Local News
PARIM Board forces out principled president-elect who called out Dr. Gem Newman for valedictory address to U of M med students
By BECKY CHISICK Past Secretary and President-elect of the Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba (PARIM), Dr. Matthew Bzura, is a man of courage and admirable ethics. I spoke with Dr. Bzura and gained insight into what led him to voice his concerns and then file an official complaint against Dr. Gem Newman, valedictorian for the class of 2024 at the Max Rady School of Medicine.
Dr. Bzura detailed his time working with a senior internal medicine resident who asked him if he was Jewish (due to his “look”). When Dr. Bzura inquired why the senior resident asked that question, the response he received was “All Jews want to do internal medicine in Manitoba”, just one example of the many false assumptions made about Jews.
He explained to me that as the son of Roman Catholic immigrant parents from Poland, the feelings of discrimination, disrespect, and alienation resonated with him. He did not speak up at that time and said, “It still haunts me”. Dr. Bzura feels strongly that it is important to denounce voices that divide and alienate.
On May 23, 2024, Dr. Bzura spoke out on social media, expressing his disappointment over the valedictorian address at the Max Rady College of Medicine’s 2024 graduation ceremony, and exposing Dr. Gem Newman’s antisemitic social media posts – dating back to 2018. Dr, Bzura then lodged a formal complaint against Dr. Newman with the college’s office of professionalism.
While Dr. Bzura was flooded by supportive comments from the Jewish community, the weeks that followed became more and more concerning. Following Dr. Bzura’s complaint, a complaint was filed against him. The complaint came from Dr. Matthew Thiessen, president (now past president) of PARIM -the same colleague and friend that sent him messages encouraging Dr. Bzura to run for president of PARIM…. the same colleague who sent him supportive messages following his post on May 23!
Dr. Bzura’s decision to communicate via social media and written letters arose from his own will and interest, which resulted in many people reaching out to him, offering support.
He went on to note that “I then reached out to the Jewish community and spoke with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “They gave me the support I needed and some history of what the Jewish community has been going through. I was not aware of the magnitude of antisemitism right now. CIJA is well organized and equipped to assist in these circumstances.”
Dr. Bzura became the president-elect of PARIM in March 2024, effective July 1, 2024. In the June 24 board meeting called by PARIM leadership, the decision was passed to strip Dr. Bzura of his duties as secretary (his board position at that time). PARIM’s legal counsel was present, yet Dr. Bzura was denied the right to have his own counsel there. Paul Edwards, Dr. Bzura’s lawyer, said that “he was treated very poorly” and referred to PARIM’s actions as “a relentless effort to remove him”.
On July 9, 2024, Dr. Bzura wrote An Open Letter to PARIM Members and Stakeholders formally announcing his resignation as president and detailing the events that led to his decision.
I asked him why he chose to resign rather than fight the decision? Dr. Bzura said there were simply more important topics for PARIM to resolve, and dragging out the appeal process would have infringed on valuable time.
After a short nine days as president, there was no hint of resentment in his voice, which speaks to Dr. Bzura’s character. “If I made one resident in our (Manitoba residents and interns) community not feel alone, then I have done my job.”
Dr. Charles Bernstein, president of the newly created Jewish Physicians of Manitoba (JPAM), said, “Jewish and non-Jewish physicians are bewildered as to what evolved with Dr. Bzura and PARIM.” Dr Bernstein added that “actions taken by PARIM seem appalling and need to be addressed. As physicians it is our role to not make others feel uncomfortable”.
PARIM has done the opposite in this case – by not allowing Dr. Bzura the right to have his counsel present, and providing no credible explanation as to why he was being stripped of his duties as secretary – six days before his term was set to expire.
