizations. JNF Canada has no exclusive relationship with KKL. Rather JNF Canada works with the best organizations in Israel to advance the projects we select. JNF’s leadership make the decisions with respect to projects that we wish to undertake as an organization. There is no KKL “head office” giving instructions to JNF Canada. JNF Canada hired a Senior Representative based in Israel, to enhance our ability to demonstrate direction and control over our projects, represent JNF Canada and oversee our charitable endeavours there.Before undertaking any project, an Israeli lawyer reviews the ownership of the land to ensure JNF Canada is not doing anything in violation of CRA policies.JNF Canada hired a new CFO who has worked with our legal counsel to improve and enhance our record keeping, ensuring that all activities undertaken are compliant with CRA rules and regulations, and that documentation is collected and filed properly. Moving Forward
JNF has launched two legal processes to challenge the revocation notice: July 25, 2024: Federal Court of Appeal appeal challenging the CRA revocation decision on the basis of a misapprehension of the facts and law; flawed and unfair process; and bias. August 20, 2024: Federal Court Application for a Judicial Review of the August 10 revocation notice.At the same time, we are calling on our elected representatives to take responsibility.To date, Liberal MPs have situated the actions of CRA as a bureaucratic response to JNF ‘s charitable objects because of audits undertaken in 2014. If elected officials are arguing that unelected bureaucrats have been delegated the authority to make a decision of this magnitude, that was a mistake.  The Government should take responsibility.  The Minister of National Revenue and the Government of Canada should put the revocation of our charitable status on hold until the courts have ruled, as is customary in situations like ours (based on our lawyer’s review of over 200 cases).  JNF Canada should be provided the fundamental value of the presumption of innocence, especially because we are not an aggravated case.While for the time being we are not allowed to issue charitable receipts, please rest assured that we will continue to raise funds in support of building Israel’s social infrastructure to the benefit of vulnerable populations such as youth-at-risk, victims of domestic abuse, children with special needs, veterans and the disadvantaged. Hurting JNF hurts Israelis who need our help the most, especially as they try to recover from the horrors of October 7.There were many opportunities to solve this issue short of the draconian penalty of revocation.  JNF would welcome the opportunity to find an off-ramp and will, as demonstrated many times before, continue to do whatever is necessary to satisfy the expectations of CRA.

We do not ordinarily post comments to this website. (We received too many spam comments when we allowed comments.) But – if you would like to comment on this story – or any other story for that matter, send an email to jewishp@mymts.net– and if the comment is relevant and not defamatory, we will post the comment.

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Why are so many people in Winnipeg afraid to go on the record when it comes to my covering them?

By BERNIE BELLAN I guess that my reputation as someone who is willing to go behind the scenes to try and find out what’s really happening within the Jewish community has led, in many cases, to people – or entire organizations, clamming up when it comes to being willing to talk to me.
You might have read my story about the incident at the Asper Campus, during which one individual, Marty Green, was arrested by members of the Winnipeg Police Service, apparently for “disturbing the peace.”
Despite repeated attempts to elicit an explanation from the WPS how exactly Marty was disturbing the peace, no one in WPS has responded to my requests for information.
Let’s face it: the WPS is in the uncomfortable position of having to be seen as “doing something” about the nervousness that many members of our Jewish community feel about the dangers that come with doing things that we used to take for granted we could do in peace and security, such as attending synagogue, sending kids to Gray Academy, or going into the Asper Campus.
So, when one lone individual seems to be behaving in an odd manner – walking around in front of the campus, holding out leaflets – well, it alarms many individuals. One can assume many of those individuals complained to our Jewish Federation, perhaps to B’nai Brith as well. (I did see Ruth Ashrafi, Regional Director for B’nai Brith Manitoba, talking to two policemen around the time that Marty was arrested.)
But – it’s now part of a pattern of Jewish organizations – and leading individuals within our community – joining the trend to suppress freedom of speech.

