Local News
Professor Bryan Schwartz weighs in on issue of campus antisemitism
By BERNIE BELLAN The emergence of antisemitism on university campuses on Canada since the Hamas massacre of October 7 has shocked and saddened much of the Jewish community.
Whether it’s ongoing rallies and demonstrations against Israel, Jewish students being bullied and threatened, or – perhaps what has come to be one of the most insidious forms of Jew hatred – the vehement denunciations of Israel by academics who refuse to countenance opposing views, university campuses in both the United States and Canada have become hostile environments for Jews, both students and teachers.
On Thursday, November 30, Professor Bryan Schwartz of the University of Manitoba Law School, engaged in a dialogue with Dr. Ruth Ashrafi, Regional Director Manitoba, B’nai Brith Canada about the subject of campus antisemitism. The setting was the Berney Theatre at an event organized by Winnipeg Friends of Israel and B’nai Brith Canada, which drew a very large crowd, made up of a good mix of younger and older members of the community, along with many individuals from outside the community as well.
Prof. Schwartz is certainly good for some choice quotes, but much of his analysis of what is happening to Jews as a group certainly leaned toward being heavily pessimistic and, when it came to offering advice how to combat campus antisemitism well, frankly, he didn’t have much to suggest in the way of concrete advice beyond extolling the merits of a free exchange of ideas.
In fact, Prof. Schwartz repeated the expression “Jews don’t count” several times during the evening, explaining what he meant by saying that is “there aren’t a lot of Jews to count.” If it’s simply a matter of Jews being outnumbered, however, then there isn’t much that can be said to counter the torrent of antisemitism that’s been unleashed. But, as I note in my Short takes column in this edition, a professor at Columbia University by the name of Shai Davidai has achieved a high degree of recognition as the result of a Youtube video that was posted of him denouncing the administration of Columbia University for enabling antisemitism on that campus.
Frankly, Prof. Haskell Greenfield, who’s head of the Judaic Studies program at the University of Manitoba, has also been urging a much stronger stand be taken against university administrators who wring their hands and resist denouncing antisemitism on their campuses – and that includes the president of the University of Manitoba, even more so the president of the University of Winnipeg – which has a shocking number of so-called “expert” academics for whom an open exchange of ideas is anathema.
With reference to what it’s like being a university professor who is willing to stand up for Israel, Prof. Schwartz admitted,: “It’s pretty lonely where I am.” The much easier route to follow, Prof. Schwartz suggested, is for academics who want to further their career ambitions to join in on the piling on of Israel.
“What’s easy is going along to get along,” he said. “It’s a safe environment to follow the official doctrine.”
In introducing Prof. Schwartz, Dr. Ashrafi noted that he has just authored a recently-published book titled, “Reenlightening Canada” which, although it was written prior to October 7, sheds a great deal of light on the dire situation in which so many Jews, especially students on university campuses, now find themselves.
In his opening remarks, however, Prof. Schwartz set the tone for what proved to be a deeply depressing outlook on what the future holds, not only for Jewish students on campuses, but for Jews everywhere
“The arc of history is not trending toward Jewish survival,” he suggested. Later in the evening he added this: “I can’t think of another civilization that’s facing extinction as we are.”
“A university is supposed to be a place where you excel based on your excellence,” Prof. Schwartz said. “That was the only criterion in which Jews have been able to survive.”
Now, however, the ideology at universities has become dominated by what he described as “DEI”: Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.
What’s been happening, Prof. Schwartz explained, is that campuses have been applying litmus tests for would-be academics based on how well they score on the criteria of DEI. Later in the evening, he repeated his condemnation of the sweeping trend toward DEI on university campuses, noting that there are entire bureaucracies at universities “largely hostile to Israel,” populated by DEI officers. He opined, “The Woke industrial complex is a big business. DEI is a big business.”
Dr. Ashrafi spoke of a book by someone by the name of David Batthil, who is a British comedian. A couple of years ago Batthil wrote something called “Jews Don’t Count: How Identity Politics Failed One Particular Identity.”
As Batthil points out in his book, and as Dr. Ashrafi explained to the audience, “Jews are white (strike one), privileged (strike two), and part of the structure of white hegemony” (strike”(strike three) – to use the stereotypical description of Jews now so popular with “Woke” academia.
