Local News
Sold-out audience in attendance at Canadian Museum for Human Rights for event organized by Women Wage Peace
By BERNIE BELLAN On Sunday, April 26, a sold-out audience of over 150 people, consisting primarily of women, was in attendance at the Canadian Museum for Human Right for a program titled “Women for a Just Peace – in Palestine/Israel and at Home.” The program was organized by a group known as Women Wage Peace.
Information provided on the WWP website explained how the program came about and what the purpose of WWP is: “Women Wage Peace (WWP), the largest peace movement in Israel, was co-founded by former Winnipegger Vivian Silver, who was murdered on October 7, 2023. The local group, one of several international affiliates, was established to remember Vivian and carry on her legacy while also promoting respectful dialogue between Jews and Palestinians in Winnipeg. Members of WWP in Israel, as well as here in Winnipeg, are Jewish, Christian and Muslim women who, in spite of different faiths and political leanings, work together in the pursuit of a non‐violent, respectful and mutually accepted solution to the Israeli‐Palestinian conflict so that all children in the region can live in peace and security.”
” ‘Women for a Just Peace – in Palestine/Israel and at Home,’ brought together Winnipeggers from diverse backgrounds and all genders to dialogue and engage with one another as they learned about and are inspired by peace initiatives taking place in Israel/Palestine and in Winnipeg. The afternoon component of the event featured workshops devoted to storytelling and compassionate listening, while the evening program featured a conversation with WWP original member Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum, and a keynote address by the Bedouin Palestinian human rights activist, Dr. Amal Elsana Alhjooj. Both women were friends of Vivian.”
In addition to Women Wage Peace, the program was also sponsored by: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Women of the Sun, New Israel Fund, and Westworth United Church.
(Women of the Sun is a Palestinian women’s organization founded in 2021, while the New Israel Fund is an organization dedicated to promoting “democracy and equality” within Israel.)
Following welcoming remarks from Manitoba Lieutenant Governor Anita Neville, the audience heard from CMHR CEO Isha Khan.
Ms. Khan said that “we like the museum to be a safe place where you can have a conversation.” She acknowledged, however, the tension surrounding holding an event that brought attention to tensions between Israeli Jews and Palestinians, noting that “talking about these things is hard…At a moment like this it is almost impossible to imagine what peace would look like.”
Ms. Khan observed though that “women have consistently shaped discussion, always insisting that a different future is possible.” We need “to try to understand that complexity exists,” she added, at the same tine admitting that “continuing to speak about peace without recognizing the incredible difficulty of what is going on in the world at this time” avoids dealing with the reality of the challenges faced by those advocating for peace.
“Spaces like this” (the CMHR) “are what help keep peace alive,” Ms. Khan said.
As noted, Women Wage Peace was co-founded by former Winnipegger Vivian Silver in 2014. Ms. Silver’s good friend, Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum, was also one of the founding members of WWP.
In addressing the audience, Rabbi Kirshbaum suggested that “the idea that there was a single founder of Women Wage Peace is a patriarchal idea.”
She explained that WWP “came out of a conference held in Sderot following the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in the summer of 2014.
The principles of WWP, Rabbi Kirshbaum said, are “no shaming, no blaming…A just peace is still possible when women unite and organize.”
Rabbi Kirshbaum noted that a Palestinian counterpart known as “Women of the Sun” was founded in 2021.
She told an interesting parable to explain how Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun view the challenge of trying to find a reason for optimism despite everything that is going on in the Middle East today:
The story is of a king who had three children: Two sons and a daughter. The king told the three of them that there was a hut nearby the palace that sat empty.
Whoever could fill that hut to the brim would inherit his kingdom, he said.
The first son filled the hut with rocks, but there was a sliver of empty space at the very top.
The second son filled the hut with feathers, but as the feathers settled, there was also a large space.
The daughter, however, brought only a plate and a candle into the hut. She invited her father to enter the hut with her and, as she lit the candle on the plate, the hut filled with light in every space.
Rabbi Kirshbaum went on to explain that Women Wage Peace was inspired greatly by a documentary film about the removal of a vicious warlord in Liberia by the name of Charles Taylor. That film was titled “Pray the Devil to Hell,” and it told how Liberian women working together led to Taylor’s peaceful removal from power and the restoration of democracy to Liberia.
Rabbi Kirshbaum also alluded to the example of Irish women, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, who joined forces to help end the years of violence that had long beset Northern Ireland.
