Local News
Local gifted crafter Stacey Hochman Corden making her mark via virtual word of mouth
By REBECA KUROPATWA
With so many sad instances of people getting into dire straits since Covid-19 emerged in our community, it’s nice to know that some individuals are finding creative ways to not only stay afloat, but even succeed.
Growing up in the Winnipeg Jewish community, Stacey Hochman Corden (35) attended the Hebrew-bilingual program at Centennial School from kindergarten to Grade 6.When she moved with her dad, Larry, to the town of Birds Hill, when she was in Grade 9, Stacey continued her learning at a nearby public school. Living in a smaller community and away from her Winnipeg friends, Stacey honed her creative side.
Later, she studied Business at Red River College, but from a young age, Stacey says, “I always knew I wanted to be home with kids one day. But, I also had a love for business and have always felt it it’s important to have education anyways.”
After finishing college, Stacey worked for the government for several years. She met her husband in 2009, and they were married in 2012. For their wedding, Stacey created all of their wedding décor.
“I’ve always been super crafty,” she says. “After I had my second son in 2014, my family was encouraging me to sell the things I was making…just different things…And I remember thinking, ‘Who would buy anything I make? That’s crazy.’
“But, I thought, I’ll try. I didn’t know a lot about the handmade community, locally, at the time, or even what it was like online. So, I started on Etsy.com (a website platform for small businesses), and then I discovered the community locally.
“There’s a Facebook page, Handmade Winnipeg. And, I would post in there, things I would make. It just kind of evolved and, from there, I got regular customers, word of mouth. I was meeting tons of people and going to craft fairs.”
At that time Stacey was busy making wood signs, mugs, digital invitations, and vinyl work. Next up, she decided she wanted to start creating bows.
As her business grew, she reached the point where she has to make a decision. “I could no longer do everything, as the bows just skyrocketed,” Stacey explains. “As I had gotten into the handmade community across Canada with the bows, I decided to just focus on hair bows – and scrunchies, too.
“I wanted to add more products. I was having a really hard time finding fun, trendy shoes from a small shop in Canada. So, I started designing shoes and getting them manufactured, and bringing them in this spring. So,
we expanded to that.
“I’ve also fallen in love with sewing again. So, I added beanies too. And, in January, I will also be adding cotton bamboo cardigans, because I’m obsessed with that fabric.”
Things have been going so well that Stacey and her family converted their dining room into a sewing room.
“I told my husband, ‘We’re not entertaining right now, so why not?’ Cotton bamboo is this really sought-after fabric right now, especially in the handmade online community. It’s eco-friendly and super soft, one of the softest things.
“My daughter wears a lot of cotton bamboo clothing, because she just loves the feel of it on her skin. It’s antibacterial, eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, and a natural UV protector. It also repels moisture from the skin, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s just a wonderful fabric that I’m clearly obsessed with!
“What’s important to me is that my daughter wants to wear it. I will be making cardigans for moms too, because moms are already obsessed with matching their kids.”
Stacey sews most of the items herself, or with the help of her mother-in-law, who sews the scrunchies, while her husband also helps with the back office work.
Beanies were launched just a month a half ago, and the cardigans will be launching in the new year.
For now, all of Stacey’s products are housed in her basement.
“I’m such a homebody…My daughter will be going into kindergarten next year, and I had my boys home with me,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for years with the three kids at home.
“I’m hoping we will not outgrow our house, but, if we had to, I’d get a retail space. If that was the next step, I’d absolutely do that.”
Hochman does all her business these days online, on her website and via Facebook.
For more information, visit Little Lovies Closet at littleloviescloset.com.
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Local News
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.”
Local News
Gray Academy to Represent Manitoba at National Reach for the Top Competition
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.”

