Local News
Lawyer Lawrence Pinsky has played a role in combating anti-Israel discrimination at U of M
By MYRON LOVE Lawrence Pinsky K.C. , the Progressive Conservative candidate in the recent Tuxedo by-election to fill the seat held by former Premier Heather Stefanson, says that when he was first approached to let his name stand, he initially demurred.
“I said that I would try to find someone else,” he says. “I approached five other potential candidates. All refused. Two cited concerns about anti-Semitism. So I said that I would run.”
But it is not only in politics that Pinsky has answered the call. In fact, the partner in the law firm, Taylor McCaffrey, has been answering the call to help students at the University of Manitoba who felt targeted for supporting Israel. For several months now Pinsky has been providing his legal services pro bono to Jewish students fighting discrimination at the University of Manitoba since shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
The son of the late Harry and Dvora Pinsky grew up in West Kildonan. He earned his LLB at the University of Manitoba and was called to the Bar in 1993. He became a partner at Taylor McCaffrey in 1998.
Over the past 30 years Pinsky has built a solid career as a leader in the area of Family Law. Among the high points of his career have been his role as co-founder, director and president of FAMLI (the Family Arbitration and Mediation Legal Institute). He was also a co-founder and co-chair of the National Family Law Arbitration Program – and he served ten years as a member of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission adjudication panel.
As with almost everyone else in our Jewish community, Puisky was appalled by the horrors of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7. “My wife Jennifer and I attended the community-wide rally in support of Israel shortly after,” says Pinsky, whose father was a Holocaust survivor. “What was happening on the streets of our cities was scary. I felt that I had to act.”
His first action was to go to Israel in November with Jennifer – under the auspices of Sar-El – and volunteer at the Tel Hashomer army base in the Tel Aviv area.
Upon his return home, he began working with Jewish students facing both physical assaults and discrimination at the U. of M.
“Several students reached out to me,” he says. “My colleagues and I began working with B’nai Brith and Hillel to try to help the students. We met with several students and professors and others in the community.”
One fact he learned, he says, is that there are about 3,000 Israelis living in Winnipeg. (Consulting Editor Bernie Bellan comments: That assertion is simply not borne out by a reference to the results of the 2021 Census. According to the census, only 1350 individuals in Winnipeg gave “Israeli” as one of their ethnic origins in answer to the question: “What is your ethnic origin?” Furthermore, It was possible to give more than one answer to the question about ethnic origin on the census – and you were allowed to list up to six different ethnic origins, but if someone who had lived in Israel and was born in Russia or Ukraine or anywhere else for that matter didn’t give “Israeli” as one of their ethnic origins, the figure of 3,000 Israelis living in Winnipeg is simply not supported by any evidence.
The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg had long been embellishing the number of Jews living in Winnipeg – with spokespersons such as former Federation President Gustavo Zentner claiming a figures as high as 17,000 Jews in Winnipeg at times in the past. In fact, after a thorough analysis of the 2021 Census, I found that, at an absolute maximum, there were no more than 14,270 Jews living in Winnipeg in 2021. And, that figure took into account a combination of individuals who said they were “Jewish” – either by ethnic origin or by religion. For instance, of the 10,700 individuals who gave Jewish as one of their ethnic origins, a full 1,245 said they were “Christian” by religion.
One other fascinating finding from the 2021 census was that, of the 1350 individuals who gave “Israeli” as one of their ethnic origins, only 855 also said they were “Jewish” by religion! A full 385 of those individuals said they had no religion at all, while 105 said they were Christian by religion. Further, only 11,170 individuals in the census said they were “Jewish” by religion in Winnipeg. I’ve long argued that many people exaggerate the number of Jews, also the number of Israelis living in Winnipeg – without having any empirical evidence to support their claims. But, if it makes you feel better to say there are 17,000 Jews in Winnipeg and 3,000 Israelis, go ahead and trot out any figures you might like. Just don’t claim that those figure are supported by any evidence.)
Pinsky points out that discrimination against Zionist students and faculty by the University of Manitoba Student Union pre-dates October 7 by a number of years, but the situation has noticeably worsened over the past eight months. Among the incidents he cites have been anti-Semitic posters being put up at the Asper School of Business, a Jewish student being spat upon, sexually harassing insults being hurled at a Jewish female student, hostage posters being torn down, discriminatory differential standards at The Manitoban (the University of Manitoba Student Union newspaper) being applied against Jewish Zionist students, the refusal or failure of the editor of The Manitoban to publish articles supporting Israel despite being provided articles and requests to do so, and the suspension on February 28 by UMSU of Students Supporting Israel because of a comment made by Bassam Eid, a Palestinian Muslim human rights campaigner who spoke at the university under the auspices of SSI and others.
