Local News
Speaker to be brought here April 24 by Jewish Federation stripped by Israeli government of her title as Israel’s “Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization of Israel”
By BERNIE BELLAN
For more than two months now the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg has been advertising an event featuring someone by the name of Noa Tishby. Now, to be honest, the poster featuring a picture of Ms. Tishby was certainly likely to draw most readers’ attention. After all, in 2007 she was voted “Sexiest Woman in Israel.”
In a press release issued by the Jewish Federation which ran in our March 29 issue, the Federation explained why Ms. Tishby was being brought here:
“On April 24, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg will welcome Israeli-American star Noa Tishby to address the troubling rise in antisemitism to a Winnipeg audience at the Centennial Concert Hall.
“Noa Tishby is an artist, producer, author, and activist. In April 2022, she was appointed as Israel’s first-ever Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization of Israel. She is a keynote speaker and panelist and has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly and was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Jews in the World.
“In 2021, Noa published her first book, ‘Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth.’ A Peabody Award winner and Emmy and Golden Globe nominee for her work on the HBO show In Treatment, she recently had a high-profile appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher to address antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel.”
Information on Noa Tishby’s own website provides even more information about how she came to be involved in Israel advocacy and how she has come to be recognized as a prominent defender of Israel:
“In 2011 Tishby founded the first Israel-focused online advocacy and rapid response organization, Act For Israel, and became a powerful voice for Israel and the Middle East. In 2014 she initiated a partnership between The Schusterman Foundation and Summit Series and co-created Reality Israel, a series of leadership trips to Israel for Jews and non-Jews alike. To date, Reality has brought to Israel thousands of professionals in tech, music, food, sports and the arts and sciences. She was recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful Jews in the World and was on Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Power list of international executives.
Tishby is a keynote speaker and panelist at events around the world and has appeared in such venues as the United Nations General Assembly, where she has discussed everything from BDS to Israeli innovation. She is a contributor to publications such as The Huffington Post, Jerusalem Post, The Jewish Journal, Tablet and Ynet, where she writes about policy, culture and international relations.
“After years of speaking and writing about Israel, both publicly and privately, Tishby has deciphered how to explain the complexities of Israel in a clear and relatable way. Her first book Israel: a Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, was published in 2021 by Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
“Tishby served in the Israeli army for two and a half years and can, when needed and if pushed to do it, kick some serious ass. She divides her time between Los Angeles and Tel Aviv, and is a proud Jewish momma to her son, Ari.”
Yet, on April 2, Ms. Tishby was fired by the Israeli government as its Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel. (It should also be noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the same day that he was firing Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, but apparently Minister Gallant was never handed an official letter of dismissal; he has remained in his post.)
The Israeli news site 21C reported why Ms. Tishby was fired:: “An Israeli actress tapped by the Israeli government to serve as a special envoy has been fired after she spoke out publicly against the judicial reform plan.
Tishby called the current Israeli government ‘extreme,’ and publicly criticized the judicial reform plan, telling Bill Maher that the reforms are opposed by a majority of Israelis and are unlikely to pass.”
On Sunday, March 31 (sic. the actual date was April 2), Ms. Tishby announced “that the Israeli Foreign Ministry had fired her from the position.
“Tishby said that while she was not given a reason for the loss of her title as envoy, she strongly suspects it is tied to her recent public comments against the judicial overhaul.
“ ‘It is not possible for me to know if their decision was driven by my publicly stated concerns about this government’s ‘judicial reform policy.’ But given the reality that antisemitism continues its dangerous rise globally, and the threat to Israel’s existence through delegitimization policies has not slowed, it is difficult to come to any other reasonable conclusion.’
“ ‘When I accepted the Special Envoy position from former Foreign Minister Lapid, I did so because the threat to Jews around the world is as significant today as any other point since the Holocaust, and the risks to Israel are as great today as they have been since our nation’s birth. As an advocate for justice and equality, I felt an obligation to stand with the many others united in the fight against hate.”
“ ‘That does not mean I must suppress my views and my decision to speak out was not taken lightly. I voiced concerns because I believe absolutely in the importance of an independent judiciary in safeguarding the democratic system. Open and honest debate with those in government is at the core of Israel’s long-term well-being and our status as the region’s single consistent democracy. True patriotism involves standing up for the values and principles that form the foundation of our nation, even when it means questioning or opposing policies implemented by this or any government.”