The pivotal moment for Women Wage Peace came in 2016, Rabbi Kirshbaum explained, when 30,000 Jewish Israeli women and 3,000 Palestinian women walked together for two weeks in a “March for Peace” that culminated in a massive rally in Jerusalem.
The challenge for WWP, however, Rabbi Kirshbaum admitted, is: “How do we turn volunteerism and community service into political power?”
It’s a difficult challenge, she said, but there have been some successes working with some members of the Knesset in an effort to “put the brakes on a locally militarized conflict” and transform it “into a diplomatic effort.”
“A vibrant peace camp still exists in Israel,” Rabbi Kirshbaum insisted. “When women of conscience unite and organize, peace is possible.”
She alluded to the growth of Women Wage Peace around the world, saying we “are building a global network of women that is growing quickly and creatively.”
“Look at all of you here,” Rabbi Kirshbaum said to the audience, alluding to the sold-out crowd.
She referred to a petition that is being circulated online (and on paper at that evening’s event) called “Mother’s Call.” The petition lists points of commonality between Israeli Jewish women and Palestinian women. To sign the petition click here: Mother’s call.
In addition to what WWP has been doing in Israel, another 79 or so organizations there are united in the effort to bring about peace between Israel and Palestine in what is known as the “It’s Time Coalition.”
The motto of the coalition, Rabbi Kirshbaum said, is “Peace: It can be, it will be, it must be!”
Another observation that Rabbi Kirshbaum made is that it is not only women who have exerted “moral authority,” the same can be said of clergy.
Yet, “peace is still possible when women unite and organize,” she argued. “We are not naive. We are claiming our moral authority.”
Rabbi Kirshbaum was followed by Winnipegger Chana Thau, who noted that the first chapter of Women Wage Peace in Canada was started by former Winnipegger Nomi Fenson in Vancouver, in 2024.
The Winnipeg chapter of WWP was the result of Chana Thau working with Esther Blum to organize here in 2025. Later, three more women helped to organize the Winnipeg chapter: Sharon Chisvin, Loraine Mackenzie Shepherd, a retired United Church minister, and Zhila Naghibzadeh, a Persian Muslim.
Esther Blum referenced a quote from one of the organizers of WWP in Israel, Regula Alon: “While we are each one drop of water, together those drops of water can form a sea.”
The final speaker of the evening was Dr. Amal Elsana Alhjooj, who explained that the name “Amal” means “hope” in Arabic. She noted that she comes from a Bedouin village in Israel’s Negev Desert. Her speech was very personal, as she told of growing up in a household where she was the fifth girl born in her family. She said she was given the name “Amal” because her father was hoping that he and his wife could finally have a boy. Amal’s birth was followed by the births of five boys, she said. (There were later five more girls added to the family, according to Wikipedia.)
Even though she was older than her brothers, “when my mother would serve chicken on Friday night,” she noted, “the boys would get the good pieces while I only got the wing.”
Dr. Alhjooj also noted that when she was younger her grandfather sent her out to look after the family’s flock of sheep. She observed that “working with sheep and working with people is very similar because you have to organize them both,” which led to her having a career as a community organizer.
She noted that she grew up discriminated against on two counts: both as a girl and as a Palestinian living within Israel. “Our village had no electricity, no water, no roads,” Dr. Aihooj commented.
She said that even though all Bedouin residents of Israel are citizens of Israel, “the gaps between us and the Jewish majority are huge.”
Her talk focused on her experience advocating for Bedouin women. Dr. Alhjooj said that she founded the first organization for Bedouin women, called “Desert Embroidery.”
She went on to acquire a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Ben Gurion University. She then enrolled in a master’s program at McGill University.
The following information about Dr. Alhjooj is taken from Wikipedia:
“While at McGill University in Canada, Elsana Alhooj became more familiar with Jews and Judaism. After finishing her master’s degree in 1999, she returned to Israel, where she resolved to begin building bridges between Israeli and Palestinian communities, particularly through women. She worked at a community advocacy center in an underserved Jewish neighbourhood in Beersheba, where she continued to build connections and learn.”
In 2000, Dr. Alhjooj founded the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation (AJEEC), which later, she was to run in conjunction with the late Vivian Silver.
In 2012 Dr. Alhjooj moved to Montreal. She is currently an Associate Professor at McGill University’s School of Social Work. She is also a feminist activist specializing in minority rights, gender equality, and community organizing.