Eid’s “offensive” statement (according to one Muslim student who made the complaint that got SSI suspended) was in response to a question from the audience. Eid said that “the major problem here, I call it the ideology of the Muslims. When it comes to ideology the Muslims are blind”.
Notes Pinsky, who also helped SSI get reinstated (on March 27), the SSI should never have been held responsible for Eid’s comment. “The suspension was in violation of UMSU’s own guidelines,” he says. “In addition, Mr. Eid made the comment in response to a question. The SSI organizers had no possible way of knowing or foreseeing Eid’s answer.”
The most recent disturbing situation on campus was sparked by an emergency session of the UMSU board to consider a motion that would have approved a new definition of anti-Palestinian racism – as defined by the Canadian Arab Lawyers Association – which appears to contradict existing UMSU policy, and which would essentially ban any criticism or disagreement of the official Palestinian narrative. Pinsky alleges that the student union proceeded in a manner that is contrary to existing UMSU bylaws.
“This is utter nonsense,” he states. “It is an attempt to rewrite history and a violation of freedom of speech. This is obscene.”
On April 5, Pinsky and his colleagues filed on behalf of his clients – a group of Jewish students at the University of Manitoba – a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission against the University of Manitoba Student Union (UMSU), the Manitoban, and other named individuals.
Whereas Jewish Zionist students and faculty at other universities in Canada and the United States beleaguered by systemic anti-Semitism have gone to court to seek redress, Pinsky explains that the University of Manitoba students sought intervention by the Manitoban Human Rights Commission instead because the MHRC writ is broader in this province.
“The recent actions of UMSU, The Manitoban and named respondents in regard to Jewish students and their supporters is unacceptable,” Pinsky states. “They are a violation of the Human Rights Code, according to the complaint that was initiated. UMSU, The Manitoban and the other named respondents would seem to have certain requirements that are applied only for Jewish Zionist students, restricting them in a way that would be unacceptable for any other groups . My clients are fighting to make sure that the UMSU, The Manitoban and the University generally becomes an environment where all students are treated equally and in a manner free of discrimination. Sadly, we have a long way to go.”
The vote on the UMSU motion was initially put off for two weeks to give both advocates and opponents more time to make their case and, shortly after the MHRC filing, was shelved indefinitely.
While he concedes that it could take several years before the MHRC puts out its report and recommendations on the matter, he is hopeful that he, his colleagues, and his clients will be able to work with UMSU, and the other respondents to find a positive way forward.
“I remain optimistic,” he says.
He adds that this case is important not only for the Zionist students on campus. In principle, any group could be similarly marginalized against,” he says. “I stand against all forms of discrimination.”
As to the situation at the many others campuses across Canada and the U.S. being consumed by anti-Israel hate and anti-Semitism, Pinsky comments that “The bottom line is that it is up to all universities administrations and student unions and all of their mechanisms and outlets to take the lead in acting strongly against hate before things escalate to the level that is roiling campuses such as Columbia, Harvard and McGill.
”To the extent that they fail to do so, governments should be enforcing or passing appropriate legislation to ensure a safe environment for all students without exception for hate targeted at Jewish students who happen to abide by the creed that the oldest still existent indigenous people of that land, have a right to the autonomy of a state there.”
Local News
Eyal Kraut: continuing the family medical tradition
By GERRY POSNER When you talk medicine and family connections to medicine, one of the families you have to think of almost immediately is the Berbrayer- Kraut family. There are three generations of doctors now in this family, starting with Dr. Peter Berbrayer, of blessed memory, an orthopaedic surgeon (and father of Karla); Dr. Allan Kraut (husband of Karla Berbrayer, an internal medicine and occupational health physician; and Allan and Karla’s son, Dr. Eyal Kraut, an endocrinologist, who now lives in Toronto. Not to be overlooked as part of the Berbrayer-Kraut family medical team is Dr. David Berbrayer, son of Peter, and a medical director in rehabilitation redicine in Toronto. Each of these men has made contributions in his respective field and I expect many readers are well aware of that. Perhaps, because he is still young, Eyal, one of four children of Allan and Karla, is less known – although, because of his participation in the community, I am betting younger readers will know him.
