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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 Matthew Leibl at the keyboard while leading the service on April 26

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?

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Gustavo Zentner talks about his role as CIJA Vice-President for Manitoba and Saskatchewan

By BERNIE BELLAN Gustavo Zentner has played many roles since arriving in Winnipeg from his native Argentina in the early 1990s.
In a May 2022 article written for The Jewish Post & News by Myron Love, Myron wrote this about Zentner, who had just become President of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg at the time:
“The new president of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg – who originally hails from the city of Corrientes in northeastern Argentina – notes that his great-grandfather –among the earliest Jewish immigrants to the city, was one of the founding members of the organized Jewish community and its cemetery – and his mother was the first (and thus far still the only) female to lead the community.
“ ‘My earliest memories are of my mother always chairing meetings of the Federation,’ he recalls.
Thus, it is no surprise that Zentner threw himself into volunteering with the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg very soon after he arrived in our community – among the wave of Jews from Argentina who immigrated here 20-25 years ago.
“ ‘I was delighted to come to Winnipeg,’ the new Federation president says. ‘I found a warm and welcoming community and was happy to contribute in any way I could.’ Zentner adds, ‘This is a wonderful community and I believe that everyone counts, every person has a story to tell and something to contribute, let’s make sure everyone is part of the conversation’.
“As a board member, Zentner has, over the past 15 years, chaired first the Human Resources Committee – followed by the Community Planning, Allocations Committee, and most recently served as Treasurer, chairing the Finance and Audit Committees. He has volunteered with many other organizations; no doubt that experience will serve him well as he builds bridges throughout the community.
“In his business career Zentner is the president of InterPOC (International Point of Commerce), an international business consultant, and Honorary Consul of Brazil in Manitoba. Zentner places a lot of emphasis on consultation and planning.”


It was during his term as President of the Federation, in the immediate aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre, that Zentner played a pivotal role in rallying, not only members of the Jewish community, but members of the larger Winnipeg community, in support of Israel.
Zentner chaired three large rallies that year – the first at the Asper Campus in October , when over 2,000 individuals crowded outdoors on the campus lawn , followed by another large rally at the Manitoba Legislature, and finally a rally in the Rady JCC gym in memory of the late Vivian Silver.
Each time Zentner touched just the right chord, demonstrating an eloquence along wth a sincere passion for Israel and the Jewish community here. In 2024 Zentner developed strong lines of communication with various levels of government to bring awareness of the heightened antisemitism that had sprung up everywhere in the wake of the October 7 attack. Zentner was especially successful in forming a strong bond with then-Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth, along with other members of the WPS, in an effort to respond to and, where possible, prevent antisemitic attacks in the city.
Thus, it was no surprise that, not too long after Zentner’s completion of his term as Federation President, he moved into a new position, this time as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Vice-President for Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
This past September 25th, Zentner spoke at the Remis Forum Luncheon, where he told the audience about his role with CIJA.
Zentner began by describing his own firsthand experience witnessing terrorism as a young Argentinean Jew during the 1990s: “I was there when there were two terrorist attacks – in March 17, 1992 and July 18, 1994. That forged my Jewish identity and my commitment to becoming more visible in terms of leadership in the Jewish community, while building a business or working for others or working for government.”
While Zentner spent a great deal of time during his talk focusing on the need for Winnipeg Jews to support Israel and especially to engage the younger generations in supporting Israel, he also took time to explain just what it is that CIJA does and what his particular role is in that organization.
“Our main business is Canadian Jewish advocacy,” he said. “CIJA is the advocacy agent of Jewish federations across the country.”
The head office of CIJA is located in Toronto, Zentner noted.. The president and CEO of CIJA, Noah Shack, took over from his longtime predecessor, Shimon Koffler Fogel, in June this year. In addition to the Winnipeg office, CIJA also has staff in Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
“Our core objective today is to combat antisemitism across Canada,” Zentner stated. But, in addition to that role, CIJA also consults with other Jewish communities around the world in a group Zentner described as the “J7” (similar to the G7 group of countries that discusses economic issues).
“Canada’s is one of the seven largest Jewish communities in the world,” he noted. (In order, the world’s seven largest Jewish communities are in: Israel, the US, France, Canada, the United KIngdom, Russia, and Argentina.)
As Zentner explained, “So, when we know that the Prime Minister in Australia or the Prime Minister of Great Britain is thinking of something, and our counterparts in those countries are considering what the reaction will be, we are (engaging) in a lot of discussion so we can anticipate and respond, (not only to) support another Jewish community in another country, but also (to) understand what may be the implications of such policies here.”
In addition, Zentner noted, CIJA is also the representative organization which handles compensation for Holocaust survivors through the Claims Conference.
When it comes to combatting antisemitism, however, Zentner stressed that his “background in economic diplomacy” has been instrumental in affecting how he “engages with governments.”
As CIJA’s representative here, Zentner said that his approach to dealing with various levels of government “is different than many other Jewish organizations. And I can guarantee you it’s mostly different than what most Jews in Winnipeg expect of me because I used to speak in a different way. Today I have to go to meetings with the chief of police or the chairman of the Winnipeg police board, and around the table there are many other minority groups. And while they each focus on their own activities, sometimes what people say is not reflecting on reality. So that’s a very diplomatic way of saying, ‘What are you talking about?… My community, the Jewish community has been intimidated since last Yom Kippur (2023).”
Zentner added that he has been very direct in telling various levels of government, especially the police “to take action” to combat antisemitism.
“To do that, we consult with and engage with law enforcement on an ongoing basis,” he said. And, when it comes to defending Jewish members of the community, Zentner emphasized that we should be looking to the police to do that job – not to members of our own community: “We look to law enforcement to do that for us,” he stressed.
But, by asking governments to be proactive in defending members of the Jewish community, Zentner explained, ..We’re not telling “civil society government to defend the Jews,” he said. “No, we’re saying ‘defend Canadian values’.”
A second objective for him though, Zentner suggested, is to revitalize “partnerships” with Israel so that governments can have “positive, healthy relationships with Israel…In my organization, and in my job, I am in charge of ensuring that we have viable, credible, open lines of meaningful engagement and communication with levels of government. And that is not easy.”
A “third component” of his role as CIJA representative, he said, is “community mobilization,” educating members of the Jewish community “on the importance of all of us remaining not only vigilant, but active.”
“Moving on,” Zentner said, he wanted to talk about CIJA’s “advocacy” work – “advocating for Jewish life, protecting synagogues, our community centres, and our schools – changing the course of policy…” through such measures as “Bill C9,” the Federal Government’s recently passed law banning “hate crimes” as defined in the statute.
Zentner went on to discuss the Federal Government’s recent decision to recognize a Palestinian state, and criticized that announcement, saying that “recognition cannot be without expectation of clear conditions for that Palestinian statehood.”