Following Rabbi Kirshbaum and Dr. Alhjooj ’s presentations, there was an all too brief period allowed for questions.
Here are the three questions that were posed to the two women, along with summaries of their answers:
1. How do you keep fighting your fight for peace and not fall into despair?
Dr. Alhjooj answered that “I never had that privilege. Peace is the language of the oppressor. Liberty and justice are the languages of the oppressed.”
Rabbi Kirshbaum said that she “came from the opposite place. All I can say is that I that there is a thirst among our members for a kind of tranquility that we used to know.”
2. How can we, as mothers, teach our children to be proud Jews and yet, at the same time, realize we are oppressors?
Rabbi Kirshbaum observed that “in Israel there’s just conflict. We’re in a period driven by passions. Here (in Canada) there’s a conflict about the conflict.”
3. Have you received backlash from your own communities?
Dr. Alhjooj responded that she “never presented my work as coexistence; I presented it as a partnership.” She went on to say that there was “real pushback” from within her own (Bedouin) community, not only about her role in trying to further dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, but also for her role in advancing women’s rights.
“The head of my tribe didn’t like my encouraging women to go to university,” she observed.
Rabbi Kirshbaum noted that backlash in Israel had “cost me a job and made me more aware of the danger of saying what I really think.”
The evening concluded with entertainment by Israeli-Canadian singer Orit Shimoni, followed by a reception in the foyer of the CMHR.
Here is some information about an upcoming event meant to galvanize support for peace:
Dear friends,
Thank you for signing up to join the People’s Peace Summit.
In just a short while, people across the world will be tuning in, amplifying the urgent voices of those working on the ground for a just peace across homes, communities, and public spaces around the globe.
April 30 at 19:00 Tel Aviv | 17:00 London | 12:00 New York | 09:00 Los Angeles
🎥 Watch the livestream here:
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/Z6nOTkXzQHI?feature=share
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1299320968820425/
Whether you’re joining on your own or hosting a watch party, your presence helps extend the reach of this work – ensuring that the voices, ideas, and partnerships emerging from this Summit are seen, heard, and carried forward.
A special thank you to those hosting watch parties – your leadership is helping create space for conversation, connection, and collective action in communities around the world.
This event is organized by It’s Time – an unprecedented coalition of over 80 peace and shared society organizations that work tirelessly to advance a just and peaceful future for everyone in this land and have come together to build the collective power needed to turn this momentum into real change.
If you’d like to support the work moving forward – strengthening this growing movement, expanding international engagement, and helping translate this momentum into sustained action – you can donate here. Anything helps!
And if you haven’t yet, you can follow us on our English updates whatsapp group , facebook and instagram.
Thank you so much for being with us!
Warmly,
Timna Medovoy
The It’s Time Coalition
P.S. To those of you who indicated you’d like to organize a post-summit zoom with It’s Time leaders, we will be following up with you after the summit!
Local News
UNVEILING for the headstone of Dr. Velimir Kon (Sept. 18, 1950-June 27, 2025)
A true mensch and person of many talents and profoundness, Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon is deeply missed and loved by his family and friends.
Known for his warmth, kindness, integrity and love of learning and teaching, Velimir continues to inspire all who knew him and his memory warms our hearts and souls. Velimir is deeply missed.
You are invited to helps us remember and honour our beloved husband and father who passed away almost a year ago.
We, Branka, Deborah and Lea Kon, wish to inform our relatives and friends of the unveiling of a headstone dedicated to his loving memory on FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2026 at 11:00am at the HEBREW SICK CEMETERY (2605 McPhillips Street) followed by lunch at the Chabad Lubavitch of Winnipeg – Jewish Learning Centre (1845 Mathers Avenue). Please come say a l’chaim in his honour.
In Memoriam
1st Yahrzeit
In loving memory of Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon who passed away June 27, 2025, 12 Days in Tammuz.
⁃ Forever and deeply loved and missed by his wife of over 50 years, Branka, and daughters Deborah and Lea Kon. Velimir brought joy to our lives with his boundless kindness and gentleness, irrepressible humour, great intellect and love of people, tikun olam and Judaism.
Not a day goes by that we do not mention Velimir and feel his presence with us. Our lives are not the same without him and we deeply miss and cherish him. We can never forget his presence that was larger than life, yet also his humility and thoughtfulness.
