Local News
“The Soundtrack of our Lives”: JHCWC program leaves audience enthralled
Posted July 5 By BERNIE BELLAN (Note: This article first appeared in our June 7 issue but there’s nothing in it that doesn’t bear repeating now.)
Put an audience of aging baby boomers together with three also aging musicians who are experts on Winnipeg’s music scene – and all three great raconteurs besides, along with an MC who is also himself an aging musical aficionado – and what do you get? An afternoon of nostalgia mixed with great humour and the occasional anecdote that defied belief.
Such was the case on a glorious Sunday afternoon, May 28, when, despite the gorgeous weather outside, Temple Shalom was packed with many formerly hirsute men along with an assortment of graying (and a few nicely hair-dyed) women. They were there to attend what was billed as “The Soundtrack of our Lives: Jews in Winnipeg’s Music Industry.”
Although there had been a fair bit of advance billing for the program, including an excellent preview article in the Winnipeg Free Press, even the three experts who had been assembled on stage really had no idea what was going to ensue.
The event was sponsored by the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, which continues to come up with imaginative programming year after year (even if they haven’t yet agreed to follow up on my proposal to do a program on famous Jewish criminals in Manitoba’s history.)
The three expert panelists included, in order: Owen Clark, a musician of great repute (voted “Winnipeg jazz musician of the year” in 2009), also a historian of Winnipeg’s music scene going back to the 1920s; Len Udow, folk singer, cantor, seven-time performer at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and recording artist – with three solo albums of his own; and John Einarson, former musician with a number of different bands and the writer of over 20 books telling the stories of a host of different Winnipeg musicians, including his opus, “Heart of Gold,” which is a comprehensive history of Manitoba musicians, and which is now in its fourth printing.
Keeping the entire affair coherent was MC Kinzey Posen, who was able to inject his own experiences as a band member into the proceedings – going back to a time when as, Jewish Heritage Centre former president Dan Stone noted, Kinzey not only had hair, he had lots of it.
Stone told this story about Kinzey (and, like a lot of the stories told that afternoon, it might have been greatly embellished): It seems that Kinzey (a.k.a. Martin) was kicked out of school for two weeks for having too long hair. His parents, Stone claimed, offered Kinzey a deal: “If you cut your hair, we’ll buy you a bass and amplifier.”
Owen Clark was the first of the panelists to talk about Jewish musicians of the past. He began by showing a 1920s era photo on the screen (next to the stage) of the “Minnedosa Little Symphony Orchestra,” led by Leon Asper and his wife, Cecilia.
Thus began a chronology of Jewish musicians and others associated with the music industry, including Harry Smith, owner of Club Morocco, whose real name, Clark revealed, was Herschel Shmudkin.
Among the musicians mentioned by Clark was Al Sprintz who, as Clark noted, “went to Club Morocco for two weeks and stayed for 22 years.”
Clark also discussed the integration of black musicians into bands that had Jewish musicians over the years, noting that, as members of two groups that suffered from discrimination, there was a kinship that led to the breaking down of barriers for both blacks and Jews.
Len Udow took a somewhat different tack than Clark – also later Einarson, as he focused primarily on his own history of growing up in a supremely musically talented family, including his mother Sarah, his aunt Belva, and uncle David, all of whom were talented opera singers.
Udow recounted his early childhood experiences of being in the Rosh Pina children’s choir and performing at the old YMHA on Hargrave as having been significant in his own development as a performer.
He told one story of having been a member of a group as a teenager known as the “Wayward Four Plus One.” According to Udow, the group was invited to appear on the CKY Amateur Hour one time, where they won the competition by beating out someone by the name of Burton Cummings (who played trumpet that day).
Later, Udow told of his many experiences on the stage of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, paying tribute to two pioneers of that festival, Mitch Podolak and Marvin Terhoch.
Speaking of Mitch Podolak (about whom Kinzey Posen wrote a moving tribute in our October 11, 2017 issue, which you can find on our website), John Einarson began his own remarks about Jews in Winnipeg’s music scene through the years by telling this story: It seems that Einarson and Podolak had never met until one day their paths happened to cross and Podolak told Einarson that he was thinking of starting a music festival for Winnipeg. He asked Einarson what he thought of the idea?
Einarson’s answer, he recounted was: “It’ll never work.”
Growing up in the 1950s, Einarson recalled, opened up a whole new world for him – and countless other youngsters, with the invention of the transistor radio.