CIJA had been communicating with Prime Minister Carney since he first signalled this past July that Canada would be recognizing a Palestinian state in September, Zentner said, wanting to make sure that what the government said it would do was not going to be a unilateral preemptive gift reward to Hamas.” Again, he emphasized that what CIJA was trying to do was impress upon the government that it was not advocating for Israel – or even for the Jewish community alone, it was advocating for upholding “Canadian values.”
Another element of CIJA’s work, Zentner said, is “providing anti-Semitism training and Holocaust education. We provide support to other organizations that are training…. I’m working with the provincial government, the civil service commission, to ensure that they have anti-racism policies in place that there is (sic.) curricula to address antisemitism and anti-Zionism.”
Zentner went on to field a number of questions from the audience, touching upon consultations in which he’s been involved with the police – especially around the time that Folklorama was happening and there were regular protests from pro-Palestinians outside the Asper Campus. Those discussions led to an agreement that “Basically, to make sure that there is, whether through permits or other activities for next year, not to have protesters or pro-Hamas protesters outside the campus, the way they have been doing the tradition for the last ten years.”
He added that the Winnipeg Police Service is “committed to making sure they (will) have a strong presence and that they will act more effectively than what they” did this year.
At the end of his talk, Zentner harkened back to reminding the audience that he and his family left Argentina following two terrorist attacks against Jews (in 1992 and 1994).

He said, “We must not go into a dark space. That’s my role every day. And it’s a difficult role. But I’m not going to let that define who I am or how we define our community. I fully support and need to make sure that we all support our relationship between our community, Canada and Israel… I understand that there is more to (being) Jewish and identity than being Israeli and serving in the army,” but we have to be “moving forward. We have not lost anything. These are difficult times and I know it’s easy to feel lost, but we are not.”

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New play structure – “Gan Reut” (Friendship Garden) opens at Asper Campus

By BERNIE BELLAN It was a gorgeous Friday afternoon, October 3, when Lori Binder, Gray Academy Head of School (also Board of Jewish Education CEO) welcomed about 40 individuals to the opening of a brand new play structure on the Asper Campus – situated exactly where the old play structure (which had opened in 1997 with the opening of the campus) had been.
Most of the individuals who were there that day had played a role helping to see the new play structure built – either as donors, or as members of organizations that had participated in the planning and construction of the new play structure.

Gray Academy CEO Lori Binder

As Binder explained, “We wanted to call this the Friendship Garden. We wanted it to have a Hebrew name. ‘Reut’ – play, is the language of friendship and it’s also the language of learning. And so today for the very first time, as our kids were watching the structure be built – and that too was also an amazing learning tool, they began to learn to use the structure.”