Since October 7 we’ve now seen how it’s become fashionable for so many members of academe to engage in those tropes. It’s as if the events of the past two months have unleashed pent-up feelings of hatred toward Jews that were bubbling under the surface, but which many might have been embarrassed to admit prior.
Returning to Prof. Schwartz’s dire warning that Jews are on the wane, he recited some figures to back up that contention.
“There is a worldwide shortage of Jews,” he observed. “Jews make up 2 percent of the world’s population.’ (I did some fact checking: There are 14 million Jews in the world. There are 2.38 billion Christians and 1.8 billion Muslims.) “The myth is we’re so powerful…What difference does it make to the people in power?… It’s very career enhancing to criticize Israel.”
Dr. Ashrafi asked Prof. Schwartz about Jews finding themselves in quandaries wondering now about the financial support so many have given to universities – and what should they do going forward ?
Prof. Schwartz used an interesting analogy – that seemed to perplex most of the audience, when he responded that many Jews are now having a “Colonel Nicholson moment.”
He explained that Colonel Nicholson was a character in the movie, “Bridge Over the River Kwai” (played by Alec Guinness) who, upon realizing that he had been aiding and abetting the Japanese enemy by helping to construct a bridge that was intended solely to prolong the Japanese war effort, asked himself: “What have I done?”
That is what many Jewish donors to academic institutions must now be asking themselves, Prof. Schwartz observed. (Again, I refer to Prof. Shai Davidai of Columbia University, who offers a clear prescription for how Jewish donors to academic institutions should respond to what is happening on campuses everywhere. He suggests that you not call or write to your alma mater or favoured institution saying you’re not going to be making a donation; rather, he says, “Wait until they call you, then say no.” However, I’m writing this in the same issue where Myron Love profiles the University of Manitoba’s Jewish Vice-President, Donor Relations. There is some irony there.)
Prof. Schwartz offered an imaginary description of a Jewish student applying for advancement at a typical university these days. When asked about their background and the student says, “I went to Jewish school, to Jewish summer camp, and to Israel, and my parents are well-to-do – it’s not going to do a lot for you when it comes to passing the DEI litmus test.”
Instead of donating to universities, Prof. Schwartz suggested, “Jewish donors should expend some of their energy and goodwill making sure the next generation of Jews will survive,” by insuring that anyone who wants to send their kids to a Jewish school will be able to do so regardless of their income.
He also recommended looking to the concept of “free universities,” where no tuition would be charged. Instead, they would be supported by donations, but where a free exchange of ideas would be guaranteed, not hampered by notions of political correctness
Prof. Schwartz turned to the subject of religion, suggesting that “the Jewish religion is a lot more tolerant than the ‘Woke’ religion.”
“There were many flawed characters in the Bible,” he observed, pointing to King David as an example.
“The Talmud is a record of debates,” he added, whereas “Woke religion is a substitute for many forms of religiosity.”
As for the Jews who have been joining the pro-Hamas crowd, Prof. Schwartz offered this pithy comment: “What good is an anti-Israel demonstration without a ‘show Jew’?”
At that point, Dr. Ashrafi said she wanted to entertain questions from the audience. I happened to be sitting right near where Adriana Glickmann of B’nai Brith was holding the mobile mic, so I motioned for Adriana to hand me the mic. (I’m usually too shy to ask questions – well, maybe not.)
I asked Prof. Schwartz about a story that had just appeared in that day’s Free Press – about a University of Manitoba nursing student who had been suspended for one year from the program, allegedly over anti-Semitic posts on her Instagram account.
I said that I was shocked that university administrators actually took steps to sanction a student over anti-Semitic posts and I wondered whether perhaps the U of M Faculty of Nursing administration had shown other administrators at universities here how to respond to anti-Semitic behaviour?
Prof. Schwartz responded that he wasn’t able to comment about that particular case because he didn’t have all the “facts,” saying “I have to learn more…Merely having a non-conforming view is not sufficient” grounds for punishment, he suggested.
He added though, that “if we had an atmosphere of free discussion, then the Jewish cause would do quite well.”
Someone asked Prof. Schwartz if he could distinguish between free speech and hate speech?