“I am disappointed by their decision but remain steadfast in my commitment to fighting antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel on the global stage. It has been an honor to work with incredible partners and organizations dedicated to promoting understanding, tolerance, and respect for Israel and the Jewish people. As an advocate, an artist—and most importantly as an American-Israeli citizen and a Jew—my work will continue in our joint effort to create a brighter future for Israel and the Jewish people.”
Now, while Ms. Tishby may have garnered a reputation as an ardent defender of Israel – and has earned quite a few speaking engagements as a result, the fact she was fired from her position as Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization of Israel does raise some interesting questions.
For one, we wondered whether the Israeli Consulate in Toronto had anything to say about Ms. Tishby’s firing. We posed this question to the Consulate:
“Does the Consulate have a position with regard to Noa Tishby speaking about antisemitism in various cities – since the Israeli government fired her as the special representative on antisemitism?”
We received this response: “I’m afraid I cannot answer your question. We have no position on this issue and are not privy to the details.”
As well, in looking at the website for the organization which handles booking speaking engagements for Ms. Tishby, we noted that she charges a fee of from $30-50,000.
On Wednesday, April 5 we sent this email to various representatives of the Federation:
“I’m puzzled as to why the Federation is bringing in Noa Tishby as a speaker.
“From what I can see on her agency website, she charges between $30-50,000 for an appearance. Can you confirm that you’ve paid somewhere in that amount?
“Also, what particular qualifications does she bring? I’ve read some of her writings on the subject of antisemitism and watched a couple of videos of her.
“I don’t see that she has anything fresh to say – or anything that hasn’t already been said so many times before. Is there something I’m missing?
“Finally, in your most recent press release you continue to refer to her as Israel’s Special Envoy on antisemitism. Are you simply deliberately ignoring the fact she was fired from that position on Sunday for criticizing the Israeli government’s position on judicial reform?”
We received this response from Adam Levy, Public Relations & Communications Director for the Federation:
“We are excited to welcome Noa to Winnipeg on April 24. Noa remains an expert on combating antisemitism, and we look forward to her direct and engaging perspective on this topic as she addresses our community and a broader Winnipeg audience.
“Although Noa is no longer Israel’s Special Envoy on Antisemitism, it was a position that she held for a year and has brought heightened awareness of antisemitism to social media, as well as to communities and college campuses across North America. Noa also provides relatable understanding and context regarding Israel, and its past, present, and future.
“Our event has been fully sponsored by concerned community members who believe that the rise in antisemitism warrants a strong response. Noa remains a strong spokesperson in the fight against it.”
Local News
Fringe Festival star Melanie Gall to appear at Gwen Secter Centre July 16
By BERNIE BELLAN A veteran performer at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Melanie Gall, will be making a special guest appearance at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, July 16.
Melanie will be the featured speaker (and entertainer) for the Remis Speakers’ Series that day. The Remis Speakers’ Series is held every Thursday starting at noon and ending at 1:30. This year’s series began May 7 and will continue through the end of October. This year it has been attracting increasingly large audiences – ranging from 40-60 people, as it offers attendees the opportunity to enjoy a delicious – and kosher lunch, while listening to a very diverse variety of speakers – all the way from Gail Asper talking about returning the Ten Commandments to Assiniboine Park to Rabbi Matthew Leibl performing Christmas songs that were written by Jewish songwriters. At the same time it provides those attending a chance to make new acquaintances – or perhaps bump into old friends they haven’t seen in a long time.
Melanie Gall’s own story is sure to be riveting. I’ve written about Melanie in the past, but the past two summers had been especially nerve wracking for Melanie, as she was subjected to a torrent of antisemitic abuse over her support for the State of Israel.
You can read my story about what Melanie went through during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival – both in 2024 and again last year, at Melanie Gall subjected to antisemitic abuse.
Melanie, who will be entering her 13th year of performing at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, will be peforming in only one show this year – a departure from her past practice of performing in multiple shows (as many as three different shows) during the Fringe Festival.
Elsewhere on this website we’ll be offering a preview of Melanie’s show (which is called “The Ballad of Isobel Gunn” and which is based on an incredible, but true story), along with previews of several other shows.