A gentleman to the very core, Velimir was respected as a scientist, academic, professor, researcher, and later as a teacher and mentor. He always endeavoured to make every place he worked and lived at better and was able to bridge many cultures. He was Abraham of his generation and made many personal sacrifices; giving up status, position and privilege in order for his family to have a better and peaceful future.
May his memory always be a blessing. He left us at only 74 years young and we wish we had had more time together. Indeed, to know him was to love him.
Local News
Younger Jewish talents continue to shine in their respective categories at annual Winnipeg Music Festival
By MYRON LOVE A number of younger members of our community were repeat stars at the most recent (108th annual) Winnipeg Music Festival – which takes place annually in March. Among the repeat Jewish singers and musicians in the ranks of high achievers this year were” Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, Gregory Hyman, Alex Schaeffer, Juliet Eskin, Noah Kravetsky, and Lyla Chisick.
Vocalist Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, the oldest of this year’s group of Jewish repeat winners, was competing in his fifth straight festival, where he continued to build on his accomplishments in previous festivals. This year, the 20-year-old son of Samantha and Peter finished first in two musical theatre categories – songs from musical theatre productions between 1965 and 1999, and shows from the past 26 years. Yale sang “I’m Allergic to Cats,” from the 2016 musical “The Theory of Relativity,” and “Suppertime,” from the 1967 musical, “You’re a Good man, Charlie Brown.”
The former Gray Academy student is currently enrolled at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music in the Choral program. Yale says that he is hoping to get into the performance track in the fall with the goal of earning a degree in Classical Voice Performance en route to pursuing a career in musical theatre.
As reported previously, Gregory Hyman is a multi-faceted artist who can do it all. The 18-year-old son of Hartley and Rishona Hyman is a singer/songwriter/musician (guitar) who records and performs under the stage name, GMH. His versatility shone through once again in his eighth Music Festival, in which he registered first-place finishes for vocal performances in both “Popular and Contemporary Music” and “TV and Movie Music “categories.
Gregory notes that he was also recommended to compete in the provincial finals in June. The St. John’s-Ravenscourt student (and soon-to be) graduate continues to be busy on stage. In January, he headlined a sold out solo show at Sidestage on Osborne featuring some of his new material. In March, he released an album of his newest songs. Readers can check out his latest compositions on any of the music streaming platforms as well as his own social media (thegmh) on Instagram.
Gregory also continues to host his own podcast: “Talk and Rock with GMH – now in its fifth season – in which he interviews various people in the music business across Canada.
While Gregory says that a musical career is his “dream,” he reports that he is hedging his bets and considering different potential career opportunities. Come September, he will be enrolled at the University of Manitoba in a University One program, which will allow him to select from a variety of courses that can count toward a degree.
Sixteen-year-old Alex Schaeffer won first place this year in the “Musicals Prior to 1965, 16 Years and Under” category with “Try Me” from “She Loves Me,” and was runner-up in the “Musicals 1965 to 1999, 16 Years and Under” category with “On My Own,” from “Les Misérables.” For the son of Marc Schaeffer and Kae Sasaki, this was his fifth year competing in the festival.
The Grant Park High School student made his big stage debut three years ago as Kurt von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” followed by playing Michael Hobbs in “Elf the Musical” this past winter at the Royal MTC.
Alex recently performed in Grant Park High School’s production of “Something Rotten!” This summer Schaeffer can be seen again at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, where he will be appearing in a production staged by Rem Lezar Theatre.
Rounding out the voice winners is Lyla Chisick. The daughter of Daniel and Baillee was competing in her second music festival. This year, she scored Gold performances in the “Vocal Solo,” “Manitoba Composers,” and “TV/Movie Musical, 12 and under” categories.
Lyla reports that she began taking voice lessons from Jessica Kos-Whicher three years ago. She says she regularly takes part in the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Family Service and has sung at several community events. Lyla adds that she is already looking forward to next year’s music festival.
Nate Kravetsky and Juliet Eskin competed in the festival as musicians rather than singers. Juliet, 16, plays the viola, and is also is the violist in the Assiniboine String Quartet. In this, her fifth go-round at the festival, Juliet, the daughter of the musically talented Kelly Robinon and Josh Eskin, had first place finishes in the “Viola Solo, level 8,” “Baroque or Classical Concerto,” and “Romantic Composers” categories.
Juliet originally took up the violin – adding the viola a couple of years after. She also just finished performing in the Grant Park High School production of “Something Rotten!”
