Local News
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. |
Local News
Young Winnipegger Dr. Yale Michaels receives $550,000 Canadian Cancer Society research grant
By MYRON LOVE It has been shown on many occasions that a teacher can have an outsized role in shaping a young person’s life. Dr. Yale Michaels’ life story is one example.
During a recent interview with the young cancer researcher – the son of John Michaels and Karen Stern – Yale recounted how a Grade 7 teacher at Grant Park High School was largely responsible for his decision to pursue a medical career in medicine.
The young Michaels attended Brock Corydon Elementary School and was a long time Massad camper. In junior high school at Grant Park, however, he recounts, “I was having a tough time staying on task. Thankfully, my Grade 7 science teacher suggested that I might find it interesting volunteering to help in a cancer research lab. He had a contact and got me in. I loved it. It was a good fit for me. I never looked back.”
Michaels (whose zaida, Leon Michaels, was a leading cardiologist here) spent much of his free time during his high school years volunteering in the lab. After graduation, he enrolled in Harvard –with help from the university’s financial aid program – where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. He followed that up with a Ph.D. from Oxford in 2019, followed by three years as a post-doctoral Fellow – before returning to Winnipeg in 2023 to work at Cancer Care Manitoba, as well as teach at the University of Manitoba.
“I enjoyed my time both at Harvard and Oxford,” he says. “What made England even more enjoyable is that Yale has family there. His grandparents – Leon and Joan Michaels – were born and raised in London and Yale’s time there overlapped for a few months with his brother Jamie (about whom there was a story in a July issue of the Post), who earned his Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at the University of London.
This past June, the young researcher learned that he was to be the recipient of a $550,000 Canadian Cancer Society Emerging Scholar Research Grant, covering five years of research.
Michaels’ field of research focuses on new ways of combating blood cancers – specifically in the new area of immunotherapy. He is being aided in his research by lab tech Dana Segal and graduate student Serena Dembowksi.
Michaels adds that he is collaborating with a number of other researchers from Winnipeg – and throughout Canada, including Drs. Harinad Maganti, David Szwajcer, Jody Haigh, Versha Banerji, and David Knapp.
Using the patient’s own immune cells – specifically CAR T cells -to treat blood cancers was first approved in 2017, Michaelsreports. “The treatment has shown itself to be really successful. Many patients go into remission and some may have the potential to be cured.”
One of the drawbacks, he explains, is that the treatment is prohibitively expensive. Each dose costs about $500,000 U.S.
“What we are trying to do in my lab and elsewhere is find a way to greatly reduce the cost,” he explains. “It becomes a matter of scale. Other drugs used in treating cancer can be produced in amounts of 1,000 doses per production run. But right now CAR T therapy is made on a one-off basis with an individual manufacturing run for each patient. We are attempting to instead make CAR T cells from stem cells – which can be grown in large quantities. We are trying to use genetic engineering to manipulate them so that they can be administered safely to patients.
“We (Michaels and fellow researchers) are making good progress in this area,” he adds.
He cautions that the research is still in the formative stages and that clinical trials are still several years away. “Our research so far though has shown that our treatment would seem to be effective at killing cancer cells,” he reports. “This grant from the Canadian Cancer Society will help us to further that research.”
Outside of work, Michaels notes, much of his time is spent with his family – Dr. Allison Marmel and their two-year-old daughter, Rose.
(Ed. note: We should note that Yale Michaels was also the punter for the Harvard University football team – by far his greatest achievement.)
Local News
Rabbi Kliel Rose, Etz Chayim’s spiritual leader, taking a new position in Ottawa
By MYRON LOVE It is with mixed feelings that Rabbi Kliel Rose, the spiritual leader of Congregation Etz Chayim for the past eight years, is once again leaving the community in which he grew up. Immediately after Yom Kippur, he, his wife, Dorit Kosmin, and three of their five children are moving to Ottawa, where Rabbi Rose is to become the spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillat Beth Israel (popularly known as KBI).
“My time in Winnipeg has been wonderful,” Rabbi Rose says. “It has been a privilege to have served as Etz Chayim’s rabbi and be part of the Jewish community here. Our Jewish community has a sense of solidarity that is unlike any other Jewish community in North America.”