In my particular case, I often send emails to individuals asking for comment about a particular issue that has been brought to my attention. Rather than responding with a “no comment” response, lately the trend has been not to issue any response at all.
Further, in two cases within the past month, when speakers have been been made aware that I would be in the audience when they were speaking, I was told beforehand that I was not to report on what they were going to say.
And – here’s a really surprising result when I asked to see a transcript of a particular speaker’s remarks, when that speaker had appeared at an event held in the Berney Theatre on September 2. His name was Jeffrey Herf. His talk was publicly advertised by the Rady JCC as “The History Behind Today’s Headlines – A timely conversation about Israel, history, and the events shaping our world.”
I didn’t attend Herf’s talk, but I was told by someone who did attend that he was quite interesting and he wondered why no one from the Jewish Post had been there to cover the talk. That same person said that the was pretty sure the talk had been recorded.
So, I contacted Laura Marjovsky, Director of Programming at the Rady JCC, on September 15, to ask whether there had been a recording of Herf’s talk and, if there was one, could I get a copy?
Laura responded (on Sept. 16): “I’ll have to get back to you on the recording. I’ll need approval in getting that released.”
I bumped into Laura more recently and asked her whether there’s been any movement on that request, but she said she hadn’t heard anything yet. That’s almost two weeks now, so it doesn’t seem likely that she’s going to get permission to release a recording of Herf’s talk to me.
What’s particularly strange is that you can do a search for Jeffrey Herf and find all sorts of instances where he’s been interviewed and his talks have been covered by various media. Maybe he was worried that if I wrote a report about his talk I wouldn’t be fair or accurate in reporting what he had to say, but I hadn’t told Laura that I wanted to write about Herf’s talk. I just wanted to know whether I could get a recording of his talk. In many instances I’ve transcribed speeches – or interviews, and printed them verbatim.
But, in this case, it appears Jeffrey Herf doesn’t want anything written about his talk here. I wonder why that is?

Then, there were two further instances of speakers asking that their remarks go unreported. Both instances occurred at the Gwen Secter Centre – at Remis Speakers’ luncheons. (By the way, the luncheons have seen record attendances this year. Kudos to Simone Cohen Scott for bringing in such an interesting range of speakers. If you’ve never been to a Remis luncheon but might be interested in having a great – and kosher lunch, followed by hearing an interesting speaker – all the while being able to socialize with friends, you really ought to give it a try.)
The first instance was when Prof. Bryan Schwartz, who is now a rabbi as well as a lawyer and professor, gave a talk about Torah commentaries. Why Bryan didn’t want anything written about something as innocuous as Torah commentaries is beyond me, but that was his prerogative.

The second instance was more frustrating for me. It was when Anita Wortzman, president of the Asper Foundation, was speaking about the Asper Foundation’s philanthropic endeavours. Again, Anita had also asked that there be no reporting of her remarks.
Yet, I found what she had to say quite interesting – and she delivered her remarks so clearly in such an organized manner that I was prompted to ask Anita for an interview, during which, I suggested, she could describe the Asper Foundation’s work. I emailed Anita asking her whether she would be willing to sit for an interview but, rather than responding with a rejection, I received no response at all. So, I emailed her again. Still no response.

And then there’s an interesting situation that had been brought to my attention about a policy of Congregation Etz Chayim’s of which I was not aware.
The policy involves who would be entitled to officiate at a funeral held at one of the three cemeteries managed by CEC: The Rosh Pina, Bnay Abraham, and Hebrew Sick cemeteries.
In June 2025 Rabbi Kliel Rose emailed various rabbis and several other individuals about Etz Chayim’s policy re outside clergy being able to officiate at funerals in any of those cemeteries. The email was titled “Update on CEC Clergy Funeral Policy & New Pre-Approval Process July 25, 2025.”
The wording in the email was somewhat confusing at times. For instance, one line says “All services conducted in the CEC synagogue require the participation of CEC clergy (Rabbi and/or Cantor).” Wouldn’t it stand to reason that services in CEC would require the participation of a member of CEC clergy, I wondered?
Further, it stated that “Requests for outside clergy must be approved by the CEC rabbi.”
But CEC is now without a rabbi, as Rabbi Kliel has left Winnipeg for Ottawa. Who will be able to grant requests for outside clergy in the interim?