Eyal Kraut was born and raised in Winnipeg. He is a product of the then Ramah Hebrew School and later the Gray Academy. It is fair to say that Eyal was exposed to the Jewish world right from the start in many aspects, not the least of which was by way of his mother Karla’s having run the Music and Mavens Programme at the Campus for many years, as well as being a musical impresario of great renown. In his high school years, Kraut was active in multiple leadership positions, including student council and the Jewish Federation’s P2K committee ( now P2G).
And, he was not just limited to school activities as he was what might be called a “player” at the Herzlia Synagogue, where he often led services, not to mention his talent as a shofar blower ( no small skill; I know that from trying for a week without making a sound). Moreover, Kraut taught Bar/ Bat Mitzvah lessons, was on staff at the Rady JCC during his school days, also staff at Camp Massad. In short, Kraut was the full package coming out of high school. He attended the University of Manitoba and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. While at the university, he served as president of Hillel. Subsequently, he entered the University of Manitoba Medical School.
In 2014, Eyal Kraut graduated with his MD degree. During his time as a medical student he participated in the Manitoba Medical Students Association and also sat on numerous committees. Upon graduation, Kraut was off to Queen’s University for his residency in internal medicine. It was in Kingston that he met his future wife, Zoey Katz, who was from Toronto. The couple returned to Winnipeg for Eyal’s clinical fellowship in endocrinology, which is the specialty focussing on diabetes and hormones. While he was busy with becoming a doctor, his wife Zoey was a nurse at Children’s Hospital. Now that is taking togetherness to a new level. Even then, Eyal and Zoey helped to lead services at the Simkin Centre.
In 2019, the couple made the decision to move to Toronto. Currently, Eyal works at a clinic in downtown Toronto, while at the same time he also has a weekly clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital. Yet, even with the move to Toronto, Eyal retained his medical license in Manitoba and for several years, he returned to Winnipeg for several days every two months to run a small endocrinology clinic in Winnipeg, located at Confusion Corner, called Cardio 1 Lifesmart. That is what I call staying connected to your roots. Even then, Eyal used his spare time to head to the Rady JCC, as JCC memberships are honoured everywhere there is a JCC. The routine of trips to Winnipeg ultimately concluded just recently – at the end of October. Eyal and Zoey now have a two-year-old son, Asher, with another baby on the way, so the trips to Winnipeg are no longer as feasible as they were. Still, Eyal is clear that he intends to make regular visits (to see family of course,) also to show his kids what life is like in Winnipeg. This is one guy who appreciates from whence he came.
Even with his impressive background, what really makes Eyal stand out is a talent that no one likely knows about and that is Eyal’s ability to recognize people. It was at Beth Tzedec Synagogue in Toronto not long ago – at Yom Kippur services, and with a full sanctuary, when out of the blue, a guy whom I did not know tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was Gerry Posner. He just picked me out from my photo in the Jewish Post. That photo has me with a baseball cap on my head, but at synagogue I had a kippah on. Now, that is a rare talent. (Ed. note: Oh come on Gerry – you’ve written before how Winnipeggers, including the equally famous Rabbi Matthew Leibl – before he became a rabbi, have spotted you in baseball stadiums across North America and come up to you . You’re world famous for sure!)
Local News
Latest Jewish Foundation Endowment Book of Life signings took place November 3rd
By MYRON LOVE Almost everyone has a story to tell. And, for the past 25-plus years, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba – through its ongoing Endowment Book of Life program – has been assembling stories of current and former members of our Jewish community.
As explained on the Foundation website, “the Endowment Book of Life program is a planned program that offers participants an opportunity to leave both a financial and historical legacy to the community.”
Donors promise to leave a bequest to the Foundation, in return for which their family stories are inscribed in the Book of Life.
The annual official unveiling of new stories this year was held on Sunday, November 3, at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and included brunch, some musical entertainment featuring a talented quartet of singers – including Josh Bellan, Alyssa Crockett, Julia Kroft and Hailey Witt (who have seemingly been the young go-to performers at Jewish community functions over the past year or two) – as well as a poetry reading by members of the StudioWorks Players – and comments by Rabbi Alan Finkel as to why he chose to add his and his family’s stories to the Endowment Book of Life.
In his remarks, Finkel, the recently retired rabbi of Temple Shalom, spoke of his family’s stories – in this case, his family’s stories of the Holocaust. “My family has always shared their stories,” he noted. ”Their stories are part of the Shoah Foundation’s collection of stories. And both my mother (Carmela Finkel – who passed away three years ago) and my Aunt Betty (Kirshner) have shared their stories with hundreds of students at the Holocaust Education Centre. Later, my mother was honoured to have her story included as part of the video displays at the Canadian museum of human Rights.