“It made a great difference in listening to music,” he explained.
“It broke down barriers…Rock ‘n roll was a great equalizer” among kids in those days.
“I grew up with Jewish musicians,” Einarson continued. “They went on to become doctors and lawyers…The place to go for music was community clubs.”
Einarson took the audience through a Powerpoint presentation that showed pictures of bands from the 1950s, 60s and 70s that were either entirely Jewish or else had a majority of Jewish members.
He also paid tribute to others who played instrumental roles in promoting local talent, such as DJs Doc Steen and Howard Mandshein.
There were other notable figures who were important promoters, Einarson noted, including such individuals as Ivan Berkowits (who hit upon the idea of promoting his Monarch Wear brand of jeans known as TJs through music, with girls wearing TJs appearing at community clubs); Fred Glazerman; Frank Wiener (just recently passed), who opened the Hungry I booking agency; Terry Morris; Jerry Shore (who ran Celebrity Box Office); Roy Levin (of Transcontinental Productions, and who was the first to book the Guess Who here): Sam Katz (of Nite Out Entertainment); and Lorne Saifer (the longtime manager of the Guess Who).
Then, there were the club owners, Einarson told about: Jerry Huck (Jay’s Discotheque); Dick Golfman (The Twilight Zone); Bruce Druxerman (The Fireplace); Phil and Ray Kives (The Zoo, on Osborne); and the Gindin family (St. Vital Hotel).
There were also the record store owners: Murray Posner (Mother’s Records); Norman Stein (Opus 69); and Lilian Lewis (Lilian Lewis Records).
One more name Einarson mentioned was Harry Kreindler, of Banquex Amplifiers.
He told the story how former Manitoba Cabinet Minister Maitland Steinkopf had arranged to bring what was then one of the biggest bands in the world, Led Zeppelin, to play at the old Winnipeg Stadium in 1970 in celebration of Manitoba’s Centennial.
It started to rain, Einarson explained, and the band left the stage. “They had a clause saying they didn’t have to play if it started to rain,” Einarson continued.
But Steinkopf went to the hotel where the band was staying, accompanied by a well-known singer at the time, Diane Hetherington, in an attempt to persuade the band to come back and play inside the Winnipeg Arena.
Steinkopf was told the band wouldn’t do that unless he came up with $25,000US in cash. Somehow, he came back with a suitcase loaded with cash –and the concert did carry on – in the Arena.
Einarson also said that there was a story he had heard – which had never been corroborated, and he asked whether anyone had ever heard the same story: It revolved around well-known restaurateur Oscar Grubert and the Rolling Stones.
Apparently Grubert was the promoter who brought the Rolling Stones to Winnipeg. (Einarson said that Grubert had also tried to bring the Beatles to Winnipeg.) The story he had heard, Einarson said, was that the Rolling Stones stayed at Grubert’s Garden City home. (In later correspondence that I had with Einarson, Kinzey Posen, and Stan Carbone, curator of the Jewish Heritage Centre, when I asked all three of them whether they had heard anything more about that story, Stan Carbone suggested that the Stones had stayed at a hotel owned by Grubert and somehow it got misinterpreted that they had stayed at his home. John Einarson later emailed me to confirm that the Stones had stayed at the Champs Motor Inn on Osborne (which was later bought by the Kives brothers and became the Osborne Motor Inn.)
Too bad, it would have been more fun to think that one of the most famous rock ‘n roll bands in the world actually stayed on Forest Park Drive, no doubt eating only kosher food. (Oscar Grubert was at one time head of the Va’ad Ha’ir in this city.)
Speaking of wild misinterpretations, I interrupted Einarson with my own story, which was about Barbra Streisand. I said that, years ago, I was working for another well-known restaurateur (also nightclub owner), Auby Galpern.
By now, the story of Streisand either being fired by Galpern – or leaving Winnipeg of her own accord, is legendary. (She appeared at the Towers Nightclub in July 1961, when she was only 19, and just starting out in her career).
I said that Auby had told me that he fired Streisand because she was “a dirty hippie” and “sang too loud.” (Later Kinzey Posen told me that she couldn’t have been a “dirty hippie” in 1961; a “dirty beatnik” maybe. Why am I always being corrected?)
A very good website about the history of Winnipeg, known as “Local Dumplings” takes issue with that account of what happened: “Local lore says that Streisand was ‘fired’ by T & C co-owner Auby Galpern and told that she would never make it as a cabaret singer. That has recently been disputed by a couple of former senior T & C staffers who say that she was released early at the request of her agent to return to the U.S. for work.