Apparently though, what the policy was meant to refer to wasn’t services in the CEC synagogue, it was meant to refer to funerals in CEC administered cemeteries.
As a result, I sent emails to the CEC funeral director, Margot Carr, and CEC Chief Operating Officer Morissa Granove, in which I asked them to clarify CEC’s policy on funerals and outside rabbis being able to officiate at CEC administered cemeteries.
I noted in my email that outside rabbis had previously been allowed to officiate – on their own, at CEC administered cemeteries.
I also noted that I had spoken with individuals who had told me they had wanted a certain rabbi to officiate at their loved one’s funeral, but were told that they had to use one of CEC’s clergy. In certain instances, however, I was also told that when some families absolutely insisted on using an outside rabbi, CEC did relent and allowed them to use an outside rabbi. Thus, one might say CEC’s policy of not allowing outside rabbis to officiate on their own at one of their cemeteries is “honoured more in the breach than the observance,” if a family were to absolutely insist that an outside rabbi be allowed to conduct a funeral at one of CEC’s cemeteries.
The vast majority of funerals in a Jewish cemetery in Winnipeg are conducted at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, however, and the Shaarey Zedek has always allowed outside rabbis to officiate at funerals in its cemetery.
CEC’s policy, moreover, was intended to target one particular rabbi in Winnipeg, I further learned. That rabbi received a separate email from Rabbi Kliel informing him that he would no longer be able to officiate, under any circumstances, at a CEC administered cemetery.
As Rabbi Kliel noted in his email, “While we understand some may request your officiation, this will no longer be possible.”
In my emails to Margot Carr and Morissa Granove I suggested that barring a specific rabbi from being able to officiate at funerals in any of their cemeteries would likely prove very painful to many families who would want a particular rabbi to officiate at their loved one’s funeral.
To date I have not received any response to my emails to either Carr or Granove.
So, there you have it: A pattern either of emails going unanswered by the parties to whom they were sent or of being told that I would not be able to report on remarks on particular occasions.
At the very least, one would expect a simple “no comment” in response, but we’re now living in an age when requests from media for information or comment are simply ignored all too often. I guess I have to get used to that.

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Epic court battle shaping up next week between Etz Chayim Congregation and two former members who are now barred from setting foot in Etz Chayim

By BERNIE BELLAN This story was originally posted August 14, but with the date of the court battle soon approaching we thought it timely to repost it to the top of our website.

Here’s how it read when it was first posted: When we first posted this story Friday morning, August 14 – with a photo of Etz Chayim Synagogue, we received an email from Morissa Granove, COO of Etz Chayim Congregation:

“Hi Bernie.

“This request is not about the article itself but the safety of our shul.  We have been advised not to post the address or photos of our Jewish organizations publicly for some time for security reasons.  Can I please ask that you change the image posted online (and planned for print if needed) and that in this be kept in mind for the future?

“Thank you so much for your understanding,

“Morissa”

We replied:

“Gee Morissa – I’ll do that but maybe you better ask Google to remove any mention of any Winnipeg synagogue because all anyone has to do is do a Google search and they’ll come up with a complete list of Winnipeg synagogues and their addresses – also photos!  Do you want me to contact Google for you? Can’t be too careful, can we?

Now, here’s the story as it was originally posted:

 The date October 7 carries a huge amount of significance for Jews around the world: It was the date that members of Hamas and other terrorist groups launched a murderous attack on innocent Israelis (and members of other nationalities) that resulted in the deaths of more than 1200 people and the abduction of 251 others.
But it is also a date that may have a significance of a different sort come this October 7 when a Winnipeg courtroom will be the scene of a court case in what is shaping up to be a momentous legal battle between Congregation Etz Chayim and two former members of the congregation who have been barred from attending services – or even setting foot inside the building that houses Congregation Etz Chayim.
Before publishing this article I had sent copies to both sides in the dispute – and offered both sides the opportunity to correct any mistakes they might have found in what I had written. I did receive responses from both sides and have incorporated their suggested corrections into what follows.