“But, even as I embraced the power of those survivors’ stories,” he continued, “I could see that the list of story tellers was getting ever shorter. I wondered how those stories would continue to be told once there was no one left to tell them.”
Shortly after his mother’s passing, he said, the family came together to discuss how to continue their mother’s legacy. Their response was to create the Carmela Shragge Finkel Holocaust Education Endowment Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba – with proceeds directed toward the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada.
“My page in the Endowment Book of Life is more about my personal life journey that led me to become a rabbi at 65,” he said, “but really, behind it all there are a lot of different threads and stories of Jewish community that intertwine and bind us to each other and to our Jewish community. This, to me, is the real gift of the Endowment Book of Life project – allowing each of us to here to tell our own stories in our own ways, to find our own unique paths of building our Jewish community here in Manitoba – and to celebrate how we are all part of klal Yisrael.”
Signatories to the Book of Life this year included: Dr. Sharon Goszer Tritt and Dr. Stephen Tritt; Brenda Honigman – in memory of her late father Sam, and late brother Archie; Ellie Kives – in memory of her husband Philip; David Wilder; Alisa Abrams; Marlene Reiss and Perry Rose; and Moshe Selchen, in memory
of the late Saul Feldman, a friend of the Selchen family. Feldman was a little-known member of our Jewish community who passed away a couple of years ago and left $2.6 million in his will to the Jewish Foundation.
In his introductory remarks, John Diamond, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s CEO, described the Endowment Book of Life program, as “one of our most successful. We last hosted this event in 2022,” he noted, “and, I’m proud to say, I was a signer that year.”
Diamond explained why he and his wife, Heather, chose to commit to our community’s future. “In 2022,” he recalled, “we were beginning to glimpse what the world would look like post-pandemic. That prolonged period of uncertainty gave us the opportunity to think about our community’s future. If the generations before us had not been forward-thinking, prioritizing the next wave of Jewish Winnipeggers, where would we have been during the pandemic? How would our community have looked?
“Simply put, we were and are very fortunate. Thanks to that forethought, we were able to navigate that uncertainty. We need to continue putting future generations in a similar position to what we find ourselves in now.”
In her closing remarks, Dafna Shore, the JFM’s vice chair (who was filling in for chair Dan Blankstein, who was unable to attend), reported that the Endowment Book of Life currently contains over 800 stories.
“Each story is deeply personal and uniquely individual,” she pointed out. “What makes this program so special – and why it resonates with so many people – is the change to immortalize stories that otherwise might go untold.
“Every family has stories, some hidden away about what makes them exceptional. Very few are known beyond those who lived them. Sharing these stories in the Endowment Book of Life celebrates the lives lived in our community. They are an encyclopedia of what makes our community so rich in history, compassion and generosity.”
Shore thanked this most recent group of story tellers for sharing their stories and for committing to making a legacy gift. “Your gesture,” she said, “will serve to inspire the next generation to do the same. As long as our community has individuals who choose to put their community’s longevity at the top of their priorities, our community will continue to thrive.”
Local News
2024 Yom Tov attendance meets expectations
By MYRON LOVE Congregational leaders in our community are, for the most part, quite pleased with Tom Tov attendance this past Yom Tov.
“We sold out our seats,” reports Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze , the Shaarey Zedek’s executive director.
The remodeled and expanded Shaarey Zedek, our community’s oldest and largest congregation, has a capacity of about 900 in the main sanctuary – with an additional 250 for the separate Family Service downstairs.
Once again, this year, the popular Rabbi Emeritus Alan Green – who was the Shaarey Zedek’s senior rabbi for 18 years – returned to lead Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the main sanctuary with Cantor Leslie Emery, the Quartet, and the Ruach Volunteer Choir. Rabbi Anibal Mass led the popular family service with Noah Trachtenberg, a Youth Band and the Dor Chadash Youth Choir.
Shaarey Zedek has, over the past few years, built a substantial following for its Shabbat and Yom Tov services online. Elbaze notes though that the number of people participating in Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur servicers online this year was considerably lower. That was because, she says, many of those congregants were eager to come back to the shul – which just re-opened a couple of months ago after being closed for three years due to construction – and daven in person.
“We were essentially sold out for Yom Tov by early September,” reports Jonathan Buchwald, Congregation. Etz Chayim’s executive director. “Our members were really excited about our first Yom Tov in our new building.”
