Local News
Synagogues’ leadership report positive outcomes for Yom Tov this year
By MYRON LOVE After three long years, Jewish Winnipeggers were able to return to synagogue for Yom Tov in reasonable numbers. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen this year,” says Ruth Livingston, the president of Temple Shalom, our community’s only Reform Congregation. “But we were delighted with the turnout. It felt to me like we were a community again.”
Livingston’s sentiments were generally shared by all active synagogue leaders. (The Chavurat Tefila and Talmud Torah shuls in north Winnipeg were unable to offer Yom Tov services this year.) Despite some continuing hesitation, these same leaders were pleased with the number of people who showed up for High Holiday services this year.
“We were cautiously optimistic,” notes Rob Waldman, the president of the egalitarian Chevra Mishnayes congregation in Garden City. “But we were quite pleased with our attendance. Despite some of our members still being uncomfortable with in-person services, we sold 90 seats – exceeding our expectations.”
Still with the North End, the venerable House of Ashkenazie, the last of our community’s older-style Orthodox coaggregations, enjoyed its largest Yom Tov turnout in several years. Congregation President Gary Minuk reports that about 50 were in attendance for the first day of Rosh Hashonah and over 40 for Kol Nidre. “We even had visitors from Toronto and New York davening with us,” he says. (The Ashkenazie is 100 years old this year. Minuk reports that a shul dinner to commemorate the occasion has been discussed, but the details at this point haven’t been finalized.)
South Winnipeg’s Orthodox Adas Yeshurun Herzlia Congregation also had reason to be pleased with Yom Tov numbers this year. “We have fully re-opened our synagogue to our regular members,” says Jack Craven, the president of the congregation. Yom Tov turned out well for us. Our numbers were as we expected. It was good to see most people coming back. We hope to see even more members returning as the year progresses.” As most readers of this newspaper already are aware, there is big news happening with both of our community’s largest synagogues.
For Congregation Etz Chayim, this past Yom Tov was most likely the last to be celebrated at its current location. After nearly 70 years in North Winnipeg, our community’s second oldest and largest congregation is following the flow and planning to move south in early summer. Due in part to the growing trend of people staying home to watch services online and a continued exercise of caution – including distancing – Etz Chayim’s High Holiday attendance remained far short of pre-Covid lockdown times. In an earlier interview, Jonathan Buchwald, Etz Chayim’s executive director, reported that the synagogue executive was planning to cap attendance at between 350 and 375 in-person worshippers – about one-third of capacity. This compares with 50 worshippers allowed into the building for each of the two days of Rosh Hashanah and 100 for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur last year. The final numbers, Buchwald says, were about 350 for the first day of Rosh Hashonah and 320 for Kol Nidre. For the other days – the second day of Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur day – the number in attendance were between 250 and 300. “This year, too,” Buchwald adds, “our junior congregation and family services were back – as well as the in-person choir. “It was really nice to have a live congregation again.”
Shaarey Zedek’s attendance was constrained this year not so much by lingering Covid concerns but more so by the capacity of the Berney Theatre’s 200 seat auditorium where Winnipeg’s largest and oldest congregation was forced to hold High Holiday services while the Shaarey Zedek building itself is undergoing a major expansion and upgrade, which will be ongoing for the next two years. Ran Ukashi, the congregation’s executive director, reports that while over 100 people bought tickets for the in-person services, there were 350 screens – with 570 viewers watching online. Last year, Ukashi points out, Shaarey Zedek’s High Holiday services were entirely online. “It is a different feeling not being in our own building for Yom Tov,” he comments, “but, in general, people were positive about being able to attend High Holiday services in person.”
And, after two years absence, Camp Massad resumed its innovative and frailich Rosh Hashonah service. Daniel Sprintz, the camp’s executive director, reports that, as was the norm before Covid, Massad hosted its Rosh Hashonah program on the second day. “We offered a creative and interactive service that combines some traditional prayers with contemporary readings, folk music and our usual Camp Massad shtick,” Sprintz says. “Our services were our usual shtick, followed by an outstanding Kiddush lunch and tashlich by the water.” Sprintz notes that past Rosh Hashonahs at Massad have attracted as many as 150 participants.
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First year medical student Tim Rozovsky founds new association for local Jewish medical students
By MYRON LOVE In the face of a concerning surge in antisemitism over the past nearly three years, I am happy to report a good news story in that regard. Tim Rozovsky, the founder of the new Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba, reports that he and his fellow Jewish students enrolled in the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine are not experiencing any significant issues involving antisemitism.
