Local News
New Jewish Federation staff members mix of native-born Winnipeggers, new immigrants

By MYRON LOVE It is a healthy sign when an organization – such as the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg – can continue to attract new and enthusiastic staff members. Such is the case with the Federation’s three latest hires – and a diverse trio they are: Abby Flackman, Ian Baruch, and Evelyn Orlovitz.
Evelyn Orlovitz – who signed on as the Federation’s new Donor Relations and Program Manager in May – brings with her a wealth of experience working for the Jewish community in her native Uruguay. Orlovitz has been involved with community for almost 20 years. Her resumé includes leadership in Uruguay in the Betar Movement, Hillel, Genesis YWG (programming for younger Jewish adults) and Keren Hayesod Uruguay (equivalent to our community’s United Israel Appeal).
She and her husband, Andres Hirsch, landed here two years ago. “We were looking to further our careers,” she says. “We learned about Winnipeg through the Federation’s Grow Winnipeg campaign.
She notes that Montevideo’s Jewish community is about the same size as the community here, with many of the same institutions. (Montevideo is Uruguay’s capital city and home to almost all of Uruguay’s Jewish population.)
Orlovitz holds a Master’s degree in Communication Management from the University of Montevideo. After arriving in Winnipeg, she also took a course in Communication at Red River College.
“I welcomed the chance to work for the Jewish community in Winnipeg and pay this community back for the warm welcome my husband and I have received here,” she says.
According to the statement from the Federation announcing her hire as the new Donor Relations and Programs Manager at JFW, “Evelyn has the opportunity to transfer what she learned working for the community in Uruguay. At the JFW, Evelyn will also be working with the Combined Jewish Appeal’s Ben Gurion Society, leadership programming, donor relations and CJA marketing and events.“This is a perfect fit for me,” she says.
Like Orlovitz, Ian Baruch’s family (parents Nissim Baruch and Fabiana Pachter) are also originally from South America (Argentina), having arrived in Winnipeg by way of Israel in 2002 with then eight-year-old Ian. For the new Hillel post-secondary engagement co-ordinator – as of August 1 – his new role is a natural evolution in a career of leadership in Jewish youth leadership.
Baruch was educated at Gray Academy and is also a Camp Massad alumnus. It was at Massad where Baruch acquired his original experience in leadership. He notes that he worked at Massad as a staff member in the summers for nine years.
“I gained a lot from my years at Camp Massad,” he says. “I was a shy kid when I started. I came out with new confidence and an appreciation for the importance of community.”
Following university – where he regularly attended Hillel programs – and a short time in other pursuits – he became the Red River Regional Director for BBYO in Manitoba through the Rady JCC – his previous position before becoming the Hillel Post-Secondary Engagement Coordinator at the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.
While in-person activities have been limited by Covid restrictions, Baruch reports that the one in-person event that he was able to organize – a program with a Holocaust survivor speaking online from Montreal – attracted 30 students.
Another program he organized linked local university students with contemporaries from Israel and Brooklyn. Over six weeks of weekly conversations, the students were able to compare and contrast their different experiences.
Coming up in March, he reports, will be a weekly online connection with ANU Museum – the new Museum of the Jewish People, located in Tel Aviv, which bills itself as what will be the “largest and most comprehensive Jewish Museum in the world”. The program will consist of a professional photographer connected to the museum teaching participating students how to document their lives through photography with their photos being included in a photo exhibit at the museum.
Abby Flackman, the newest member of the Federation’s engagement team, finds community work for her also a “perfect fit”. Flackman – who joined the Federation staff in October – was born and raised in a modern Orthodox household in the north end of Winnipeg. She spent a number of years at Talmud Torah and Joseph Wolinsky, attended BB camp in the summer, and graduated from the University of Winnipeg Collegiate. Abby traveled to Israel after high school to work in Jerusalem and live on a kibbutz for a year. Her passion for child-led education led her to study the Montessori Method and work as a substitute teacher at Children’s House in Winnipeg. After homeschooling her children for years, and administrating her spouse’s Osteopathy clinic, she felt that it was time to shift to a career out of the home.
Flackman had trained as a 911 operator but, while waiting for a job opening, she heard of the opportunity at the Federation. “I love the idea of being involved in the Jewish community,” she says.
Flackman – who is a member of the Adas Yeshurun Herzlia Congregation along with her family – adds that she appreciates having a job where she can observe all the Jewish holidays.
Her new role includes responsibility for the PJ Our Way program – a followup program for 9-12 year olds – to the popular PJ Library program – as well as the Federation’s Israel and Overseas portfolio. Under the latter umbrella are P2G (Partnership Together – a teacher and student exchange program between Gray Academy and the Brock Corydon Hebrew Bilingual program here and Kiryat Shemona’s Danciger High School and elementary schools in northern Israel), the March of the Living, Birthright (to some degree) and other missions to Israel.
“We are planning ahead and fundraising for these travel programs and hoping for the best,” she says. “These have been challenging times, but the lack of activity has given me more time to better learn what my position involves. We hope come May to be able to hit the ground running.”
Local News
Thank you to the community from the Chesed Shel Emes