The two individuals involved at the heart of this dispute are both former longstanding members of Etz Chayim – and before that, Rosh Pina Congregation: Dr. Emet Eviatar (previously known as Hadass), who had been the Torah reader at Etz Chayim for many years, and who had also led Sunday services; and her husband, well known scientist Dr. David Hoult (who played a leading role in the development of MRI technology and was also very active in the congregation). Drs. Eviatar and Hoult have filed suit against CEC over what they claim was the illegal termination of their membership.
In response, however, Congregation Etz Chayim asserts that it was not a question of membership when CEC exercised its right to refuse entry on the advice of the WPS and security experts who were consulted after a deeply concerning letter was received from one of the plaintiffs by the synagogue.
The filings in this particular case are in the hundreds of pages. I spent two recent afternoons at the Law Courts poring over the filings, and photographed pages of what I thought were some of the most relevant issues at hand so that I could quote accurately from those filings.

While the case may seem hugely complicated, given the number of pages of documents that have already been filed, it seems that it boils down to two essential issues: Did CEC violate its own bylaws (or its own constitution, as the case may be, because at the time of the events in question a bylaw which would have governed who might be excluded from belonging to the congregation had not yet been passed) by terminating the memberships of Dr. Emet Eviatar and Dr. David Hoult? The argument advanced by the plaintiffs is not that a congregation cannot decide who can belong to that congregation. Rather, it is an argument that CEC did not properly adhere to its own bylaws in the manner in which it has excluded the plaintiffs from attending – or even setting foot inside Etz Chayim.

But, a second issue in play – and one which is argued forcefully by CEC in one of its briefs is that the argument Emet Eviatar and David Hoult are advancing has no place in the courts in the first place. As is noted in one of the briefs filed on behalf of CEC: “The dispute is, at its core, about the internal governance of a religious congregation. It concerns who may participate in communal worship, who may participate in communal religious life, and how a synagogue governs itself in response to legitimate security concerns. If it is accepted that the dispute was about ideological differences, as alleged by the Applicants, then these are fundamentally religious questions. The court has no jurisdiction to adjudicate such matters, and ought not to intervene.”

How the parties arrived at this situation is a complicated – but very interesting story.
I, myself was first made aware that something unusual was going on between CEC and David Hoult when I received this email from Dr. Hoult on Friday afternoon May 30, 2025, at 12:42 pm:
“Hi Bernie,
“I have just had a pair of police officers at the door telling me that we are now banned from Etz Chayim and if we show up the police will be called, no reasons given. I suspect it was an accumulation of things, including a letter I sent.

“Shabbat shalom,
“David.”

Later that afternoon I received another email, this time from a member of CEC, who forwarded me an email that had been sent to congregation members by Morissa Granove, Chief Operating Officer of CEC. That email had a letter attached, which said, in part:
“On Tuesday, May 27th, we received deeply troubling correspondence from a member of our community. The nature of this communication raised serious concerns about the safety of our congregants and staff. After careful and deliberate consultation with our Board of Directors, Clergy, the Winnipeg Police Service, the Jewish Security Network, and the Secure Community Network (in partnership with the USCJ), and on their recommendations we have made the difficult but necessary decision to terminate the membership of this individual and all members of their household, effective immediately.
“These individuals are no longer permitted on the premises of Congregation Etz Chayim, nor may they participate in any of our synagogue’s programs or activities.”
The letter was signed by Morissa Granove, Chief Operating Officer of CEC, and Allan Cogan, President of CEC.

What the heck was going on? I wondered. So, I emailed Morissa Granove that same afternoon:
“Hi,
“I received an email from David Hoult telling me that he is now banned from the Etz Chayim. I assume Emet Eviatar is also banned too, judging by the way your email is worded.
“I don’t know David at all – other than having received a piece he wrote about Israel and Gaza that I published to my website. I can’t begin to imagine what he might have written, but in the interest of fair reporting and fuller disclosure, can you say anything more about what he wrote in his letter?
“-Bernie Bellan
“Publisher,
“jewishpostandnews.ca
“also Associate Editor,
“The Jewish Post Winnipeg”

But, Morissa Granove did not offer any more information as to what might have been contained in that “troubling correspondence” which was received by CEC.

