By BERNIE BELLAN On Sunday, September 22, members of Winnipeg’s Yazidi community showed their appreciation to Winnipeggers who had helped Yazidis move to Canada and settle in Winnipeg since 2015 by inviting a number of Winnipeggers to a dinner at Temple Shalom. Many of the guests were individuals who had played vital roles in helping Yazidis escape persecution by ISIS in Iraq back in 2015.
It was in 2015 that a spokesperson for the Yazidi community at the time, Nafiya Nasso, came in contact with some members of the Jewish community who were touched by the plight of the Yazidis in Iraq. Through the facilitation of Jewish Child and Family Service the seeds for what was to become Operation Ezra were planted. Since then Operation Ezra has helped more than 50 Yazidi families immigrate to Canada and settle here. The strong bonds that were established back then helped what was then a very small Yazidi community grow into a much larger – and what is now a thriving community.
The Yazidi Association of Canada, under the direction of Nafiya Nasso, organized a sumptuous buffet dinner at Temple Shalom on September 22. Not only was the food delicious, at the end, attendees were handed empty containers and invited to go fill them up to take home whatever they wanted. (If someone from the Yazidi community ever wanted to open a restaurant, I bet it would do very well.)

By MYRON LOVE Shortly after the Oct. 7th Hamas attack, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) instituted a temporary immigration measure for Israelis (as well as Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank) to apply for a temporary reprieve in Canada through applications for work permits. According to Iael Besendorf, Jewish Child and Family Service’s Settlement Services Team Lead, since last October, 70 families have arrived from Israel, comprising 191 individuals. 
“While some of these families were already in the process of applying to move to Winnipeg, the conflict in Israel hastened them to leave sooner,” she reports. 
She adds that approximately 50 of the families – comprising over 150 adults and children – have come through under the aegis of the temporary work visa program.
Besendorf points out many of the individuals, couples, and families arrived in Winnipeg in great distress, only taking the few belongings they needed to settle here.
“Most left behind family, friends, and jobs in a sudden state of emergency,” she notes.
”During the first few weeks following their arrival, JCFS was there to hear and acknowledge their immediate trauma.  We at JCFS continue to provide individual counselling and group supports as needed.”
She further adds that JCFS created – with the financial support of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg –  a special War Response Team to assess and respond to the needs of local community members and new arrivals.
“Mental health and counselling professionals on our team are available to meet with anyone needing services,” she says. 
“As an adjunct of this, we at the JCFS Settlement Team are the first to interface with newcomers to our community and are also available to help triage and refer clients in need.  These new arrivals receive our typical settlement supports such as: information and orientation about their first steps in Canada, which includes help with practical needs such as housing, daycare, schools for their children, employment resources, and an orientation to all the various Jewish organizations.” 
The newly arrived Israelis have also been showing up at our community’s summer camps and Gray Academy of Jewish Education. 
“After October 7, we welcomed 17 temporary students who came from Israel to be with friends or family in Winnipeg,” reports Lori Binder, Gray Academy’s Head of School and CEO of the Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education.
“Eight of those students remained at Gray Academy, and 12 more Israeli students have joined us for the 2024-2025 school year.”
 
She adds that enrolment at the school is over 500 (as compared to 472 last year) – with almost 100 of them brand new to the school.  Quite a number of the new students, she points out, are from local families who see the value in a Jewish education.
Ian Baruch, Camp Massad’s Planning and Engagement Director, reports the camp at Sandy Hook welcomed “quite a few” IsraeIi kids this past summer among the 136 campers who were registered.
“About a quarter of our campers and half our staff are Israeli or from families from Russia who came here by way of Israel,” he notes.
 
The BB Camp office was closed through the first half of September so no comment was available as to the number of Israeli children at the Lake of the Woods camp.
 
Iael Besendorf further observes that among the challenges the Israeli newcomers are facing here is the length of time that it is taking the Federal Government to issue work permits. 
“As a result,” she says, “the adults are unable to work, and many families are feeling this financial pressure.” 
She adds that “as the situation in Israel appears to be far from over, we expect more people will seek reprieve outside of Israel. The Federal Government just announced an extension of one more year, to March, 2025, for this temporary visa program.  As such, JCFS expects that more will arrive and that we will are likely to see a steady stream of more people over that time.” 

By MYRON LOVE Upon his arrival in Winnipeg from Argentina in 2004, architect Juan Sternberg metaphorically unlocked a door to a world of endless possibilities. Sternberg told the story how he arrived in Winnipeg and how his career as an architect has flourished here at a joint Jewish Business Network/GrowWinnipeg/Rady JCC program on Thursday, September 19.
As has also been the case with most other Argentinian Jewish newcomers to Canada over the past 25 years, Juan hails from Buenos Aires, which is where he graduated from architecture – at the University of Buenos Aires, in 1986. His passion for innovation led him to pursue post-graduate studies in CAD/CAM design and a teaching position in the university’s Faculty of Architecture for more than 5 years. He then worked for more than 20 years for a major construction company in Argentina’s capital city as an architect and project manager. The company’s projects include the stunning MALBA (Latin-American Art Museum of Buenos Aires), the Galicia Bank Tower, and the impressive Metrogas Argentina.
 “It was in 2001 that my wife and I decided to move our family – including our 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter to Canada,” Sternberg says.  “I had a friend whose brother lived in Canada. Through our research, we became aware of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s Outreach program.”
 In 2004, Sternberg and his family arrived in Canada. Soon after, he obtained status as a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) with the Canada Green Building Council. Sternberg also became certified with the Canadian Architectural Certification Board, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and the Manitoba Association of Architects to practice architecture in Canada. He practiced at a local architecture firm in Winnipeg for ten years.
 In 2016, it was time for Sternberg to open his own office – SA Sternberg Architecture – at 611 Corydon Avenue. Sternberg and his staff focus on institutional, commercial, and government projects country-wide.  “Regardless of the project size, at Sternberg Architecture the job must be done right. We started with small projects,” Juan notes, “which led to larger, more interesting assignments.” SA Sternberg Architecture believes that client collaboration is the key to success. The firm’s steady growth over the years is due to client satisfaction and word of mouth.
Sternberg believes that,  from concept to completion, each project and each client requires a unique solution, where quality and design are paramount.  “By understanding the needs of our clients we can create beautifully designed functional buildings while keeping the projects economically feasible – and our clients appreciate that,” he says.
Current projects that SA Sternberg Architecture is working on include school renovations and a childcare centre in Dauphin that will be able to accommodate up to 120 children. Sternberg has also done residential work, projects for Manitoba Housing, First Nations, and renovations for higher education facilities. His practice embodies the spirit of architectural excellence and entrepreneurial drive.