“In an April 23, 1964 Gene Telpner column, Galpern said of Streisand’”I liked her but I thought she dressed very strangely (she bought her wardrobe at rummage sales to give her an eclectic look).”
In any event, my recalling the famous Barbra Streisand story set off a chain of comments – both from panelists and from audience members, but the wildest stories revolved around Barbra Streisand supposedly being set up on a blind date while she was in Winnipeg. (Later, John Einarson wrote me that would have been impossible because she was only here three nights and would have been performing each evening, so when would she have had time for a date?)
Regardless, the craziest story came from one audience member who said he had heard that Barbra was set up with Ron Braunstein who, at the time, was a very successful curler on his brother Terry’s team. According to what the audience member said, Ron Braunstein told Barbra that, unless she wanted to come to a curling match that night, he couldn’t make it. But this was July! See how tell tales get started! (In subsequent email correspondence with Einarson, Posen, and Carbone, I suggested that I wouldn’t be surprised if the two wild stories – about the Rolling Stones and Barbra Streisand, got so intertwined some day that someone would say they had heard that Barbra Streisand was set up on a blind date with Mick Jagger at Oscar Grubert’s house.)
Speaking of clubs, John Einarson recalled that Winnipeg musicians, after they had finished their gigs in various clubs, used to head over to the Club Morocco after 1 am because it was the only club still serving food.
Someone in the audience brought up the name of another club, The Fourth Dimension (later bought by Mickey Cooperband). Einarson said that many famous musicians had played there, including Stephen Stills, Joni Mitchell, Don McLean, and Neil Young. (Later, after the program was over, someone told me that a musician by the name of Bob Zimmerman (a.k.a. Bob Dylan) used to come to Winnipeg to visit relatives here and stay at Neil Young’s house.)
Len Udow told an amusing story about musician Bernie Senensky. Apparently Udow and Senensky were in a Grade 10 British History class together in high school.
“We were not great students,” Udow remarked. “We didn’t share our intellect with anyone.”
Still, Udow recalled, when he would look over at Senensky, he was busy arranging music rather than paying attention to what was going on in class. “He was so obsessed with music,” Udow said. You could see what lay ahead for Senensky, who went on to a great career as a jazz pianist and composer.
One final – and very astute observation was brought up by someone else in the audience who observed that, while community clubs might have been the venues of choice for rock ‘n roll, church halls were where folk music could be heard. Then, one election year in Manitoba, Gary Doer hit upon the idea of going after the youth vote by promising to lower the drinking age to 18 from 21 – and all of a sudden all those kids congregating in church halls listening to folk music were now able to hit the bars – “and that killed the folk music scene.”
It was truly a great afternoon of memories and anecdotes. I had noticed someone was videoing the program when I walked in, so I emailed Stan Carbone to ask whether a video of the program might be available for people to see. He said he’ll get back to me with further information.
Local News
Sharon Delbridge’s annual health & wellness retreats in Puerto Vallarta have become popular with many Winnipeggers
By BERNIE BELLAN Over the years we have revisited stories from time to time – to catch up with individuals who have made a mark in this city and to see where their lives have taken them since the last time we wrote about them.
One such individual is Sharon Delbridge, the youngest daughter of Sol and Rachel Fink, and younger sister to Percy, Shayla (Posen), and the late Sheldon Fink (who died all too young at the age 57 in 2021).
Myron Love has written many times about Sol and Rachel Fink, who continue to amaze for their vitality – with Sol now 101 and Rachel having just turned 99.
As Sharon notes in an email sent to me, “My parents work out everyday. Not at Rady anymore. They do exercise at home & in their condo gym (200 Tuxedo) Move their bodies daily. My mom leads her and my dad daily in movement. It’s incredible.
“They have been a huge inspiration to all of us.”
Aside from the fact that the Fink family was a very musical family, their penchant for fitness is clearly something that rubbed off on Sharon, in particular.
My own wife, Meachelle, who was quite the fitness fanatic herself in her day (not that she’s been put out to pasture quite yet), profiled Sharon for The Jewish Post & News in 2015. In that story, Sharon explained how she came to be one of the most popular and best known fitness instructors, not only at the Rady JCC – where her classes in a wide variety of different areas, were – and still are, extremely popular, but at many other venues throughout Winnipeg.