In the meantime, if you’re not already a member of the Remis Speakers’ Series group, but would ike to attend this coming Thursday, simply email us at jewishp@mymts.net and we’ll reserve a spot for you. The cost for the lunch is only $20.
The Gwen Secter Centre is located at 1588 Main Street (corner of Smithfield). There is parking available on a lot behind the centre or on the street.
Local News
Folk Festival Report
(Posted July 10) During this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival we’re going to be running an ongoing blog report – with photos and blurbs from the festival, sent to us by our Folk Fest correspondent Heather Silbert.
Here’s Heather’s first entry (sent Friday at 3:33 pm): “It’s a hot hot day at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival! Lots of people; lots of good vibes; and an abundance of awesome music!!”
“We just moved to spruce hollow. Nice and shady. listening to Jacob Brodovsky.”
4:21 pm: “Jacob just announced that he lost his job and received a lot of vitriol from the Jewish Community because he’s a Jewish person who believes that Palestinian and Jewish lives are intertwined, and he is against genocide. He is very deeply feeling, and expresses all these big feelings through his songs. I want to give him a hug, but it’s so hot outside!”
5:33 pm: The inscription in the plaque below begins with some lines from a Bruce Cockburn song called “Joy Will Find a Way (A Song About Dying)”: and continues with: “Memory Lane honours those who are no longer with us but whose presence lives on in the music, memories and moments we share here…”
7:06 pm “Gorgeous hand made polymer clay jewelry! Amanda Greisman makes gorgeous pieces that can be worn across many occasions! And she’s so so nice!” (See her booth called “Blue Sky Jewelry.”)
(Posted July 11, 4:20 pm) “Would you drive your bike to BHP for FF in this weather? I would drive here, but not sure if I’d have enough steam to bike home!”
“There’s aren’t any flower/leaf art installations this year(that I’ve found!) but loving the fairy village!!”
“It’s another sweltering day. Bright blue sky and a light Breeze. Cat Clyde is rocking it out at Bur Oakbank!! Loving it!!”
8:04 pm: “Snacktime! Excellent energy, good time! We’re sitting 2 tarp rows in front of the frog to the left of the Canadian flag. (Total FF directions! LOL!)”
Local News
New GrowWinnipeg “Grow Together” highlights diverse origins of our growing Jewish community
By MYRON LOVE On Monday, June 11, about 120 younger Jewish Winnipeggers from diverse backgrounds came together at the Asper Campus for an evening of food and music, games and prizes and, most important, the opportunity to socialize with their peers from a growing community that reflects the long term success of our community’s 26-year-old GrowWinnipeg initiative.
“We are gathered here to celebrate your and your parents’ decisions to come to Winnipeg, build families and raise families here,” noted Dalia Szpiro, GrowWinnipeg’s director, in addressing the young adults in attendance.
To summarize, the GrowWinnipeg Initiative arose when our past community’s leadership recognized that our Jewish population was an aging and shrinking community with aging infrastructure.
The first stage was the planning and construction of the Asper Campus, which brought our major institutions and organizations under one roof in an attractive new building.
The next challenge was to attract more people to our community. GrowWinnipeg was created to take on the challenge. The initiative, which was officially launched in 2000, is unique in its efforts to reach out to young Jewish families throughout the Western world.
The first outreach efforts were directed at Argentina’s sizeable Jewish community at a time when the South American country’s economy was going through a very difficult period. Several of our community leaders visited the Jewish community in Buenos Aires and a website was established. Arrangements were made for local families to host Jewish Argentinians here on exploratory visits and the community helped the prospective immigrants navigate the then new Provincial Nominee Program, find jobs and establish themselves here.
Since then, many young families – from Argentina, as well as a great number of other countries – have chosen to make Winnipeg their new home. The young people at the recent GrowWinnipeg evening were reflective of the diversity of our growing community. During the course of the evening, I had the opportunity to speak with not only Israeli-born participants, also young people from Russia and Ukraine, Turkey and Uruguay – and a young lady who grew up in Ottawa.
Naomi Kirshenblatt Palansky originally came here from Ottawa to go to university. She met and married local entrepreneur Noah Palansky in 2023. (We wrote about Noah in the December 19, 2025 issue). That same year, the former competitive swimmer who competed in the Maccabiah Games in 2009 and 2013 served as manager of the Canadian Junior swimming team participating in the games. She is currently the director of operations and strategy for a company called CoinFlip.