Following the valedictorian speech on May 16, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, in partnership with CIJA have been in communication with leadership at the University of Manitoba and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
“Earlier this year, we started working with Jewish physicians to support the launch of their organization (JPAM) and to elevate their advocacy efforts and reach. This is a sign that the community must get involved against rampant and systematic discrimination against our community and the Jewish values we embrace,” said Gustavo Zentner, Vice-President of CIJA, Manitoba & Saskatchewan.
Jeff Lieberman, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, stated, “The Jewish Federation and its advocacy agent, CIJA, are constantly engaged at all levels in fighting against Jew-hatred and the singling out of the state of Israel. Having launched the CIJA role five months ago, we are seeing pivotal support to community organizations and allies across Manitoba as we fulfill the federation’s mandate to protect Jewish life in Winnipeg.”
A joint release by CIJA and the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg was emailed to the community on July 11 stating:
The Jewish community has a long history of building and contributing to the medical profession in Manitoba. This has been recorded in history and recognized by the government and medical institutions in Manitoba, across Canada, and around the world.
It is concerning to see that PARIM has allowed a process against someone taking a moral stand that highlighted how deeply divisive a speech like the one given was and how profoundly it affected a minority community.
We thank Dr. Bzura for his decision to stand up and speak out against such a one-sided speech.
Gustavo Zentner added, “There is hard work ahead of us. We are fighting an evil and organized global movement designed to single out and intimidate the Jewish community. This is the time to undertake meaningful actions and engage in open dialogue with people at work, school, and social circles. We are working with our governments, universities, business groups and allies to ensure we are well represented. We will not accept being boxed and shunned from living freely and expressing our Jewish identity in all aspects of life in Canada.”
Local News
Fringe Festival star Melanie Gall to appear at Gwen Secter Centre July 16
By BERNIE BELLAN A veteran performer at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Melanie Gall, will be making a special guest appearance at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, July 16.
Melanie will be the featured speaker (and entertainer) for the Remis Speakers’ Series that day. The Remis Speakers’ Series is held every Thursday starting at noon and ending at 1:30. This year’s series began May 7 and will continue through the end of October. This year it has been attracting increasingly large audiences – ranging from 40-60 people, as it offers attendees the opportunity to enjoy a delicious – and kosher lunch, while listening to a very diverse variety of speakers – all the way from Gail Asper talking about returning the Ten Commandments to Assiniboine Park to Rabbi Matthew Leibl performing Christmas songs that were written by Jewish songwriters. At the same time it provides those attending a chance to make new acquaintances – or perhaps bump into old friends they haven’t seen in a long time.
Melanie Gall’s own story is sure to be riveting. I’ve written about Melanie in the past, but the past two summers had been especially nerve wracking for Melanie, as she was subjected to a torrent of antisemitic abuse over her support for the State of Israel.
You can read my story about what Melanie went through during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival – both in 2024 and again last year, at Melanie Gall subjected to antisemitic abuse.
Melanie, who will be entering her 13th year of performing at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, will be peforming in only one show this year – a departure from her past practice of performing in multiple shows (as many as three different shows) during the Fringe Festival.
Elsewhere on this website we’ll be offering a preview of Melanie’s show (which is called “The Ballad of Isobel Gunn” and which is based on an incredible, but true story), along with previews of several other shows.
In the meantime, if you’re not already a member of the Remis Speakers’ Series group, but would ike to attend this coming Thursday, simply email us at jewishp@mymts.net and we’ll reserve a spot for you. The cost for the lunch is only $20.
The Gwen Secter Centre is located at 1588 Main Street (corner of Smithfield). There is parking available on a lot behind the centre or on the street.
Local News
Folk Festival Report
(Posted July 10) During this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival we’re going to be running an ongoing blog report – with photos and blurbs from the festival, sent to us by our Folk Fest correspondent Heather Silbert.
Here’s Heather’s first entry (sent Friday at 3:33 pm): “It’s a hot hot day at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival! Lots of people; lots of good vibes; and an abundance of awesome music!!”
“We just moved to spruce hollow. Nice and shady. listening to Jacob Brodovsky.”