He responded: “In practice, free speech means you have the freedom to denounce Israel.”
He did go on to offer a scholarly review of how the Supreme Court has approached the subject of “hate speech,” suggesting that the court takes a very narrow view of what might constitute hate speech, saying that it has to constitute “hate toward an identifiable group.”
Another questioner wondered “why aren’t there reasonable limits being placed on spewing antisemitism?”
Prof. Schwartz suggested that “being a university president doesn’t prevent you from speaking up.” He added though, that “Jewish faculty are afraid to speak up. You want to be an academic and not get pilloried. What’s easy is going along to get along. It’s a safe environment to follow the official doctrine.” (That certainly doesn’t apply to Prof. Haskell Greenfield, who has been actively pressing the administration at the U of M to do much more to protect Jewish students and faculty on campus by, for instance, clamping down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have been organized by groups that have no standing at that campus.)
Prof. Schwartz added: “The President of the U of W can say something about events where there’s no balance,” such as that marathon hatefest toward “genocidal, colonial, imperalist Israel” conducted by seven U of W professors on Friday, November 24.
On the other hand, Prof. Schwartz observed, anyone who dares to take a stand in favour of a balanced presentation has to be thinking: “What’s in it for me?”
Similarly, “if you want to get your grant money” you many come to the realization that “Jews aren’t actually powerful” and viciously attacking Israel isn’t going to hurt you monetarily.
Dr. Ashrafi observed that she’s seen “students kicked off Zoom conferences because they voiced support for Israel.” Nevertheless, she added: “We are resilient. We do not give up. We hold people to account. That’s what we do at B’nai Brith.”
Prof. Schwartz concluded with this assessment: “We’re not going to win the censorship debate where we’re arguing about censoring this, censoring that. The only hope is that in an atmosphere of free discussion the truth will prevail.”
Local News
This man – Michael Kalo – has been defaming prominent Winnipeggers online for years, but now he’s getting a taste of his own medicine
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted May 3, updated May 8, updated May 11) There’s a particularly ugly side that often comes with being in the public eye – and that’s being on the receiving end of some of the most vile and awful comments, often threats – sometimes on social media, sometimes in emails, and sometimes on websites.
For years now many prominent Winnipeggers (almost all of them Jewish) have had to endure just that kind of vicious attack from someone by the name of Michael Kalo. But how do you fight back against someone who writes some of the most awful things – and then sends them out to various members of the media (including me), all the while hiding behind a series of aliases? There’s no point in suing him for defamation; he’s penniless. (The police have seized his computer in the past and are well aware of him, but the individuals whom he has defamed have always been reluctant to have the Crown press charges, thinking that it will only draw more attention to him – which is what he seems to want.)
But I’m different – and I’ve finally had enough of his crap.
In my original column I had posted the email Kalo had sent out to a great many individuals in which he defamed Jacob Brodovsky, who was forced to resign as co-executive director of BB Camp after a website called the j.ca launched a series of attacks on Jacob over his perceived “anti-Zionist” attitudes. I suppose these days who defines “Zionist” is a decision made by certain individuals who reserve for themselves the right to define what support for Israel means. I guess all those hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have been marching on the streets protesting Netanyahu’s deliberate strategy of letting the remaining hostages linger in tunnels in Gaza – however many may still be alive) are also “anti-Zionist.”
Anyway, I’ve now removed that vile email. If anyone still wants to see it, email me at jewishp@mymts.net and I’ll send it to you.
Something else I’ve now removed from this article is my referring to Michael Kalo’s very accomplished daughters. My intention was to attempt to induce them to use their influence to sway their father to stay off the internet and stop defaming members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community. But then I received an email from a prominent member of our community who asked me to remove my references to Michael Kalo’s daughters. That person wrote, in part: ‘His daughters don’t have anything to do with him. They don’t talk to him.”
Well, if his daughters don’t want anything to do with him, then I suppose there’s no point in retaining what I had written about them – so that’s gone too.
What’s left now though is a video of Michael Kalo that gives anyone who has never heard of him – or seen him in pubic, a clear idea of what type of person he is.