Here’s part of what Sharon told Meachelle about how she came to teach so many different types of fitness classes:
“I’ve been into fitness my whole life. I come from a very musical family but also a family that always works out. When I was in my 20s I was teaching aerobics for several years as a part-time job while in university. When I had my three children (Milan, Jared and Cassie Ackerman) I ran a hand-painted clothing business in my home called Milan Designs, and I sold to ladies’ and children’s stores all over Canada.
“I was always working out and have loved fitness classes. I went back and got more certifications in my 40s. I’m certified to teach many specialties and have been actively teaching at the Rady for over 10 years. I now specialize in women’s boutique fitness: Zumba, Yoga and Barre classes. The three specialties blend beautifully together and I have a big following of people from all over Winnipeg that come to my classes. I have every Zumba certification that’s available: Zumba, Zumba Gold (for seniors), Zumba Toning (with weights), Zumba Aqua (in water), Zumba Step and Zumba Sentao (using steppers and chairs).
“I’ve taken many yoga certifications through the past 10 years and I’ve been teaching Barre classes, which are the latest and hottest classes for women. I’m always taking new training in these three specialties to continue to stay fresh and always have new and exciting things to present to my class. That’s how I stay unique in my field. I’m always learning and always developing my classes to be the best they can be. I spend tons of time finding the best music and choreographing.
“I truly feel that if you work out and look after your body, you will always have a positive outlook on life. Exercise is a huge healer mentally and physically. I have seen so many incredible changes in women that come to my classes. They have transformed their bodies and live happier and healthier lives.”
It was a year after Meachelle’s article about Sharon that Sharon and her husband, Darcy, began going to Puerto Vallarta for the winter. As Sharon noted, “I started teaching at a Yoga studio the first winter we were here in PV. It’s easy to meet people & build community when you’re teaching snowbirds from everywhere
I love sharing my love for fitness & yoga & moving our bodies.”
But, for six years prior to making Puerto Vallarta her and Darcy’s winter home, Sharon had already been conducting annual one-week health and wellness retreats in Puerto Vallarta. She has continued to conduct those retreats every year since. The most recent retreat was held from January 25-February 1 at the Fiesta Americana All Inclusive Resort.
Here’s how Sharon describes the purpose of those retreats:
“For over 15 years, my Health & Wellness Retreat has brought together women of all ages to reconnect, recharge, and celebrate movement, friendship, and balance. Hosted at a beautiful all-inclusive resort, guests can truly make the week their own holiday experience. While primarily a women’s retreat, many now bring their husbands or partners who are welcome to participate as much or as little as they choose.
“Throughout the week, we offer seven daily classes ranging from sunrise meditation and yoga to toning, Zumba, yin yoga, and our signature Aqua Zumba — which transforms into a high-energy, joy-filled pool party. Each evening, we gather for sunset yoga and take time to celebrate the beauty of the day together.
“The retreat blends wellness with enjoyment, allowing guests to indulge in the resort’s wonderful restaurants and social atmosphere while still feeling strong, energized, and revitalized. It’s a balanced, uplifting experience where participants leave feeling nourished in body, mind, and heart, often forming lifelong friendships. This year, we were proud to welcome 40 participants.”
In the picture accompanying this article you might recognize several Winnipeggers. I asked Sharon how many Winnipeggers were participants in this year’s retreat?
The answer, she said, was the majority (31) were from Winnipeg, while six were from Las Vegas, one from Ottawa and two from Edmonton.
The last two years, Sharon also noted, another well known member of the Rady JCC staff, Dona Watts-Hastings, who’s a physiotherapist, also a yoga and Pilates instructor, has joined Sharon in conducting the retreat. Sharon adds that Dona’s physiotherapy clinic is inside the Rady JCC. Dona also brings some of her clients to the retreat.
I wondered though, how active Sharon is in teaching classes when she’s back in Winnipeg? Does she never tire of teaching so many classes? I wondered.
Sharon’s answer was: “Yes, I’m still in Winnipeg half of the year and I will always teach at the Rady… Zumba, sculpt , yoga & barre class – also spinning if they need me to sub. . I teach at Assiniboine park and other gyms, too. Every morning I teach and often sub other classes. Busy all spring & summer.”
Whew! It’s tiring just reading about everything Sharon does. If you would like to find out more about next year’s health & wellness retreat in Puerto Vallarta and how you might be able to join up, contact Sharon at sharon@freshsoulfitness.com.