Nate Kravetsky is currently in Grade 5 level piano. He studies with Erica Schultz and has been taking lessons from her since age 5.
Nate competed in three categories at the Winnipeg music festival: “Baroque,” “Sonata,” and “Contemporary/own choice.”
His own choice selection was the theme from his favourite video game, “Hollow Knight.”
Nate, who is in Grade 7 at Gray Academy, is also preoccupied preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah.
We look forward to the continued musical success off Yale, Gregory, Alex, Nate, Juliet and Lyla, and what new talent may be unveiled at next year’s Winnipeg Music festival.
.
Local News
Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada’s Archivist and Curator Stan Carbone retires
By MYRON LOVE Stan Carbone, a long-time friend of our Jewish community and fixture at the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (JHCWC) for the past 25 years, retired last week. His last day of work was May 13.
Most recently, he was the JHCWC’s Director of Programs and Exhibits.
“For the past 25 years, the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada has been an integral part of my life,” Carbone said. “I have made a lot of friends in the Jewish community, and I hope to maintain those friendships.”
Carbone’s own history reflects the immigrant experience. He arrived in Canada in 1960 as a three-year-old with his mother and sister, from San Giovanni in Fiore, Calabria in southern Italy. His father had come a few months earlier. Initially, the family settled in Fort Rouge which, at that time, had a substantial Italian community. Within a couple of years, they had relocated to East Kildonan to be closer to where his father’s two sisters and their families lived.
He earned a BA Double Honours in History and Political Studies at the University of Winnipeg, followed by an MA in History at the University of Manitoba, from where he graduated in 1981.
In 1993, he was hired at the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature (as it was then called) as Curator of Multicultural Studies.
“I always enjoyed doing research,” he said.
His first project for the JHCWC came in 2000, the year after the organization was formed through the amalgamation of the Jewish Historical Society, the Ed and Marion Vickar Jewish Museum of Western Canada and the Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre.
Marim Zipursky had approached the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature looking for a curator to organize a JHCWC exhibit featuring Jewish music and musicians in Winnipeg,” Carbone recalled. “I didn’t know much about Jewish music and musicians, but I was familiar with the Jewish Historical Society – which preceded the JHCWC. I was really impressed by its extensive archives, and I was intrigued by the Jewish community’s history and the wide range of subject materials in the archives.”
The next year, when a position opened at the JHCWC, Carbone applied.
“I have been here ever since,” he said.
Over the past quarter century, Carbone has been involved in bringing to fruition several interesting exhibits. He mentions the synagogues display, a history of the YMHA, and the current exhibit highlighting the important role of women’s organizations. The exhibit that was closest to his heart though was “A Stitch in Time,” a look at how Jews contributed to the development of the garment trade in Winnipeg. Both of his parents worked in the garment industry.
The exhibits though are just one facet of the JHCWC’s focus, Carbone noted. He mentioned how the organization contributed to the publication of Allan Levine’s “Coming of Age: A History of the Jewish People of Manitoba.”
There have also been several compilations over the years of talks that the JHCWC has organized. These are known as the “Jewish Life and Times,” consisting to date of ten volumes.
Carbone further pointed out the organization’s commitment to Holocaust education and the numerous initiatives that have brought that subject to greater public attention.
The organization’s genealogical component, he reported, draws numerous queries from people all over the world.
One particularly interesting project that Carbone spoke about is an ongoing cooperative partnership with Gray Academy. For the past 10 years, the JHCWC has been loaning photos from the archives to the school’s art program, allowing the students to make drawings based on the photos.
“It has been a wonderful program which has given the students a better understanding of local Jewish history,” he said.
“During my time here, we have worked with numerous Jewish and non-Jewish organizations,” Carbone added. “It helps to build bridges between the Jewish and other communities.”
In retirement, Carbone is looking forward to doing more travelling with Anna, his wife of 40 years. They were scheduled to leave for southern Italy on May 16.
He will also continue to be busy in his role as Italy’s vice-consul here, helping fellow Italians and others in Winnipeg.
And he is excited about having more time to spend on his own genealogical and historical research. He has already published two books: “Italians in Winnipeg: an Illustrated History,” and “The Streets Were Not Paved With Gold: A Social History of Italians in Winnipeg”.
A future project which he is seriously considering is a study of the history of Jewish life in Calabria.
He is also working on a family tree.
“I may be retired,” he said, “but I will still be available from time to time to help out if needed.”