It was only when I went down to the Law Courts on August 10 that I was actually able to see what was in that “troubling correspondence.”
But, before I get into what was in that particular communication, even more background to this strange case is necessary.
In an email I received from CEC COO Morissa Granove following my having sent her a draft of this article, she wrote: “Congregation Etz Chayim …has never taken action based on political views. Further, CEC argues that other members, congregants, and guests share Dr. Eviatar’s views and yet there has never been an issue with their behaviour and as such, Congregation Etz Chayim has never taken action against anyone, revoked a membership, or refused entry to anyone based on their political stance.” Dr. Eviatar, in her own words, notes that she had already provoked the displeasure of some members of CEC, including staff members, by certain of her behaviours while, according to Morissa Granove, “volunteering in a leadership role and officially representing Congregation Etz Chayim. CEC …is ‘a Zionist organization’.”

Yet, according to CEC, Dr. Eviatar’s family’s attendance at Etz Chayim was never in question – until a letter was received from Dr. Eviatar’s husband.
As is noted in a brief for the plaintiffs, the following is taken from an affidavit given by Emet Eviatar, which might suggest that her membership in CEC had been called into question long before May 2025:
“In July 2024, I co-founded Manitoba Friends of Standing Together, a chapter of the international support network created by Standing Together. Standing Together is a grassroots joint Jewish and Palestinian organization in Israel which was originally created in 2015 to fight for equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas they have pivoted to protesting the war in Gaza.
“On October 6, 2024, I appeared as a guest on the local CBC Radio Weekend Morning Show, together with Mr. Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba to discuss the importance of having local conversations between Jews and Palestinians…
“Later that week, I received a phone call from CEC Rabbi Kliel Rose and Cantor Tracy Kasner. They informed me that I would no longer be allowed to lead Sunday services. The rabbi also suggested that ‘for my own peace of mind’ I might want to consider finding another congregation (that aligns with my views.”)
“On November 4, 2024, I received an unsigned letter from CEC which was provided to me by the then executive director, Jonathan Buchwald…
“While the letter contains various false statements, and is clearly a reference to my having contact with Mr. Zeid and others in the local Palestinian community, the assertion that I was aligned with an ‘ideology which is mutually exclusive and contrary to the existence of the Jewish people and the state of Israel’ was extremely offensive and hurtful to my being an Israeli citizen, having family who live in Israel, and having served in the Israel Defence Forces.”
Later, on March 3, 2025, Emet Eviatar appeared a second time on the CBC morning weekend radio show, again with Mr. Zeid.
In an affidavit taken from Morissa Granove, Ms. Granove explained the CEC’s objection to Emet Eviatar’s publicly associating with certain individuals while officially representing Congregation Etz Chayim (noting that CEC’s objection bore no consequence to Dr.Eviatar’s or her the family’s membership.)
“This public alignment with parties opposed to Israel raised concern within CEC about potential risks surrounding the Synagogue, especially in times of heightened safety risks and awareness of antisemitic vitriol. These concerns were brought to the attention of Dr. Eviatar. She took no action to mitigate these concerns. As a result, she was removed from a volunteer leadership position she held with CEC. CEC took no action regarding either of the Applicants’ ability to attend the Synagogue as congregants.” In the email I received from Morissa Granove in response to a draft of this article, Ms. Granove added: “Still, her family’s membership was never in question.”

But, in May 2025 something happened that led the CEC to take drastic action against Emet Eviatar, David Hoult and the other members of their household. It should be explained that, according to an affidavit taken from Morissa Granove, who had stepped into the role of Chief Operations Officer of CEC in January 2025, in May 2025 CEC announced it would be adding new security measures, based on a “site security assessment from the Winnipeg Police Service. Officer Constable Justin Remillard (who) attended the Synagogue and provided guidance on improving security.
“Among other things, he advised:
“a) access to the Synagogue should be controlled;
“b) registration and entry lists should be used for programs and services at the Synagogue;”

On May 5, 2025 CEC held its Annual General Meeting. According to an affidavit taken from Ms. Granove, “During discussion relating to security protocols…David Hoult expressed opposition to security procedures such as locked doors at the Synagogue, registration requirements, and screening of visitors.”