To watch a video of what a typical day at the retreat consisted of go to freshsoulfitness
Local News
Jess Pudavick: artist and business executive
By MYRON LOVE Jess Pudavick is a rare individual in that she combines careers as an artist and a business executive.
I first became aware of Jess last summer when she was one of the artists/craftspeople with a display table at the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre’s annual garage and craft sale. What piqued my interest was her focus on incorporating resins in her art pieces.
Last week, while interviewing Ms. Pudavick at Super-Lite Lighting on Waverley – I learned much more about the multi-talented Ms. Pudavick.
While I have a passion for art,” she notes, “I was not interested in becoming a stereotypical starving artist.”
The daughter of Stuart and Beth Pudavick joined the company (which her father acquired in the early 1980s (along with partners Simon Simkin and Allan Hochman) 17 years ago. Her brother, Ray, also joined the company 10 years ago, Jess notes.
At Super-Lite, Jess’s title is Custom Homes Lighting Consultant. She works with builders, designers and contractors to build the lighting for the home, as well as to choose the right lights for the space. She also manages the company’s social media and website.
“I enjoy working with my dad and Ray,” she says.”I also love what I do at Super-Lite. It is similar to my feelings about my art. You don’t know the end result when you start. It is nice to see something being built from nothing and seeing the end result – and knowing how happy the client is in the end.”.
As an artist, the graduate of Brock Corydon’s Hebrew Bilingual Program, Shaftesbury Collegiate and the University of Manitoba, recalls that she started at a young age. “As a kid,” she says, “I was always doodling and drawing cartoons.”
While she has worked with several different artistic media, she observes that what she likes about creating art with resins is the challenge.
“Resin is a temperamental material,” she points out. “When you start a project, you have no idea what the finished product will look like.”
She explains that there are two ways to work with resin. You can put traditional resin in a mold and wait 24 hours for the resin to dry. Or you can speed up the process by using a UV style resin and exposing the resin to UV rays.
“I prefer letting the resin dry naturally,” she says. “I find I have more control over it.”
Her resin-infused art comes in many forms. She produces earrings and necklaces, candle holders and ashtrays, dice and computer keys. She has also created resin-infused mahjong and rummikub tiles and even sets of dominoes with paw prints. A popular item, Jess says, is a custom coloured/theme wedding set of dominoes.
“People love them,” she says of the dominoes tiles.
(The latter reflects her own passion for dogs for which she is often a foster “parent”. She notes that she also creates resin-infused memory keepsake urns for the ashes/hair or fur of beloved pets – a product that is gaining popularity.)
Then there is the resin-infused coffee table that has a place of honour in her own home. “With my love of plants and resin, my partner and I took our existing coffee table, added various clippings of my own plants and created a fun resin-sealed table,” she recounts. “It really looks cool. It is unique. it attracts visitors’ interest. Every time I look at it, I see something different.”
Jess reports that generally sells her works of art through craft sales and her Instagram page (@thejesso09) for between $10 and $30. Her major source of sales though, she adds, is through word of mouth.
But Pudavick avers that she doesn’t do her art with an eye to sales.
“I create for myself, not for the approval of others. I find it relaxing – a good way to reduce stress. It’s also rewarding to see that others want something you have created.”
She strongly believes that enjoying your work is an important element in being happy. Equally important, she notes, – both in business and art – is to have satisfied customers.
Local News
Local entrepreneurs Dr. Norman Silver and Dave Berkowits’ QDoc connecting patients and doctors on line
By MYRON LOVE Three and a half years ago Bernie Bellan wrote a story for The Jewish Post & News about a new service that had just started up earlier in 2022. That story told how two entrepreneurs, Dr. Norman Silver and Dave Berkowits, came up with the idea of providing online care with physicians to patients who weren’t in a position where they could visit a physician in person.
At that time, the story noted, QDoc began with only 144 patients in May 2022, but was growing at a rate of 1,000 new patients a month. Since then QDoc has been a roaring success and has been expanding its reach well outside Manitoba.
You can read the original story about QDoc on this website at QDoc.
Here now is an update to that original story:
Roughly four years ago, long time pediatrician Dr. Norman Silver and his brother-in-law, Dave Berkowits, a leading Canadian healthcare software developer, joined forces to create a virtual medical program that connects physicians and patients online.
“In our first couple of months, QDoc was able to connect 55 patients with our team of physicians, Silver reports. “Last year, we had more than 124,000 patients sign in – or about 11,500 a month who signed in.