Why was there a need for a new playground, some might wonder – when the old one was only 28 years old?

Binder cited several reasons for wanting a new play structure: “A lot of injuries were happening because there was pea gravel, and the pea gravel was surrounded by a border of wood. And if you did not have the ability to step over or walk through the pea gravel, you could potentially have an injury.”
She added that “pea gravel is only used in 3% of playgrounds today because you might skid and need a bandaid or have a cut.”

“But we also recognized that with the broken structure and the inability for all children in our community to play we wanted to begin to envision a new structure,” Binder added.

The actual project took shape in a relatively short period of time. Design and construction was handled by a company known as Playgrounds R Us. President of the company, Matt Lacroix, noted that “typically a playground of not even this size” would take much longer to plan and build.
“We typically work with schools probably three to five years, sometimes two. So, from start to finish, for us to start a year and a half ago to now is pretty phenomenal,” Lacroix observed.

The structure can even accommodate a child in a wheelchair – as seen in the photo above, where the young girl seated has casts on both one of her arms and one of her legs

There are many new innovations included in Gan Reut, including the resilient rubber foundation, the handicap accessible play structures (that can even accommodate children in wheelchairs) and, on an unexpectedly hot October day – something that proved to be most welcome: shade everywhere you went.

Getting the project done required cooperation among Gray Academy, the Rady JCC, and the Asper Campus. When Binder first approached the Jewish Foundation for funding assistance, however, she said that initially, “we got denied.” However, rather than that being an impediment to moving forward, Binder said “it turned out to be a blessing.”

The reason, she explained, is the Jewish Foundation “plays such an integral role in matching us with potential donors, helping us bring something to light or getting something started.”
In the case of the playground project, it was the Rich family, led by Gavin Rich, who stepped up as lead donors. There were many other donors as well. (You can see all the donors’ names in the accompanying photo.) Also, the Jewish Foundation did come through with a grant – for the rubber foundation.

Names of all the donors

Binder spoke of the important role that play serves in children’s development: “Diane Ackerman states that play is the brain’s favourite way of learning. And if you go into the daycare or into any of our early childhood classrooms, you will see that they learn through play. Dr. Stewart Brown notes that nothing lights up a child’s brain-like play. And I bet some of you will want to also play because even at as adults, we like to play.”

The blue and white colour of the playground was also a deliberate choice, Binder noted. “Blue and white,” she suggested, was “very purposely chosen to match the colour of the Israeli flag and give us a reminder every day of coming to this amazing Jewish community campus.”

When it came to planning what would go into the playground, Binder thanked Rob Berkowits from the Rady JCC and Curtis Martin from the Asper Jewish Community Campus, “who were along for the journey…We also have many of our educators, an occupational therapist, early childhood specialists, elementary specialists, student life coordinators, all coming together with all of the different ideas.”

“I have to say it is overwhelming,” Binder added. “I’ve not really been involved in such a renovation project; it’s hard to make decisions. You can have a million different kinds of playgrounds.”

Not only will the playground, however, serve as a major enhancement to be enjoyed by students at Gray Academy and the Rady JCC daycare during weekdays, it will be open to everyone in the community 24/7, Binder noted.

Rady JCC CEO Rob Berkowits

Following Binder’s remarks, attendees heard from Rob Berkowits, CEO of the Rady JCC, who acknowledged the key role Binder had played in bringing the project to fruition: “I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Lori Binder, Head of School at Gray Academy, for unwavering leadership in bringing this vision to life.”

Member of Asper Jewish Community Campus Board Jill Winograd

Finally, Jill Winograd, who was representing the Asper Jewish Community Campus, offered remarks: “Spaces like this are more than slides or swings. They’re about belonging, imagination, and giving kids a safe place to grow together. So this project wasn’t about starting fresh, but renewal, taking something well used.

“So what makes this playground matter isn’t just the newer equipment or the safer surfaces, but the thoughtfulness behind it. Accessible roots, quiet corners. And spaces that welcome kids, parents and grandparents together. It’s built for inclusion and community. And I think grandparents is such a key word here because it’s really so lovely to see from our sponsors how many are in memory of grandparents and how special that time is at the playground for them.”

Ribbon cutting by Gavin Rich and Marni Slonim

And, with that – and a ceremonial ribbon cutting by Gavin Rich and Marni Slonim, Grade 2 students from Gray Academy descended upon the structure – many with parents in tow, to demonstrate all the many features of the beautiful new playground.