The following is taken from an affidavit taken from Ms. Granove: “On May 22, 2025, CEC received a letter from Dr. Hoult. The most significant concern with the letter was that it stated:
‘If, G-d forbid, I wanted to attack the shul on Shabbat morning it would be trivial. A stolen motorbike, onto the lawn, Kalashnikov to shatter the windows, gun down the congregation, drive away, ditch the bike, gun, mask and clothes…” (Emphasis added)
The same affidavit states that, “In that correspondence, he again expressed opposition to security measures and described them as ‘hysteria,’ ‘paranoia,’ and ‘psychologically stupid.’ “

According to an affidavit taken from David Hoult, “My wife and I received no direct communication from CEC advising of the termination of our membership until a cheque with no accompanying letter was received in the mail on June 9, 2025.”
In an email received from Morissa Granove after I sent her a draft of this story she asked that this sentence be inserted: “Congregation Etz Chayim was interviewed extensively by the WPS before going to the home of Dr. Hoult for the service call and had all of the details which were required in order to qualify their actions.”

On September 16, 2025, Hadass (Emet) Eviatar and David Hoult filed an application in Court of King’s Bench to have the termination of their membership declared “null and void,” also seeking an “order to comply with bye-laws” (of the CEC).

In response, CEC asserts that it “has never terminated the Applicants’ membership. Rather the applicants were advised they were no longer permitted to attend the synagogue.” Morissa Granove asked that this be added: CEC “exercised its right to refuse entry on the advice of the WPS and security experts.’
Did it boil down to semantics? I wondered. CEC was saying that it hadn’t “terminated the Applicants’ membership,” yet it returned the cheque they had sent in to pay for renewal of their membership.
However, if it is the CEC’s position that, based on the plaintiffs’ claims as written, this matter is not one that should even be considered by the courts – as is noted at the beginning of this article, then arguments over whether CEC abided by its own bylaws would be moot.
Yet, if the courts might be willing to consider the issue whether CEC did not properly follow its own rules – as set out in its bylaws, then the Eviatar-Hoult case becomes more compelling.
For instance, the issue whether CEC “terminated” the memberships of Dr. Eviatar and Dr. Hoult might take on added importance.
As is noted in a brief for the plaintiffs, the letter sent out by Morissa Granove to members of CEC on May 30, 2025 states quite clearly that “We have made the difficult but necessary decision to terminate the memberships of this individual (Dr. Hoult) and all members of their household effective immediately.”
In this case the plaintiffs (Drs. Eviatar and Hoult) are arguing the nowhere within CEC’s governing constitution (which was adopted in 2014) were there “provisions for the termination of membership.” Therefore, their argument goes, “CEC had no authority to terminate their membership.”
Morissa Granove asked that this be added: “The defendant (CEC), however, argues that the CEC’s governing constitution says that “directors ‘may pass by-laws’ regulating, among other things, ‘the suspension and termination of membership by the corporation and by a member.’ The word ‘may’ is permissive.”
“Thus, CEC is arguing, therefore, that it had no obligation to actually pass a by-law governing the termination of a membership.”

As it was, the by-law was never voted upon, as, according to an affidavit given by Dr. Eviatar, CEC leadership “had not complied with the correct procedure, including giving proper notice.,
However, in her email to me Morissa Granove wrote that “the very same bylaw was passed at a Special General Meeting of the members when Congregation Etz Chayim and its lawyers provided clarity on the proposed changes, which was requested by the members at the conclusion of the AGM to clear up any issue or confusion.”
Further, the letter to CEC members that was sent on May 30, 2025, which said that “These individuals (i.e., Dr. Hoult and any members of his family) are no longer permitted on the premises of Congregation Etz Chayim, nor may they participate in any of our synagogue’s programs or activities” was signed only by the COO and President of CEC.

Whether or not CEC followed proper procedure in whatever happened to Dr. Hoult, Dr. Eviatar, and their other family members will be up to the courts to decide.
But, there is a larger issue at hand. Are there are any rules that might govern how a private organization such as a synagogue should govern itself? And, perhaps even more important, can the courts intervene at all in such a situation?
This case is shaping up to have some fascinating implications.

