Local News
Pillar of the community Abe Simkin passes
With the death of Abe Simkin last month in California, the last surviving member of his generation of the Simkin clan is now gone. You can read Mr. Simkin’s obituary elsewhere on this website at http://jewishpostandnews.ca/obituaries/520-abraham-abe-simkin, but we present here an excerpt from Abe Simkin’s life story as it appears in the Jewish Foundation’s Book of Life. This excerpt was written in 2012 when Mr. Simkin had just turned 90:
Abe Simkin was born in 1922 in Winnipeg to Samuel and Fanny Simkin (née Breslovsky). Abe’s parents arrived in Manitoba in 1908 after marrying in Russia in 1907, settling first in Winnipeg and then moving to a farm in Pine Ridge. Abe was the youngest of seven children, and is the only surviving member of his original family. Abe’s brothers were Jim, Saul, and Israel (Blackie). His sisters were Jen (Cohen) and Clara (Erlichman). A third sister, Esther Malka, died at the age of two. Life on the farm was difficult, but Samuel still managed to make a living from the challenging soil and despite poor economic conditions. Samuel and Fanny were driven by hard work, a commitment to Yiddishkeit, and an unwavering belief in the importance of family and Jewish education. Those values have served as a vital foundation for Abe throughout his life. In 1928 when Abe was still a young boy, the family moved from Pine Ridge to Stella Avenue and Samuel launched Simkin’s Fuel, the initial seed of what was to become a remarkably successful family business. As a child, Abe was an accomplished boy cantor in the Talmud Torah choir, once catching the ear of a prominent cantor from New York who offered to take Abe with him to train. (Samuel and Fanny turned down the offer.) Abe also played a lot of sports as a child, but his social life revolved around The Eagles Club. The young teens played sports together, but also debated the politics of the day, and performed acts of community service.
At one point, Abe’s brother Saul was looking for some office help. Abe had noticed the cute “Little Fannie Rosenberg” who delivered groceries for her parents, and he told Saul about her. Saul tracked her down at the store while she was scrubbing floors, and invited her to come and work for the Simkins. The rest, as they say, is history.
Meanwhile, Abe’s career was beginning to take shape. After success as a student at Talmud Torah, Aberdeen, and St. John’s Tech, Abe attended law school at the University of Manitoba. He was the Treasurer of UMSU and active in community affairs, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, Zionist and Israeli organizations, and interfaith and civil liberties activities. One favourite memory is how he successfully helped lobby against admission quotas at the medical school. He was active in Hillel as a founding Vice-President and was President of the Greater Winnipeg Youth Council and, in 1946 at the age of 24, he became the youngest ever electoral candidate for the Manitoba Legislature. Also in 1946, Abe attended the World Youth Conference in London as a member of the Canadian delegation. While he was away, his fiancée Fan lovingly typed out notes from one of Abe’s classmates so he wouldn’t fall too far behind in his studies. Abe graduated in 1945 and he and Fan were married in 1946.
Abe, who was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1971, launched a successful legal practice with Alex Cantor, QC, and Roy Matas under the name of Cantor, Matas & Simkin which later became Simkin, Cantor, Goltsman & Rosenberg, and then Simkin, Gallagher. A highlight of Abe’s legal career was his 25 years of idyllic partnership with the late Mr. Justice Roy Matas, an outstanding Manitoba jurist.
In 1968, Abe started to work with his brothers while still practising and pursuing his own business interests. Abe became president of BACM Industries, the family’s construction enterprise, which later merged into Genstar Ltd. Abe became active in numerous business ventures from real estate development to electronic data management to part ownership of the original Winnipeg Jets, and much more. He remains active in business today at the age of 90. Fan was always by his side offering support, advice, and good humour, while battling a series of health issues that reduced her mobility over the years. Fan also supported Abe through his long list of volunteer activities in the community: the JNF, Talmud Torah, Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate, MTC, WSO, the UJA, the Jewish Foundation, and many others, including Zionist and Israeli organizations. He’s always been philanthropic and generous with his time.
Abe and Fan raised three sons – Gary, Bernie, and Murray . There are 10 grandchildren and – so far – 10 great-grandchildren. To Abe and Fan, family was – and to Abe, still is – everything. The thrills and satisfaction of success in the business world were easily overshadowed by time spent with immediate and extended family, enjoying each other’s company, and sharing vacations and Jewish holidays together.
As a couple, Abe and Fan touched everyone around them with their generosity, enthusiasm, curiosity, stamina, and wit. From modest beginnings in Pine Ridge and Sandy Lake, Abe and Fan built a beautiful life together.
Together, they had a tremendous impact on those around them. Fan passed away in 2009 at the age of 84.
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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.”
