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Local author Avra Love (yes, my daughter) scores three book deal with new Jersey-based Scribal Scion Publishing

By MYRON LOVE Avra Love’s first children’s book has just been released.  “Don’t Wake Mommy! A Story About Honouring Parents”  is part of a three-book deal that Avra signed with James Gershfield, the president of New Jersey-based Scribal Scion Publishing. The book focuses on Aaron, a Jewish little boy who loves his parents dearly and is always trying to please them.
In “Don’t Wake Mommy!”, Aaron is trying to be considerate of his mommy, who is trying to get some sleep.  So, when he discovers water leaking in the basement, he tries to deal with the problem himself – without having to wake his mother – with predictable results.
“Don’t Wake Mommy!” is Avra’s second published book. She published her first, a book of short stories called “Into the Junk Drawer and Other Stories” on Amazon in the spring of 2022. The book sold well – around 250 copies and received very positive comments from many of its readers.
“I have been writing for as long as i can remember,” she comments.  “Over the years, I have dabbled in prose and poetry, short stories and longer pieces.”
She began writing the stories that make up “Into the Junk Drawer” shortly after giving birth to her son, Ares, in late 2021.  The book consists of a collection of 35 stories – each two to three pages long and each with a moral or a twist at the end.
She became aware of James Gershfield in the summer of 2024 after I wrote a couple of stories about him in the Jewish Post about biographies he had written about his parents, former Winnipeggers Rabbi Edward and Toby Gershfield.  His mother was a granddaughter of the late revered Rabbi Israel Kahanovitch.
James Gershfield published both books through Scribal Scion Publishing, which he founded two years after retiring from a 40-year career as a software developer. Scribal Scion Publishing focuses on Jewish books that inspire and comfort. Genres include memoir, biography, religion, and comfort for mourners, as well as children’s books.
In a comment to Avra, Gershfield wrote that “I think you have a great talent for coming up with fun stories for kids – stories that also teach some valuable lessons”.
Avra reports that she wrote the draft of “Don’t Wake Mommy!” several years ago.  “Working with James, I learned a lot about the unique features of writing children’s stories. While the process (of publishing) took longer than I expected, I am very happy with the final result.”
She notes that the second book in the series – “Taking Care of Mommy” – should be out next year and  the third ,‘”Aaron’s Buried Treasure” – the year after that.  In the meantime, she has another group of short stories almost ready for publication and is working on a Chanukah craft fair murder mystery.
“Don’t Wake Mommy!” is available online at Amazon or you can call 204 334-4961 to get your copy.

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The Jewish Post Ltd.’s brand new website

Click here to be taken to our new website featuring foods you can find on Facebook Marketplace

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First year medical student Tim Rozovsky founds new association for local Jewish medical students

By MYRON LOVE In the face of a concerning surge in antisemitism over the past nearly three years, I am happy to report a good news story in that regard.  Tim Rozovsky, the founder of the new Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba, reports that he and his fellow Jewish students enrolled in the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine are not experiencing any significant issues involving antisemitism.
Hopefully, the matter of the notorious Med school Valedictorian who used his podium to attack Israel was a one-off.
“My goal in forming the Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba,” says the first year medical student, “was to create a safe, supportive environment for my fellow Jewish medical students.”
He reports that the current first year class at the school has eight Jewish students – an increase over more recent years – with maybe a dozen more in the other years.
For a new medical student, Rozovsky already has an impressive resume. He was born in Russia and grew up in Israel. After the completion of his army service in 2018, the then-22-year-old rejoined his parents, Dr. Katya and Alexander, who had moved to Winnipeg a few years before.  
Prior to coming to Winnipeg, Rozovsky had completed a personal trainer program out of The Academic College at Wingate in Jerusalem. Some readers may know the young man from his work as a Master Personal Trainer at the Rady JCC.
Shortly after arriving here, he enrolled in a kinesiology program at the University of Winnipeg. He graduated with a BKin Honours in 2023 and did post graduate work at the University of Manitoba. Last fall, he received his MSc in Physiology and Pathophysiology  – earning two gold medals, along with 32 awards and scholarships in the process.
Rozovsky says that it was his mother who inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. Dr. Katya Rozovsky is an associate professor at the University of Manitoba and an attending radiologist, specializing in pediatric diagnostic imaging. 
(Tim also adds that his wife, Irina Gelzin, whom he married about a year ago, is training to be a nurse.)
Insofar as the  Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba is concerned, Rozovky reports that the group gets together multiple times a year. One of its programs was a joint Chanukah celebration with the Jewish Physicians Association of Manitoba.
There was also a joint program with the Christian Medical and Dental Students’ Association of Manitoba.
“More recently, we have been helping prospective Jewish medical students with their applications,” he says. “Hopefully we will be able to get together over the summer with the incoming Jewish students.”
As to his own future plans, Rozovsky notes that it is too early for him to be deciding on a specialty.  “My goal,” he says, “is to work hard and get good grades and become the best doctor that I can be.”

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Gray Academy to Represent Manitoba at National Reach for the Top Competition

Gray Academy staff (l-r): Daniele Miller, Lindsey Leipsic, Nick Maier

By NOAH STRAUSS Posted June 6) Gray Academy’s Reach for the Top team is headed to Moncton, New Brunswick, to represent Manitoba at the National Reach for the Top tournament.
Reach for the Top is a Canadian school league that quizzes teenagers on a variety of different topics, from science and history to pop culture. Reach started out in 1961 in Vancouver, where a local CBC station broadcasted the new show; it eventually became a national broadcast starting in 1966. Alex Trebek, who famously hosted Jeopardy!, started out by hosting Reach for the Top.
Gray Academy’s very own team, made up of Grade 7 and 8 students, will travel to Moncton, New Brunswick, to compete as Team Manitoba. By winning the provincial Reach tournament, they secured their spot in the national competition.
Faculty members at Gray Academy are very supportive of the program. The Jewish Post spoke with three different staff members at the school. Coach and high school teacher Danielle Miller says she is excited for the trip; although she will not be accompanying the team herself, shehas coached them all year.
“This year we had over 20 students come to the club to join us, they practice twice a cycle at lunch,” Miller said. Due to the large turnout this year, two teams had to be formed. At lunch practices, students split into two teams of four where each player has a buzzer. The two teams compete to see who can answer the most questions correctly.
One of the two teams did exceptionally well at various tournaments throughout the year and will be traveling to nationals as the sole team representing Manitoba.
Co-coach Micah Doerksen described Reach as a great academic competition where young minds are tested on various topics through quick,fast-paced questions.
High school guidance counselor Lindsey Leipsic said, “We have athletes, non-athletes, we have students who are really involved and students who are not as involved at school, and we have quiet leaders, and we’ve seen friendships be built in Reach.” Some of her favorite memories of Reach involve seeing students from across Winnipeg come to Gray Academy and bond with one another. Lev Chisick, who is competing at nationals, agreed, saying, “Moncton is going to strengthen our school spirit and make us a better team.”
As the junior team makes their way to Moncton, the senior team will head to provincials. Later this week, students from the senior team will travel to Virden, Manitoba, to compete at the provincial level. The team qualified after placing high enough at their most recent tournament, which took place at St. Paul’s.
Confidence is high as the school heads into these final tournaments. When Nath Goldenberg, who is also competing at nationals, was asked what he is most looking forward to, his answer was short and sweet:“Winning.”

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