He wasn’t actually looking to leave, Rabbi Rose explains. “Last spring, I was just having a cursory look at postings for Conservative rabbis and KBI stood out. What attracted me was not simply the opportunity to serve a larger congregation, but the chance to lead a community with such a rich history and such a strong commitment to egalitarian Conservative Judaism, Jewish learning, inclusion and community engagement. KBI is a relatively young congregation that brings together more than a century of Jewish history in Ottawa, and I was very drawn to the opportunity to help shape its next chapter.”
KBI, Rabbi Rose reports, was created in July 2016 through the amalgamation of two long-standing and storied Ottawa congregations: Agudath Israel and Congregation Beth Shalom. The merger brought together the rich traditions of both communities to create a modern, egalitarian Conservative congregation. Today, KBI is the largest Jewish congregation in Ottawa, serving more than 500 families, with a strong emphasis on Jewish learning, inclusion, community engagement and youth and family programming.
“There is a tremendous amount of energy and possibility at KBI,” Rabbi Rose says. “It is a community with deep roots, but also a very strong desire to think about what Jewish life should look like in the future. That is exciting to me as a rabbi.”
As with many rabbis, Kliel Rose’s career path has been a long and winding road. The son of the revered Carol and Rabbi Neal Rose, he first left Winnipeg after graduating from Grant Park High School.
In an interview with the Jewish Post & News in 2018, shortly after he returned here to serve Congregation Etz Chayim, Rabbi Rose credited his parents with being tremendous role models. “They are a dynamic team,” he commented, “but they never pushed any of us (Kliel Rose is the middle child in a family of four brothers and one sister) in any particular direction. They were really nurturing. They were okay with anything we decided as long as we were passionate about it.”
For the longest time as a young man, he noted, he fought against going into “the family business”. But, he said, working in Jewish summer camps, people in leadership positions in the camps saw something in him and convinced him to pursue rabbinic ordination.
Thus, after graduating with a Judaic Studies degree from Gratz College in Philadelphia, Kliel Rose enrolled in the Jewish Theological Seminary.
He noted that the most important piece of advice his father gave him before he enrolled in a rabbinic studies program was the suggestion that he should work for a time in a large congregation to see what it is like – “both the joy and the underbelly,” as he put it.
“I took his advice,” Rabbi Rose said. “For two years, I worked under the umbrella of a special fellowship at Bnai Jeshurun Congregation in Manhattan. The congregation had 4,000 members at that time. It had been a dying congregation which had been revitalized by Rabbi Marshall Meyer, who had previously helped revive Jewish life in Argentina. Rabbi Meyer, with his vision of social justice, was an inspiration for me.”
Rabbi Rose also spent a year at an Orthodox yeshiva in Israel and a couple of years as a youth director at a large Conservative congregation on Long Island.
Before coming to Winnipeg, Rabbi Rose served congregations in Miami Beach (for three years), Nashville (for five years), and Edmonton (for five years).
The past eight years at Etz Chayim have certainly brought their share of challenges, but Rabbi Rose says they have also been deeply meaningful. Just two years after arriving, the COVID pandemic transformed congregational life. Then there was the congregation’s decision to sell its 70-year-old building on Matheson Avenue and move to a smaller facility in south Winnipeg – a process that was completed just over two years ago.
“It has been really challenging these past few years,” he recounts. “It was difficult leaving behind our old building with so much history. But I think Etz Chayim made the right decision, and I am proud of how our community came together to navigate these challenges and build a new future for the congregation.”
Rabbi Rose says he is particularly grateful for the relationships he has built during his eight years at Etz Chayim and throughout Winnipeg’s Jewish community. “There have been so many meaningful relationships and experiences during my time here. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve this community and to have been part of Etz Chayim’s story during such an important period of transition.”
“I’m leaving with an enormous amount of gratitude,” he adds. “Etz Chayim has given me the opportunity to grow as a rabbi and as a leader, and I hope that I have been able to contribute something meaningful to the congregation and to the wider Winnipeg Jewish community in return.”