Hopefully, the matter of the notorious Med school Valedictorian who used his podium to attack Israel was a one-off.
“My goal in forming the Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba,” says the first year medical student, “was to create a safe, supportive environment for my fellow Jewish medical students.”
He reports that the current first year class at the school has eight Jewish students – an increase over more recent years – with maybe a dozen more in the other years.
For a new medical student, Rozovsky already has an impressive resume. He was born in Russia and grew up in Israel. After the completion of his army service in 2018, the then-22-year-old rejoined his parents, Dr. Katya and Alexander, who had moved to Winnipeg a few years before.
Prior to coming to Winnipeg, Rozovsky had completed a personal trainer program out of The Academic College at Wingate in Jerusalem. Some readers may know the young man from his work as a Master Personal Trainer at the Rady JCC.
Shortly after arriving here, he enrolled in a kinesiology program at the University of Winnipeg. He graduated with a BKin Honours in 2023 and did post graduate work at the University of Manitoba. Last fall, he received his MSc in Physiology and Pathophysiology – earning two gold medals, along with 32 awards and scholarships in the process.
Rozovsky says that it was his mother who inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. Dr. Katya Rozovsky is an associate professor at the University of Manitoba and an attending radiologist, specializing in pediatric diagnostic imaging.
(Tim also adds that his wife, Irina Gelzin, whom he married about a year ago, is training to be a nurse.)
Insofar as the Jewish Medical Students’ Association of Manitoba is concerned, Rozovky reports that the group gets together multiple times a year. One of its programs was a joint Chanukah celebration with the Jewish Physicians Association of Manitoba.
There was also a joint program with the Christian Medical and Dental Students’ Association of Manitoba.
“More recently, we have been helping prospective Jewish medical students with their applications,” he says. “Hopefully we will be able to get together over the summer with the incoming Jewish students.”
As to his own future plans, Rozovsky notes that it is too early for him to be deciding on a specialty. “My goal,” he says, “is to work hard and get good grades and become the best doctor that I can be.”
Local News
Gray Academy to Represent Manitoba at National Reach for the Top Competition
By NOAH STRAUSS Posted June 6) Gray Academy’s Reach for the Top team is headed to Moncton, New Brunswick, to represent Manitoba at the National Reach for the Top tournament.
Reach for the Top is a Canadian school league that quizzes teenagers on a variety of different topics, from science and history to pop culture. Reach started out in 1961 in Vancouver, where a local CBC station broadcasted the new show; it eventually became a national broadcast starting in 1966. Alex Trebek, who famously hosted Jeopardy!, started out by hosting Reach for the Top.
Gray Academy’s very own team, made up of Grade 7 and 8 students, will travel to Moncton, New Brunswick, to compete as Team Manitoba. By winning the provincial Reach tournament, they secured their spot in the national competition.
Faculty members at Gray Academy are very supportive of the program. The Jewish Post spoke with three different staff members at the school. Coach and high school teacher Danielle Miller says she is excited for the trip; although she will not be accompanying the team herself, shehas coached them all year.
“This year we had over 20 students come to the club to join us, they practice twice a cycle at lunch,” Miller said. Due to the large turnout this year, two teams had to be formed. At lunch practices, students split into two teams of four where each player has a buzzer. The two teams compete to see who can answer the most questions correctly.
One of the two teams did exceptionally well at various tournaments throughout the year and will be traveling to nationals as the sole team representing Manitoba.
Co-coach Micah Doerksen described Reach as a great academic competition where young minds are tested on various topics through quick,fast-paced questions.
High school guidance counselor Lindsey Leipsic said, “We have athletes, non-athletes, we have students who are really involved and students who are not as involved at school, and we have quiet leaders, and we’ve seen friendships be built in Reach.” Some of her favorite memories of Reach involve seeing students from across Winnipeg come to Gray Academy and bond with one another. Lev Chisick, who is competing at nationals, agreed, saying, “Moncton is going to strengthen our school spirit and make us a better team.”
As the junior team makes their way to Moncton, the senior team will head to provincials. Later this week, students from the senior team will travel to Virden, Manitoba, to compete at the provincial level. The team qualified after placing high enough at their most recent tournament, which took place at St. Paul’s.
Confidence is high as the school heads into these final tournaments. When Nath Goldenberg, who is also competing at nationals, was asked what he is most looking forward to, his answer was short and sweet:“Winning.”