“We have working relationships with close to 200 doctors and 35 nurse practitioners who are in partnership with us.
“We also have almost 3,000 positive reviews online.”
Silver notes that while 70% of Qdoc’s patients are from rural and northern Manitoba, the system is also in operation in Nunavut and Northwestern Ontario.
For Berkowitz and Silver, Qdoc is akin to a match made in heaven. The son of Rita and the late Ron Silver has been a pediatrician for 20 years. His resumé includes many years as an ER doc at Children’s Hospital, as well as working out of the Pan Am Clinic for years.
According to a write-up abut Silver on the Doctors Manitoba web page, the innovative pediatrician has many accomplishment during his career aimed at improving healthcare in our province. These include a nurse-initiated X-ray program in the Children’s ER, which decreased the length of stay for children with fractures by 1.5 hours; an oral rehydration program in the waiting room for children with gastroenteritis, which expedited their stay; a pediatric sedation service at the Children’s Hospital; a pediatric locum program to provide uninterrupted service to children in Western Manitoba; and penicillin de-labelling clinics in both Brandon and Winnipeg.
As well, seven years ago, he and Berkowits and five other partners opened the Minor Injury and Injury Clinic – the first non-publicly owned urgent care center in Manitoba .
“We treat up to 50,000 patients a year at the clinic,” he reports.
Silver describes his QDoc founding partner and brother-in-law as “the best medical software developer in Canada.” The son of Sandra and the late Alex Berkowits earned his stripes working for Philips Canada (which, for most readers is probably best known for its electronic consumer products) in its medical products divisions, working with MRIs and CT Scan equipment.
He then went on to work in Alberta for 17 years as part of the leadership team that implemented digital image sharing in Calgary. The team also created software that allowed radiologists based in Calgary to read CT and X-ray studies taken in Whitehorse and Yellowknife. That improved the time it takes for ER departments located up north to have radiology exams read so that patients could be taken care of quickly
It was the Covid lockdowns that led to Berkowits and Silver’s first collaboration – a drive-up, appointment based COVID testing site at Red River College.
Silver notes that certain regulatory changes in Manitoba made it possible for a business such as QDoc to deliver its medical services to the general public. During the lockdown, the then new virtual QDoc program allowed patients and doctors to stay connected and patients who were seen to be covered by Manitoba Health.
Berkowits points out that all you need to sign on to QDoc and connect with a physician is access to a camera, a microphone, an internet connection and a provincial health card.
A patient going onto the system would click ‘see doctor now,’ and be connected to one of several doctors who would receive the text message notifying them that a patient wants to be seen.
“Our goal is to have a doctor respond to the patient within 20 to 30 minutes,” Silver says.
Berkowitz notes that QDoc has separate programs for virtual medicine, medical billing and medical booking.
For Silver, QDoc is Tikkun Olam in action on several fronts. “One advantage of our program is that by connecting a patient who lives maybe 20 km outside of Neepawa with his doctor in Neepawa, you save driving time and reduce potentially harmful emissions.”
He further reports that QDoc partners with the DCSP (downtown community safety partnership) to help deliver care to the homeless.
He adds that last summer, during the large scale evacuation of northern communities due to forest fires, QDoc was approached to help connect evacuees with their regular doctors.
Both Berkowits and Silver demonstrate Tikkun Olam in other ways as well. For the past 27 years, Berkowits has been responsible for security for Shalom Square. (Incidentally, he is the brother of Rob Berkowits, the Rady JCC’s executive director.)
Several years agoSilver (whose brother, Michael, has been president of the JNF for Winnipeg and Saskatchewan) along with his wife, Heather, started a family foundation. “Initially, we distributed about 60% of our giving to non-Jewish charities,” Silver reports. “Over the past two years, we have redirected our funding so that 90% now goes to Jewish causes.
“We have to look after our own,” he observes. “We can’t expect anyone else to.”
As for the future of QDoc, Berkowits and Silver have a vision for expansion – first throughout Western Canada and then, maybe the world.
“We think there may be opportunities in countries such as India and the Philippines,” he notes.
Readers who may be interested in hearing Silver talk about QDoc can attend a presentation he will be giving on Thursday, February 5, at the Kingshead Pub under the auspices of the High Growth Ventures Initiative, a strategic scholarship and community engagement initiative housed within Mount Royal University’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. For more information about QDoc go to qdoc.ca