Another factor that made Rabbi Rose’s decision to leave difficult is that his parents moved back here two years ago and his older brother, Carnie, returned about 18 months ago to become Shaarey Zedek’s senior rabbi.
“It has been wonderful having my parents and brother here,” Kliel says. “This has been the first time that my children have had grandparents and an uncle and aunt in the same city.”
The Rose family will also miss the many friendships and connections they have made in Winnipeg.
Our community will also miss Kliel’s wife, Dorit. “My wife is a talented and caring individual who has worked in different areas of the community,” he notes. “Most recently, she was working in spiritual care at the Simkin Centre. She has made a tremendous contribution to the community and will certainly be missed.”
For Rabbi Rose, the decision to leave Winnipeg is less about leaving something behind than about embracing a new opportunity. After eight years of helping Etz Chayim navigate a period of profound change, he says he feels ready to take on a new leadership challenge while carrying with him the lessons and relationships he has gained here.
The Rose family will be leaving two days after Yom Kippur. Kliel reports that they have sold their house and have just a few things to wind up.
Local News
Temple Shalom, Etz Chayim Yom Tov Services to be Held in Different Locations this Fall
By MYR0N LOVE In 2025, one of the most interesting aspects of Yom Tov in Winnipeg was the official debut of new rabbis Carnie Rose and Myriam Saitman, at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and Temple Shalom respectively – also the imminent departure of Rabbi Yossi Benarroch, since 2016 the Adas Yeshrun Herzlia congregation’s spiritual leader.
This year, The Jewish Post’s pre-Yom Tov story has a different focus. Due to water damage caused by heavy rain in June (see story in previous issue of The Jewish Post) Temple Shalom’s congregation has had to move out of their building until renovations are complete and will be holding Yom Tov services at the Berney Theatre. Also, Congregation Etz Chayim will be returning to its building on Wilkes for Yom Tov after holding services in a larger facility last year and having Yom Kippur services at a Holiday Inn the year before.
“This year,” says Morissa Granove, Congregation Etz Chayim’s COO, “we are very happy to be bringing the High Holy Days home to 1155 Wilkes Avenue. We will be hosting two services each day and have had an overwhelming response to our ticket sales. Our daytime morning services have already sold out, and we expect to have a full house at each of our services this year. We are excited for everything to come.”.
It was about two-and-a-half years ago that Etz Chayim members relocated to Wilkes from their 70-year-old building on Matheson in the North End. Granove reported last year that the move south has “proven to be a great success in many ways. Operational expenses are greatly reduced in the newer and more efficient space, and our congregation is seeing an increase in attendance at services, programs, and events due to their new, convenient location”.
Etz Chayim’s services’ will be led once again by Rabbi Kliel Rose (see related story about his departure for Ottawa immediately after Yom Kippur) and Cantor Tracy Kasner, while newly anointed Cantor Kevin McIntyre will be reading the Torah. There will also be a youth and family service with activities for kids of all ages.
For further information about Etz Chayim’s High holiday services, phone 204 589-6305 or email info@etzchayim.ca.
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, our community’s oldest and largest synagogue, would like to invite members of the community to join and experience “a season of Unity, Enlightenment, Invigoration, and Renewal with services in the Sanctuary,” says Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze, the congregation’s executive director.
“We anticipate that our services – featuring Senior Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose, Rabbi Anibal Mass, and Cantor Leslie Emery – accompanied by the Shaarey Zedek Quartet and Ruach Choir with piano accompaniment – will be spiritually uplifting,” Elbaze says.
“Due to high demand, we are also delighted to offer two Family Services for Young Families, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, in the Tova Vickar Family Childcare Centre. These engaging services will be led by Rabbi Anibal Mass, with support from our Youth Band, Shinshinim – Israeli Youth Ambassadors, and dedicated volunteers.”
Looking back over the past year, Elbaze reports that Shabbat morning and weekday services have been attracting “a widening circle for prayer, learning, and breaking bread under the leadership of our dedicated clergy team”.
“Our Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre is fully operational,” she continues, “and is already recognized provincially for achievement and excellence and connecting childcare families to synagogue life.”