Although born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yael Borovich grew up in Winnipeg. She is the daughter of Dalia Szpiro and Eduardo Borovich (and younger sister of Vanessa) all of whom moved here in 2002. She is a graduate of the Asper School of Business and works as a senior client relationship manager for Scotia Bank’s commercial branch.
Siblings Igal and Edem Avimelek arrived here from Turkey six years ago with their parents, Etel and Moris. Edem is in her second year at the University of Manitoba while Igal is studying engineering at UBC.
They report that their father, Moris, has established the Upperwear Textile Agency – marketing textile products online – while their mother Etel, is senior IT Director, software development and data analytics and enterprise architecture at Standard Aero.
“Our parents were looking to move to a new country and came across the GrowWinnipeg webpage,” Edem says. “GrowWinnipeg has been really supportive of us in helping us move here and become established.”
More recent arrivals Alex Tsmokaliuk and Jane Hin are from Ukraine and Russia respectively and have been together since 2022. “We were looking for a peaceful place to start a family,”: Alex says. “We heard about GrowWinnpeg and here we are.”
Alex is a fitness trainer while Jane is working for WRE Development as a property manager.
Dora Bronstein, who is originally from Beersheva, is also a recent arrival to our community. “I came to Winnipeg because I wanted to get away from war – and I heard about GrowWinnipeg,” she says.
She is currently working for L.C. Taylor Licensed Insolvency Trustee as an estate manager.
Erele Tzidon and Daniel Mejnov
Last October, GrowWinnipeg introduced its new Youth Ambassadors program.
“Since October, we have been working to create an organized system and opportunities to help young newcomers find their people within our community,” wrote Youth Ambassador Erele Tzidon on Facebook.
“Our mission is to help young immigrants find a sense of home in Winnipeg and support a smooth and welcoming transition.
We are excited to help bring our young Jewish community together.
As reported in the Jewish Post about 18 months ago, Tzidon is originally from Moshav Ginaton in central Israel. She came to Winnipeg in 2018 with her parents Ofer – formerly regional manager for a car rental agency in Israel and now an RBC branch manager – and Sharon – an emotional therapist in Israel who is currently working as an educational assistant at Gray Academy – and three younger brothers.
The 20-year Gray Academy graduate has recently completed her third year in Science at the University of Manitoba. For the past three years, she has also been a member of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin’s research team at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICS), researching the link between pregnancy complications and the risk for heart disease.
In November, 2024, Tzidon was presented with the Dr. James S. McGoey Student Award – based on the quality of her cardiovascular research at the ICS, which operates out of the St. Boniface Hospital campus’s Albrechchtsen Research Centre.
Tzidon’s fellow Youth Ambassador is Daniel Mejnov. He was born in Beersheva but moved to Winnipeg with his parents, Dennis and Victoria (and younger brother Alon) 14 years ago. He is currently enrolled in an IT program at the University of Winnipeg.
Mejnov welcomed all those in attendance at the celebration and thanked the volunteers who helped him and Tzidon organize the event.
“It has been great being able to bring so many people together,” he said. “This is a good way to unite our community.
Two other individuals of particular note that I spoke with at the event were Orit Agabayev and Alina Plis, partners in three year old A and O Event Décor, who provided the balloon arches and walls, table settings and centre pieces for the evening.
Agabayev is originally from Netanya and Plis is from Yeruham (in southern Israel). The latter has been here for 18 years and operates a daycare. The former came 16 years. Her principal career is working in the field of animal nutrition.
In an Instagram PosI from four years ago, Plis noted that “I have always been passionate about planning parties and events. I started out with planning big surprise birthday parties for my kids. Eventually I began planning and decorating events for family and friends. Now I am taking the next step with my friend, Orit, who shares the same level enthusiasm as me. What drives me to go above and beyond is simply the excitement my creations bring to those who see my work.
On Facebook, Agabayev added that “Alina and I are so excited to start A&O event decor. We both love decorating and planning different events. We hope that you can put your trust in us to create or decorate an event for you. We do Birthday parties, anniversaries, bachelor/bachelorette parties, proposals, weddings and more..
“Message us with your ideas to get a free quote and you’re one step closer to having an unforgettable event.”