4:21 pm: “Jacob just announced that he lost his job and received a lot of vitriol from the Jewish Community because he’s a Jewish person who believes that Palestinian and Jewish lives are intertwined, and he is against genocide. He is very deeply feeling, and expresses all these big feelings through his songs. I want to give him a hug, but it’s so hot outside!”
5:33 pm: The inscription in the plaque below begins with some lines from a Bruce Cockburn song called “Joy Will Find a Way (A Song About Dying)”: and continues with: “Memory Lane honours those who are no longer with us but whose presence lives on in the music, memories and moments we share here…”
7:06 pm “Gorgeous hand made polymer clay jewelry! Amanda Greisman makes gorgeous pieces that can be worn across many occasions! And she’s so so nice!” (See her booth called “Blue Sky Jewelry.”)
(Posted July 11, 4:20 pm) “Would you drive your bike to BHP for FF in this weather? I would drive here, but not sure if I’d have enough steam to bike home!”
“There’s aren’t any flower/leaf art installations this year(that I’ve found!) but loving the fairy village!!”
“It’s another sweltering day. Bright blue sky and a light Breeze. Cat Clyde is rocking it out at Bur Oakbank!! Loving it!!”
8:04 pm: “Snacktime! Excellent energy, good time! We’re sitting 2 tarp rows in front of the frog to the left of the Canadian flag. (Total FF directions! LOL!)”
Local News
New GrowWinnipeg “Grow Together” highlights diverse origins of our growing Jewish community
By MYRON LOVE On Monday, June 11, about 120 younger Jewish Winnipeggers from diverse backgrounds came together at the Asper Campus for an evening of food and music, games and prizes and, most important, the opportunity to socialize with their peers from a growing community that reflects the long term success of our community’s 26-year-old GrowWinnipeg initiative.
“We are gathered here to celebrate your and your parents’ decisions to come to Winnipeg, build families and raise families here,” noted Dalia Szpiro, GrowWinnipeg’s director, in addressing the young adults in attendance.
To summarize, the GrowWinnipeg Initiative arose when our past community’s leadership recognized that our Jewish population was an aging and shrinking community with aging infrastructure.
The first stage was the planning and construction of the Asper Campus, which brought our major institutions and organizations under one roof in an attractive new building.
The next challenge was to attract more people to our community. GrowWinnipeg was created to take on the challenge. The initiative, which was officially launched in 2000, is unique in its efforts to reach out to young Jewish families throughout the Western world.
The first outreach efforts were directed at Argentina’s sizeable Jewish community at a time when the South American country’s economy was going through a very difficult period. Several of our community leaders visited the Jewish community in Buenos Aires and a website was established. Arrangements were made for local families to host Jewish Argentinians here on exploratory visits and the community helped the prospective immigrants navigate the then new Provincial Nominee Program, find jobs and establish themselves here.
Since then, many young families – from Argentina, as well as a great number of other countries – have chosen to make Winnipeg their new home. The young people at the recent GrowWinnipeg evening were reflective of the diversity of our growing community. During the course of the evening, I had the opportunity to speak with not only Israeli-born participants, also young people from Russia and Ukraine, Turkey and Uruguay – and a young lady who grew up in Ottawa.
Naomi Kirshenblatt Palansky originally came here from Ottawa to go to university. She met and married local entrepreneur Noah Palansky in 2023. (We wrote about Noah in the December 19, 2025 issue). That same year, the former competitive swimmer who competed in the Maccabiah Games in 2009 and 2013 served as manager of the Canadian Junior swimming team participating in the games. She is currently the director of operations and strategy for a company called CoinFlip.
Although born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yael Borovich grew up in Winnipeg. She is the daughter of Dalia Szpiro and Eduardo Borovich (and younger sister of Vanessa) all of whom moved here in 2002. She is a graduate of the Asper School of Business and works as a senior client relationship manager for Scotia Bank’s commercial branch.
