Local News
Major changes at Asper Foundation
December 5, 2022 – With the planned upcoming retirement of Moe Levy, The Asper Foundation is pleased to announce that Anita Wortzman has been appointed President, effective immediately. The appointment consolidates the two former positions of President and Executive Director, and Anita will report to the Board of Trustees.
Effective Jan 1, 2023, Gail Asper will move to Chair of The Asper Foundation as Leonard Asper completes his term of office and resumes regular ongoing duties as a Trustee. Moe Levy will continue in his role as Executive Director until the end of February and remain as necessary to support a smooth transition.
Anita has a successful history of leadership in law, business and community service (and we welcome her to The Asper Foundation.
Anita Wortzman graduated with her Bachelor of Commerce degree and Law degree from University of Manitoba. Anita practiced law for 9 years specializing in tax and mergers and acquisitions. She then worked in various high growth businesses including Assante Corporation, Activa Consumer Promotions, Acumen Corporate Development and Farmers Edge. Previously, Anita chaired the Gray Academy Board of Jewish Education and was President of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba. Currently, Anita sits on the Boards of Business Council of Manitoba and Nature Conservancy of Canada (Manitoba Region) and co-chairs Lions of Judah (Jewish Federation of Winnipeg) with her two daughters.
“As we welcome Anita, I can not stress enough the important executive role Gail has played in all of our success as an institution” said Leonard Asper, Chair of The Asper Foundation. “As incoming Chair, Gail will play an ongoing crucial part in the evolution of the legacy of our parents, Babs and Israel. The many incredible projects of The Asper Foundation that Moe and the organization have achieved have come about because of her direct involvement and we look forward to having Gail’s leadership remain an important part of our future success and impact in our community.”
Gail Asper added: “I am extremely pleased to welcome Anita, someone I have known for many years and a respected business and community leader, to The Asper Foundation. I know she will be a wonderful steward of the many programs and projects we have supported and developed since our inception, and we look forward to the new and exciting contributions Anita will be making as we mark the 40th anniversary of the Foundation in 2023.”
“I also want to acknowledge the truly remarkable impact Moe’s leadership of the Foundation has had on Winnipeg, Canada and Israel especially with the creation of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and dozens of other transformative gifts and projects that he has led. Moe was hired by my late father to fulfill his philanthropic vision and we thank him for his dedication and inspiration over these past 23 years. We know that Moe will continue to be an important supporter in the future.”
“I am excited to work with the amazing team at The Asper Foundation and the communities that The Asper Foundation serves to continue to make an impact for future generations,” said Anita Wortzman. ”I welcome the opportunity to be a part of an organization that is so dedicated to making a difference.”
The Asper Foundation is a Winnipeg-based philanthropic organization established in 1983 that develops major projects and provides general support to the Jewish Community while also supporting the broader community in areas of culture, education, community development, and human rights on a local, national and international scale.
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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.”