The video that was sent to me shows Kalo engaging in an argument with someone (and the identity of that person was not revealed to me by the person who sent me the video.) In it you can hear Michael explain why he’s consistently called Ben Carr a “kike”, “a spoiled Jew boy,” along with some other choice epithets. (Kalo has sent out numerous emails defaming Ben Carr using the name “Mohammed Greenberg” as the sender.)
But, I did respond to Kalo, whom I’ve know for many years, starting with when he achieved notoriety by being banned from entering the Asper Campus over 30 years ago. Here’ what I wrote to him:
“You know what I’m going to do Michael. I’m going to print your letter on my website – but I’m going to say that it was sent by someone named Michael Kalo, who has been defaming various Winnipeg Jews for years. That way it will have the opposite effect of what you’re intending. I’m also going to post the video in which you call Ben Carr (and the person filming the video) a kike. And if you want to come after me the way you’ve been going after anyone and everyone who provokes your ire, go right ahead. (You seem to have a real hate on for successful Winnipeg Jews. Is it because you’re such a failure in life yourself?) And I’m going to bcc this email to some of the people you’ve been defaming so that they can see how much of a fool you”ve been making of yourself for years.
-“Bernie”
Here’s the video of Michael (who is apparently walking away with a Ben Carr sign tucked under his arm):
Local News
Rabbi Matthew Leibl’s Friday afternoon service at Simkin Centre has grown in popularity
By BERNIE BELLAN In November 2023 I published a story in The Jewish Post & News about the first-ever Friday afternoon “Erev Shabbat” service at the Simkin Centre, which was held October 27, 2023.
It was an opportunity for me to see how much of an impact the newly spiritual care aide at the Simkin Centre, Rabbi Matthew Leibl, was having on residents. But that was in 2023 – only 2 years after the Simkin Centre had emerged from the most harrowing period in its history.
As you may recall, when Covid 19 began to spread in early 2020, it was personal care homes across Canada that were hit hardest – and the Simkin Centre was not spared the ravages of Covid. A total of 11 residents passed away at the Centre in 2020 and 2021.
Another result of the Covid epidemic was that the number of non-Jewish residents at the Simkin Centre jumped by quite a large number during the epidemic. Here are some figures showing how many more non-Jewish residents moved into the home by 2021 than had been there previously:
2017 – 67 non-Jewish or 33.5%
2018 – 63 non-Jewish or 31.5%
2019 – 71 non-Jewish or 35.5%
2020 – 61 non-Jewish or 30.5%
2021 – 86 non-Jewish or 43.0%
According to Laurie Cerqueti, CEO at the Simkin Centre, as of May 2, 2025, 44% of the residents are non-Jewish while 56% are Jewish.
Rabbi Leibl had been hired in the spring of 2023. His hiring was enabled by a grant from the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba. Here is how the Foundation explained what its purpose was in making a grant to the Simkin Centre for the hiring of a full-time spiritual care aide:
“I know how important spiritual care is in our type of setting,” said Laurie Cerqueti, Simkin Centre CEO. “For our residents, our families, and our community.”
Since she took over the CEO role, Laurie’s thoughts had been directed to ‘How can we serve our people even more than we are now? How can we make this bigger and better?’
This sparked the idea that someone should be brought in to look at what they were doing regarding spiritual care to see where gaps and opportunities lay to develop the program.
The Simkin Centre hired Rabbi Matthew Leibl as the person to fill the role, someone Cerqueti thought would be a perfect fit f for what they’were hoping to do.
“As I spoke with Matthew about this opportunity, we see it as an opportunity to make a significant difference for the residents and their families,” said Cerqueti.
This interaction with the Simkin Centre is not Rabbi Leibl’s first. He has been involved with the Simkin Centre for over 15 years, first working there at age 21. That year, he did concerts three times per week for the residents.
“I found that the music and performing was an incredible way to connect with the people there,” said Rabbi Leibl.
He recalled a story from that time frame where he was performing Oseh Shalom, and one resident who had been, to that point, without her memory and less present, began to mouth the words along with him. The song helped her break through what she had been dealing with.
“That moment was truly a game changer for me. I’m so excited to be able to give back to a place that helped people in my own family and was a great place for me while I was figuring out my way many years ago,” said Rabbi Leibl.
“Simkin is such a special place, and what they’re doing there is awesome.”