Siblings Igal and Edem Avimelek arrived here from Turkey six years ago with their parents, Etel and Moris. Edem is in her second year at the University of Manitoba while Igal is studying engineering at UBC.
They report that their father, Moris, has established the Upperwear Textile Agency – marketing textile products online – while their mother Etel, is senior IT Director, software development and data analytics and enterprise architecture at Standard Aero.
“Our parents were looking to move to a new country and came across the GrowWinnipeg webpage,” Edem says. “GrowWinnipeg has been really supportive of us in helping us move here and become established.”
More recent arrivals Alex Tsmokaliuk and Jane Hin are from Ukraine and Russia respectively and have been together since 2022. “We were looking for a peaceful place to start a family,”: Alex says. “We heard about GrowWinnpeg and here we are.”
Alex is a fitness trainer while Jane is working for WRE Development as a property manager.
Dora Bronstein, who is originally from Beersheva, is also a recent arrival to our community. “I came to Winnipeg because I wanted to get away from war – and I heard about GrowWinnipeg,” she says.
She is currently working for L.C. Taylor Licensed Insolvency Trustee as an estate manager.
Erele Tzidon and Daniel Mejnov
Last October, GrowWinnipeg introduced its new Youth Ambassadors program.
“Since October, we have been working to create an organized system and opportunities to help young newcomers find their people within our community,” wrote Youth Ambassador Erele Tzidon on Facebook.
“Our mission is to help young immigrants find a sense of home in Winnipeg and support a smooth and welcoming transition.
We are excited to help bring our young Jewish community together.
As reported in the Jewish Post about 18 months ago, Tzidon is originally from Moshav Ginaton in central Israel. She came to Winnipeg in 2018 with her parents Ofer – formerly regional manager for a car rental agency in Israel and now an RBC branch manager – and Sharon – an emotional therapist in Israel who is currently working as an educational assistant at Gray Academy – and three younger brothers.
The 20-year Gray Academy graduate has recently completed her third year in Science at the University of Manitoba. For the past three years, she has also been a member of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin’s research team at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICS), researching the link between pregnancy complications and the risk for heart disease.
In November, 2024, Tzidon was presented with the Dr. James S. McGoey Student Award – based on the quality of her cardiovascular research at the ICS, which operates out of the St. Boniface Hospital campus’s Albrechchtsen Research Centre.
Tzidon’s fellow Youth Ambassador is Daniel Mejnov. He was born in Beersheva but moved to Winnipeg with his parents, Dennis and Victoria (and younger brother Alon) 14 years ago. He is currently enrolled in an IT program at the University of Winnipeg.
Mejnov welcomed all those in attendance at the celebration and thanked the volunteers who helped him and Tzidon organize the event.
“It has been great being able to bring so many people together,” he said. “This is a good way to unite our community.
Two other individuals of particular note that I spoke with at the event were Orit Agabayev and Alina Plis, partners in three year old A and O Event Décor, who provided the balloon arches and walls, table settings and centre pieces for the evening.
Agabayev is originally from Netanya and Plis is from Yeruham (in southern Israel). The latter has been here for 18 years and operates a daycare. The former came 16 years. Her principal career is working in the field of animal nutrition.
In an Instagram PosI from four years ago, Plis noted that “I have always been passionate about planning parties and events. I started out with planning big surprise birthday parties for my kids. Eventually I began planning and decorating events for family and friends. Now I am taking the next step with my friend, Orit, who shares the same level enthusiasm as me. What drives me to go above and beyond is simply the excitement my creations bring to those who see my work.
On Facebook, Agabayev added that “Alina and I are so excited to start A&O event decor. We both love decorating and planning different events. We hope that you can put your trust in us to create or decorate an event for you. We do Birthday parties, anniversaries, bachelor/bachelorette parties, proposals, weddings and more..
“Message us with your ideas to get a free quote and you’re one step closer to having an unforgettable event.”