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Local News

Brian Glow: magician on a mission

By MYRON LOVE Anyone who has been to a sporting event in recent years is sure to be familiar with the hot dog and t-shirt launchers that propel hot dogs and t-shirts into crowds. What you probably don‘t know is that the launcher was invented right here in Winnipeg – by Brian Glow. 
“I have always been an inventor,” says the son of Freda and the late Syd Glow. “I came up with the concept for the launcher in the early 1980s. It has many other uses in addition to sporting events. It can be used to spew out streamers or confetti. It can shoot out a guide rope from a ship to tie the vessel to a dock and fire out life-saving vests to swimmers or boaters in trouble.”
While few probably know about Glow’s avocation as an inventor, people all over the world will know him from his “day job” as one of North America’s most in-demand magicians.
Brian Glow has been making magic for almost all of his life. His resumé includes more than 10,000 corporate shows under his belt, including sales meetings, trade shows, banquets, annual general meetings, and award ceremonies. He has also performed and produced shows for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics and the Pan American Games.
Glow’s multi-award winning one-man “Comedy, Magic and Mindreading” production has become one of the favourite touring magical shows in North America. He has entertained in casinos, on television and film, and for corporate events and public spectacles in over 45 countries worldwide.
In a recent interview with Glow in his West St. Paul home, he recalled his first performance. “I was the entertainer for my eighth birthday party,” he recounts.  “I have been in demand ever since.”
It was from the old Ed Sullivan show – which those of us of a certain age will well remember – that Glow was introduced to magic.  “My family and I never missed an Ed Sullivan broadcast,” he says. “It was like a religion.”
As a magician, Glow was self-taught.  “I learned my first magic tricks from reading books at the West Kildonan Library,” he recalls. “There were two books about magic at the library. One was called ‘Magic of the World,’ which was published in 1965. The other was Houdini’s ‘Biography of Magic for Kids.’ Those books were amazing teachers. I still use some of those same tricks today.”
“In our corporate shows,” he continues, ”we incorporate our sponsors’ products in the production. For example, if we are doing a show for an auto dealership or manufacturer, I make a car magically appear.”
Glow points out that while many people can do simple magic tricks, the key to taking it to the next level is the presentation.”That takes skill,” he says. “The presentation is what makes an act magical, amazing, fun.”
While Brian Glow truly is an amazing magician, what really separates him from his brethren is that he is also a man on a mission. That mission is to build his magic act as a framework around which he teaches children and teenagers how to counter bullying.  And, over the past 40 years, he has brought his anti-bullying training to tens of thousands of children primarily living in remote – largely Indigenous –  communities across the north – from Nunavut to Alaska, also northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario.
Why does he focus on those regions? He explains that in larger, more easily accessible centres, there are professionals – doctors, psychologists, social workers –  who can provide counselilng for individuals who are being victimized by bullies.  That help is simply not available in large swaths of our country.
When it comes to surviving bullying, Brian Glow speaks from his own personal experiences growing up. He notes that he has lost some friends to suicide because of the torments they suffered from bullies.
In his shows focusing around countering bullying, he intersperses magic with his own stories about experiencing bullying.  Glow tries to provide strategies for standing down bullies and working on creating more positive self-images for victims of bullying, that include calling up audience members to engage in role playing among other techniques. 
“Bullying involves an imbalance of power,” he explains.  “One of the more effective ways of disarming a bully is to refuse to react to the insults. You have to try to keep calm and respond in an even voice.  The bully wants to humiliate you. If he can’t, he will lose interest.”
Glow concedes that is not easy when someone is telling you that you are fat or ugly. “You have to keep at it to a make a difference,” he says.
He further points out that the exponential growth in social media over the past 25 years has made the bullying problem much worse. Social media can amplify your public humiliation,” Glow observes.  “You can be left with a sense of worthlessness and really spiral down.”
He notes that he continues to stay abreast of the latest research related to bullying and learn new techniques in countering this pernicious practice.
Brian Glow may now be past what is still generally considered retirement age, but he has no intention currently of slowing down.  In fact, he recently left on another two-month round of anti-bullying performances in the north – starting with northern Saskatchewan.
“I am a lucky man,” he concludes.  “I have been able to spend my life doing what I love, also using magic to help others.  And, I am still learning.”
One can certainly say that Brian Glow has lived a magical life.

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