In the year and a half since I was present at Rabbi Leibl’s first ever Friday afternoon service at the Simkin Centre much has changed. Most of the new residents who have moved into the centre have, once again, been Jewish. But, in recognition of how many residents are not Jewish the centre has begun offering services for different denominations as well. The May calendar of events lists a Catholic Mass, an Anglican service, a Christian Bible Study, and a Hymnsing.
But it was Rabbi Leibl’s Erev Shabbat service I was interested in seeing again – some 18 months after the first service he had conducted, to see whether it had changed – and how many residents came to watch.
The atrium of the centre was filled with residents on Friday, April 26 – quite a few more than that October 2023 service. The increased number of attendees was also a reflection of how many more of the centre’s residents, once again, are Jewish. (In case you weren’t aware, if there’s a vacant unit at the Simkin Centre and someone who is Jewish is on the wait list to gain admission into the centre, that individual will be given first crack at moving into the centre. I had been told by Laurie Cerqueti that the 14 most recent new residents in the centre were all Jewish.)
There was one other aspect to Rabbi Leibl’s service which was brought to my attention. One of the residents at the Simkin Centre, Carol Manishen, also has a son living in a Shalom Residence: Josh Manishen. When Carol’s husband, Wayne, saw me at that Friday service he told me that he often comes early with Josh – before the start of the regular service at 4:00 pm, and Josh sings various Hebrew prayers, accompanied by Rabbi Leibl on the keyboard. To watch a video of Josh singing, click here:
Two more things to add though: First, Rabbi Leibl is now a regular participant on a podcast that is put on by CJN (what used to be known as the Canadian Jewish News) called “Not In Heaven.” You can find it simply by Googling CJN and scrolling down under the Podcasts link.
Also, since Rabbi Leibl and I go a long way back – and we both have a fond taste for sarcasm, he singled me out from among the audience and said to everyone there: “We’ve even got a reporter from the Jewish Post here.”
I couldn’t help but respond – in my usual facetious manner, that I was there to do an exposé.
To which, Rabbi Leibl retorted: “You can call it “Sex, Drugs, and Candlesticks.” Hmm, I wonder how much more there is about the Simkin Centre that I haven’t learned yet?
Local News
Well, that didn’t take long…BB Camp Board announces hiring of two new co-directors
(Posted April 27) In a span of a little more than two weeks, BB Camp has gone from parting ways with one of its co-executive directors, Jacob Brodovsky, to the hiring of two new co-directors. (We have been attempting to ascertain the status of Lexi Yurman, who was also camp co-executive director with Jacob – who also happened to be her husband, and who is now on maternity leave. Would she be entitled to return as co-executive director once her maternity leave is up, we wonder?)
The BB Camp board released a press release announcing the new hires at 12:42 pm today. Interestingly, there is no mention whether the positions that are to be filled by the two individuals, Sarah Gould and Aliza Millo, are to be permanent or temporary. Also, the two women are referred to as co-camp directors, not co-executive directors. Is there any significance to that, we wonder? Since no one from the BB Camp board has responded to any questions we have posed to them since this whole mess began, we won’t hold our breath waiting for answers to any of the questions we’ve just asked here either.
Here is the complete text of the BB Camp board announcement:
Dear BB Camp Community,
On behalf of the Board, we wanted to let you know that we acknowledge that the last week has caused much stress and uncertainty. We have felt it too and have been working very hard to ensure that the summer season unfolds as we all expect.
We are extremely excited to share with you that our 2025 summer senior Camp leadership team is now in place!
Please give a BB Camp W-E-L-C-O-M-E to Sarah Gould and Aliza Millo!
Sarah Gould: co-Camp Director (Wilderness and Operations)
Sarah is returning to BB Camp as co-Camp Director (Wilderness and Operations). Sarah’s history with BB Camp stretches back decades. She spent many formative summers on Town Island—as a camper, counselor, canoe instructor, and AC out-tripper. After BB, she took her skills to Camp Hatikvah in BC, where she helped develop and expand their wilderness and out-tripping program. Sarah has an intimate knowledge of wilderness programming, the importance of integrating Jewish values into outdoor education, and as camp alumni and a current camp parent, has a clear understanding of our community’s interests and hopes for BB Camp’s future.