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Gray Academy registration numbers continuing their upward trajectory

Gray Academy Head of School Lori Binder

By MYRON LOVE Lori Binder, Gray Academy’s Head of School and CEO of the Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education, is happy to report that this year’s enrolment stands at 517 – the highest back-to-school number since 2013-2014.  “We have had to add a second Junior Kindergarten class and, for the second consecutive year, a third kindergarten class,” she says.
Gray Academy students speak of feeling safe and being able to connect with their roots.  As Binder points out, many of the students have parents and even grandparents who attended Gray Academy or its founding high school, Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate. In addition, 25% of the staff are Gray Academy alumni. 
 
The school also plays an integral role in helping families moving to Winnipeg from Israel, Argentina, Brazil and other countries to adapt to their new homes.  Over the past two years, the EAL (English as an additional language) program has expanded significantly to accommodate growing needs.
Gray Academy is one of the only JK-12 Jewish day schools in Canada. The school remains committed to academic excellence, along with programming that builds community and connection. Gray Academy was the first Jewish day school in Canada to receive accreditation from Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), a community of independent schools that meet and exceed rigorous national standards that inspire excellence and ongoing school improvement.
 
New this year, Binder notes, is the just-built AJCC Gan Re’ut (Friendship Garden), a fully accessible playground that children of all ages and abilities can use and enjoy. A new rubber foundation and accessible equipment make the new playground safer and more accessible for everyone.
She further reports that the four-year-old Gray Academy-Tough Duck Community Ice Rink, located on Danzker Field, has been enhanced with an asphalt base so that the facility can be used year-round for a wider variety of activities.
The school has also expanded its after-school music programs this year. In addition to traditional band and drumline programs, students can also take part in jazz, rock and vocal ensembles.
 
Binder notes that parents and grandparents of children are welcome to engage with the school.  “Last year we launched a new “Grandpals” program for grandparents,” she says.  “We offer several different ways for grandparents or any special seniors in students’ lives to engage with the school while being able to see their grandchildren.”
 
And did I mention that, over the years, Gray Academy’s outstanding debating program has been placing very well in national and international competitions?
In terms of tefillah and spirituality, Binder reports that the school is building on past informal connections with local clergy to allow more student interaction with our community’s rabbis and cantors.  Throughout the year, clergy from various congregations will be coming in to the school in a more formal way.
 
A very important part of Gray Academy’s mission is fostering a love of Israel.  Over the years, quite a few Gray Academy graduates have made Aliyah.
 
An important part of Israel education has been the nearly 30-year-long Jewish Federation of Winnipeg P2G (Partnership 2Gether) student and teacher exchange programs linking Gray Academy high school students with their counterparts at Danciger High School in the northern Israeli community of Kiryat Shmona and Nachshonei Hachula Elementary School in Yesod Hamala in the Hula Valley. For many years, Gray Academy would send groups of six to eight Grade 10 and 11 students to visit Danciger. Likewise, Danciger would send students to visit Gray Academy. 
In fact, a group of Danciger students and faculty happened to be in Winnipeg on October 7, 2023. When the group was forced unexpectedly to extend their stay in Winnipeg until flights to Israel could resume, Danciger students and staff participated in our community’s subsequent show of support for our brothers and sisters in Israel.
 
While the program has been paused since then, Binder reports that she was in Israel in July and visited both schools.  “With many Israelis having been able to return to their homes in the north after nearly 18 months of displacement, we are hoping to restart the exchange programs in the spring,” she says. 
 
Binder adds that two young Israelis volunteering with Shaarey Zedek Congregation in something called the “ShinShinim program” (which is a year of service in the Diaspora prior to serving in the IDF) have recently arrived in Winnipeg and will be paying weekly visits to the school. The Jewish Agency for Israel’s ShinShinim program sends Israeli Grade 12 graduates to Jewish communities in the diaspora to enhance the teaching of Hebrew and love for Israel. 
 
To commemorate October 7, the school – for the third year in a row – will be holding “Havdallah for Hope,”  a memorial program for high school students, followed by Havdalah for the entire student body and community guests.
Binder points out that the school has a strong focus on affordability.  “It is very important to us that no child is turned away because a family can’t afford to pay,” she says.
 
She notes that Manitoba is one of only a few Canadian provinces that fund independent schools such as Gray Academy, with the school receiving approximately 50% of comparable public school funding per student.  Binder adds that the school offers a robust Bursary Assistance program, strongly supported by funding from the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s Combined Jewish Appeal. “Over 60% of our families receive some level of bursary support,” she reports.  “We work with every family to ensure that no child is ever turned away because of inability to cover the full parental contribution.”
 
Just weeks into the new school year, Gray Academy is already looking ahead to enrolment for next September. 
 
For more information about what Gray Academy has to offer and application dates, phone 204 477-7425 or email admissions@grayacademy.ca.

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