We’re delighted to share a major milestone in our Capital Campaign, “Building on our Tradition.” Launched in November 2018, this campaign aimed to replace our outdated facility with a modern space tailored to our unique needs. Our new building is designed with ritual at its core, featuring ample preparation space, Shomer space, and storage, creating a warm and welcoming environment for our community during times of need.
We’re grateful to the nearly 1,000 generous donors who contributed over $4 million towards our new facility. A $750,000 mortgage will be retired in November 2025, completing this monumental project in just seven years.
We’re also thrilled to announce that our Chesed Shel Emes Endowment Fund has grown tenfold, from $15,000 to $150,000, thanks to you, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s FundMatch program, and Million Dollar Match initiative in 2024. Our fund helps ensure that everyone can have a dignified Jewish funeral regardless of financial need.
As we look to the future, our goal remains to ensure the Chevra Kadisha continues to serve our community for generations to come. Our focus now shifts to replenishing our savings account and growing our JFM Endowment fund.
We’re deeply grateful for your support over the past several years.
It’s our privilege to serve our community with care and compassion.
With sincere appreciation,
Campaign cabinet: Hillel Kravetsky, Gerry Pritchard, Stuart Pudavick,
Jack Solomon, and Rena Boroditsky
Murray S. Greenfield, President
Local News
Winnipeg Beach Synagogue about to celebrate 75th anniversary

By BERNIE BELLAN (July 13) In 1950 a group of cottage owners at Winnipeg Beach took it upon themselves to relocate a one-room schoolhouse that was in the Beausejour area to Winnipeg Beach where it became the beach synagogue at the corner of Hazel and Grove.
There it stayed until 1998 when it was moved to its current location at Camp Massad.
On August 2nd members of the synagogue will be holding a 75th anniversary celebration.

As part of the celebration anyone who is a descendant or relative of any of the original members of the first executive committee (as seen in the photo here) is invited to attend the synagogue that morning.
If you are a relative please contact Abe Borzykowski at wpgbeachshule@shaw.ca or aborzykowski@shaw.ca to let Abe know you might be attending or for more information about the 75th anniversary celebration.
We will soon be publishing a story about the history of the beach synagogue, which is something I’ve been writing about for over 25 years.
Local News
Vickar Family cuts ribbon on new Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre

By MYRON LOVE In the words of Larry Vickar, the Shaarey Zedek’s successful Dor V’ Dor Campaign “is not only a renewal of the synagogue but truly a renewal movement of Jewish life in our community.”An integral part of that renewal movement was the creation of a daycare centre within the expanded synagogue. On Monday, June 23, Larry and Tova Vickar cut the ribbon, thereby officially opening the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre in the presence of 100 of their family members, friends and other supporters of the project.
The short program preceding the morning ribbon-cutting began with a continental breakfast followed by a welcome by both Fanny Levy, Shaarey Zedek’s Board President, and Executive Director Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze. In Elbaze’s remarks, she noted that Larry and Tova wanted their family (including son Stephen and family, who flew in from Florida) and friends at the event to celebrate the opening of the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre, “not because of the accolades, but because, as Larry put it, he hopes that their investment in the congregation will inspire others to do the same.”
“When Larry and I spoke about what this gift meant to him and the message he wanted people to take away,” she continued, “I couldn’t help but connect it to the teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi whose book – Age-ing to Sage-ing – changes the whole way we look at the concept of ageing and basing it on our ancestral teachings.”
She explained that his concept of “Sage-ing” is based on three key ideas – Discover your meaning and purpose; accept our mortality and think about the legacy you want to leave.
“Larry spoke about these exact concepts when we met,” she said.
Elbaze also noted the presence of Shaarey Zedek’s newly-arrived senior Rabbi Carnie Rose, former Rabbi Alan Green, and area MLAs Mike Moroz and Carla Compton.
Larry Vickar expressed his great appreciation for all those in attendance. “Tova and I are deeply moved to stand here with you today for this important milestone in our community”, he said. “We are grateful to be surrounded by all of you, the people we care about, our family and friends… you who have touched our lives and played some part in our journey.”