Sarah has been fortunate to spend every summer of her life at Lake of the Woods. Her family cottage is on Channel Island, directly across from Town Island. She has strong ties to our Lake of the Woods neighbours and an ability to navigate the lake and Kenora. Sarah also was a key volunteer on the Friends of Town Island campaign, through which Camp was able to successfully partner with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to have Town Island designated as a protected area—ensuring its legacy for generations to come.
Professionally, Sarah has years of experience in education, research, and community organizing. She taught anthropology and international development at Trent and the University of Toronto and now works as a researcher and consultant in health studies. In her community life, she leads a neighborhood organization in Toronto, where she has spearheaded grassroots initiatives—from building a skating rink to coordinating with city officials and local stakeholders on community improvement projects. Sarah is also active in the Jewish community, including advocacy for Israel and supporting students facing antisemitism on campus.
Sarah is excited to be returning to Town Island and the BB Camp family for an amazing summer of 2025.
Aliza Millo: co-Camp Director (Programs)
Aliza’s history with BB Camp dates back decades as well. She spent many years at Camp as a camper, counselor, section head, and LTP Coordinator. After Camp, Aliza pursued a career she felt was most adjacent to working at Camp and transitioned into the classroom. She moved to Toronto to pursue her education degree, where she also completed a Jewish Education Certificate at York University.
For the next seven years, Aliza taught at the Toronto Heschel School, a school dedicated to tikkun olam and social justice, with a particular focus on environmental stewardship and sustainability. While there, Aliza taught grades three through seven, with a greater focus on the upper elementary years, teaching Judaics, Hebrew, and General Studies in a pluralistic, integrated setting.
After 10 years in Toronto, Aliza was happy to move back home to Winnipeg. Aliza met her future husband David Azuelos at BB Camp many years ago; to get a sense of how important BB Camp is to Aliza, she had her wedding on Town Island. Since her return to Winnipeg, Aliza has worked at St. John’s-Ravenscourt School, teaching Grade 4, cultivating an environmental leadership team at the Junior School level, and even bringing groups of Grade 4 and 5 students to Town Island for Outdoor Ed. Aliza has also helped organize and fundraise for Kendra’s Walk, a student-led initiative at SJR supporting teens living with cancer.
Aliza’s true passion lies in building community, whether in the classroom or at Camp. Since her time as a camper, she has enjoyed returning to the island for Work Weekend, volunteering in the kitchen, and serving on the Alumni Committee ahead of the 70th Alumni Weekend. She is most passionate when working with children and believes in strong communication with parents to build meaningful and supportive relationships. Having worked in a kindergarten to Grade 12 school setting, she has enjoyed maintaining lifelong relationships with students and families in the community.
Aliza is excited to be bringing her two boys, Judah and Dubie, to Camp. She is thrilled to be returning in this position — working with and mentoring the already incredible staff, and helping to foster deep and meaningful connections to Jewish values, traditions, and culture. Aliza looks forward to helping build a strong, nurturing community where every camper feels a sense of comfort, belonging, and pride in who they are — and in being a BB Camp camper.
***
The Camp Board of Directors is grateful that Sarah and Aliza, two lifelong BB Campers who together have an exceptional skill set, will be leading our community’s beloved Camp this summer. We are looking forward to another great Camp summer, full of amazing Camp memories. We will be reaching out directly to Camp families with more information. Please bear with us as our new leadership team gets up to speed and starts working with our current staff. Reach us at info@bbcamp.ca
Ed.note: Here’s a comment we received through our “contact us” link: (Readers of this website should be aware that it is run independently of The Jewish Post newspaper. I will forward any comments sent to me that are meant to be letters to the editor of the paper, but the proper email address for the paper is contact@thejewishpost.ca)
Letter to the Editor re BB Camp
I am a former member of the Board of BB Camp and served as Board Chair for a number of years. I am disgusted in the manner in which the current Board responded to to the public assassination of its Executive Director by dishonest Israeli extremists in our community. I am equally disgusted that what should have been a private internal human resource issue at the Camp was made public by the Board through its e-mails to the community which essentially made it impossible for the Executive Director to continue in his position and which likely tarnished his reputation. All I can say that is that I hope Jacob received a large monetary settlement from BB Camp.
-Irwin Corobow
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