She adds that the congregation’s membership base is growing, with 98 families/ households having joined since July of last year – including new members and those who have re-joined – for a total of 228 people of all ages.
As well, she notes, the congregation’s sisterhood and the Hebros Men’s Group are thriving, drawing a broad demographic of participants seeking Jewish learning, camaraderie, and connection. As well, Elbaze adds, the Young Adult Group is engaging in synagogue life and gathering regularly for Shabbat dinners and Jewish holiday celebrations.
“Our Israeli Youth Ambassador program, the Shinshinim, is infusing youth programming with dynamism, creativity, and a meaningful connection to Israel” she points out.
Readers who want to contact the Shaarey Zedek about Yom Tov tickets can call the office at 204 452-3711 or email Rena at rena@szwinnipeg.ca.
As mentioned above, Temple Shalom will be holding High Holy Day services in the Berney Theatre at the Asper Campus. Rabbi Myriam Saitman, who received her ordination last year, noted in last year’s Jeiwsh Post pre-Yom Tov story, “We are looking forward to 10 days of introspection focused on teshuva and we invite our congregation to experience the message, the spirituality, the music, and the poetry of the High Holidays”.
Temple Shalom High Holiday services will, once again, be led by Rabbi Saitman, along with Cantorial Soloist David Vamos – accompanied by the Temple choir led by Janet Pelletier Goetze.
For further information about Temple Shalom’s Yom Tov services, phone 204-453-1625 or email tshalom1@gmail.com.
South end Winnipeg further offers a fourth liberal Jewish option in the form of Rabbi Matthew Leibl’s “Services on the River: A Modern High Holy Days”. This is the fourth year that Rabbi Leibl will be leading his own services at The Gates on Roblin.
Services will be on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, September 13, starting at 10:00 A.M., while the Kol Nidre service will be on September 20 at 6:00 P.M., with the Yom Kippur service the following morning at 10:00 A.M. Rabbi Leibl will again be joined by the husband-and-wife cantorial team of Justin Odwak and Sarah Sommer, leaders of the SOTR Quartet. New this year will be The Shofar Club Kids Program, led by Halley Ritter for children ages 4-12.
For tickets, email support@tobatickets.ca, or call (during office hours) 204-934-7564.
South Winnipeg’s orthodox options are the Adas Yeshurun Herzlia and the Lubavitch Centre. High Holy Day services at Adas Yeshurun will be led by Rabbi Yossi Benarroch – with Aden Benarroch serving as Chazzan Sheini. Adas Yeshurun has approximately 100 membership units and can comfortably accommodate 250 worshippers. Please call the synagogue office – at 204 489-6262. to confirm attendance before September 9.
The Lubavitch Centre has a capacity of between 200 and 300. There is no charge for davening at Chabad, nor do you have to register in advance.
Still with south Winnipeg – The Simkin Centre offers one more High Holy Day option. Services are all held in their multi-purpose room. Family members can join but priority seating is reserved for residents. Steven Hyman will lead the services along with the Simkin Centre Choir, directed by Bonnie Antel.
If you have any questions, contact Rabbi Matthew Leibl or Heather Blackman, Manager of Resident Experience, either by phone 204 589-9008 or email heather.blackman@simkincentre.ca, so that she knows how many to plan for.
In the North End, High Holiday service options are more limited. The Chevra Mishnayes in Garden City offers an egalitarian service. Synagogue president Rob Waldman reports that about 100 attended services last year and that he is expecting about the same this year. Services will be led by Al Benarroch. For further information phone the office at 204-338-8503.
Both the venerable House of Ashkenazi, the last of our community’s older-style Orthodox congregations, and the Chavurat Tefila Talmud Torah offer Orthodox services- with each attracting about 30 to 40 daveners for the High Holy Days. The latter will have Avi Posen back again to lead services while long time Cantor Adi Stoller will be back for another Yom Tov at the Ashkenazi.
While Camp Massad has also long offered a modified Yom Tov service, the camp at Sandy Hook will bel closed for Yom Tov this year while renovations are underway.
Yom Tov this year begins on Friday, September 11, in the evening.
Wishing all readers a sweet new year.