By necessity – in reflecting the congregation’s slowly declining membership numbers – the new Etz Chayim – at 1155 Wilkes Avenue – is considerably smaller than its predecessor. To accommodate the demand for Yom Kippur seating in particular, Buchwald had earlier reported, the Kol Nidre service was to be held at the Holiday Inn Express at the airport – and there were two services for Yom Kippur day.
Buchwald notes that 335 were in attendance for the first services on Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur service and 120 for the second service on Rosh Hashanah – with 450 for Kol Nidre at the hotel. There were 250 for Neilah and 50 for the Young Family services. About 150 followed online.
As usual, Rabbi Kliel Rose and Cantor Tracy Kasner led Etz Chayim’s High Holiday services – with a separate family service geared toward families with young children as well as a Junior Congregation.
Over at Temple Shalom, our community’s 60-year Reform congregation,Past President Ruth Livingston says that there was “good enthusiasm” for Yom Tov and that the congregation members were very happy with the services led by cantorial soloist Janet Pelletier Goetz as well as long time Temple Shalom member Myriam Saitman – who is set to begin training in September toward her rabbinical ordination – and, for the first time, choir leader Erica Tallis –a 2020 graduate of the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba.
For the second year in a row, South end Winnipeg further offered a fourth liberal Jewish option in the form of Rabbi Matthew Leibl’s “Services on the River: A Modern High Holidays.”
The former Shaarey Zedek – and now independent – rabbi’s services were held once again at The Gates on Roblin – which can accommodate up to 300. Last year, Leibl reported in an earlier interview, about 250 people attended his service. He was expecting to have similar number this year.”
“Services on the River: A modern High Holidays” services were scheduled for the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur morning. The services also featured the husband and wife cantorial team of Justin Odwak and Sarah Sommer.
All services were 90 minutes.
Still with the South End, Jack Craven president of Orthodox congregation Adas Yeshurun Herzlia says that people are happy that things are back to normal. “We had a good crowd for Yom Tov,” he says.
The congregation – led by Rabbi Yossi Benarroch – has a membership of about 100 and can accommodate up to 250.
“We were filled up for Rosh Hashonah and Yom kippur,” notes Rabbi Avroham Altein, Winnipeg’s senior Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi of the south end Lubavitch Centre. “We also had a full house for Erev Simchas Torah.”
The Lubavitch Centre has a capacity of between 200 and 300.
The Simkin Centre also held Yom Tov services – on all three days – that were open to the general public. The services were led by Steven Hyman with the Simkin Centre Choir under the direction of Bonnie Antel.
In the North End, the Conservative egalitarian Chevra Mishnayes congregation – the largest congregation in that part of the city with the relocation of Etz Chayim south – saw a bit of a bump in attendance.
“We had 20 new people this year,” reports Chevta Mishnayes President Rob Waldman. “This is the first time that we have seen an uptake in attendance for Yom Tov since before the Covid lockdowns.”
Last year, just under100 came to the Garden city shul for Yom Tov.
This year’s service were once again led by Al Benarroch.
About 18 months ago, a new North End Orthodox congregation came into being as a result of the merger of the struggling Chavurat Tefila and Talmud Torah Beth Jacob members. The renamed Chavurat Tefila Talmud Torah Congregation – located at on the corner of Hartford and McGregor in West Kildonan – attracted between 40 and 50 daveners for its first Yom Tov services last year last year and about the same number this year.
Services at the shul this year were led by Cantor Menachem Frenkel from Silver Spring, MD.
“Cantor Frenkel was recommended by a friend and member of the shul,” says Cary Rubenfeld, the shul’s treasurer and spokesperson. “He was quite well received by the congregation. He is a multi-talented ba’al tefilah. He brought with him an extensive range of traditional and contemporary melodies which the congregants enjoyed.”
The venerable House of Ashkenazie, the last of our community’s old-style Orthodox congregations, was once again the only shul to report a bit of a decline in attendance from last year – with attendance for Yom Tov hovering around 30. Shul President Gary Minuk avers though that the Ashkenazie – which still holds services throughout the year on Thursday mornings – will continue to carry on “as long as we can still make minyans.”
Our community’s most northerly High Holiday services were held at Camp Massad. After a two year absence due to the Covid lockdowns, Camp Massad resumed its innovative Rosh Hashanah service last year. In pre-Covid times, Massad executive director Danial Sprintz noted last year, Rosh Hashanah at Massad had attracted as many as 150 participants. In 2023, 90 attended. This year’s attendance, he reports, was slightly higher.
“Our people were excited to come together,” he says. “We always offer a creative and interactive service that combines some traditional prayers with contemporary readings, folk music and our usual Camp Massad shtick.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login