Local News
Velimir Kon fulfilled goal to teach Aboriginal students
By MYRON LOVE When Velimir Kon decided 20 years ago that he wanted to dedicate his career to teaching Aboriginal students, he recalls how surprised everyone was at the idea.
“People were in shock,” says Kon – who at a time when he was in his early 50s – had walked away from a comfortable position as a lecturer at the University of Guelph to pursue a new career as a high school maths teacher. “But I felt an empathy for the First Nations communities and was confident that I, as a teacher would be able to make a difference.”
The only person (besides his wife, Branka) who supported Kon’s choice of career path, he notes, was a Chabad rabbi in Hamilton who suggested that the teacher would be following a path pre-ordained by God.
Big Trout Lake in northwestern Ontario and Berens River on the southeastern side of Lake Winnipeg, the First Nations communities where Kon taught for a combined 15 years, were two of the more recent stops on a lengthy life journey for Branka and Velimir Kon that began 70-some years ago in Communist postwar Yugoslavia. Velimir grew up in a community called Osijek – with a Jewish community of about 250 – in what is now Croatia. Branka is from Belgrade, the former capital city of Yugoslavia, which is now the capital of Serbia.
Both Velimir and Branka are children of Holocaust survivors whose fathers were leaders in their respective Jewish communities. They met in a Jewish summer camp (Velimir is three years older) and married in 1975.
While their Jewish communities were largely assimilated, Velimir notes that his zaida was a religious Zionist – his father more of a social Zionist. Velimir himself was a Jewish youth leader in his community. “I visited Israel twice in the 1970s and did consider staying there,” he recalls.
Branka describes her family as Jewish Conservative. “We observed all the Jewish holidays,” she says.
Velimir pursued a career in higher education focusing on agriculture – culminating in a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics while Branka became a nurse specializing in neo-natal care.
Although the couple were comfortable in Yugoslavia, Velimir notes that by 1988, he could see that in the new post-Tito era that difficult times were coming. Thus, Velimir and Branka and their young daughters, Deborah and Lea, made the move to Canada.
“Everybody was surprised by our decision,” he recalls. “But, three or four years later, civil war broke out and Yugoslavia was no more.”
The family settled in Guelph, Ontario, where Velimir began his career as a lecturer at the university.
It was while at the university that he first met Michael Eskin, the long time professor in the University of Manitoba department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, who was at Guelph University for a conference. The Kons and the Eskins became close friends. (I actually met Velimir and Branka in early July when Michael invited us to attend his inauguration into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame.)
A second couple who became close friends of the Kons in Winnipeg were Gerry and Sharna Posner. Velimir met The Jewish Post & News columnist – who now lives in Toronto – the first time he attended services at the Shaarey Zedek. (Gerry arranged for Velimir and Branka to buy a house right next door to the Posners.)
Velimir reached another turning point in his life 20 years ago, when, at the age of 51, he decided to quit the university and become a high school teacher. “Because my credentials were not from a Canadian university, I came to realize that I was never going to become a professor or even assistant professor,” he recalls. “ I wanted to do something else where I could get steady work. I liked the idea of working with young people.”
So he enrolled in Education at the University of Ottawa. “I liked the idea of working with First Nations students,” he says. “I felt that I could bring compassion and empathy to my teaching and, in a typically Jewish way, look at old problems with new eyes.”
As noted previously, he began his teaching at Big Trout Lake before moving to the Berens River Reserve (population about 1,000) in 2007. Initially, he taught Grades 8 and 9 mathematics.
“I quickly learned that my students didn’t know basic math,” he recounts. I needed to build up their knowledge one step at a time. I incorporated their own life experiences to help them better understand math.”
He also introduced a chess club to the school. “It was a challenge interesting young people to chess who are mainly used to outdoor activities,” he points out. “In our first session, I explained chess in terms of hunting and the need in both cases to develop a strategy. I had ten students in the club.
“One of the benefits of chess for the students is that those who were suffering with ADHD learned to focus better.”
After a few years teaching at the high school, Kon was appointed adult education coordinator for the community. “Teaching literacy and numeracy are very important skills for people,” he notes.
Kon’s success at Berens River can be measured by the frequency with which he was invited to teach as a guest lecturer in other nearby First Nations communities.
Throughout his tenure at Berens River, he points out, he was also aware of the importance of living and modeling a Jewish life. He kept kosher – with Branka bringing him kosher food from Winnipeg (where she and her daughters were living while Velimir was at Berens River whenever she could get out to the community for Shabbat. She continued working as a nurse in Winnipeg.) Or Velimir would stock up when coming home to visit on Yom Tov when he could or at Pesach.
And Shabbat candles always lit at his Berens River residence. He recalls one time when Branka was visiting and the couple invited some of Velimir’s colleagues for Shabbat supper. On one of those occasions, a colleague revealed that she, too, was Jewish but had never lit Shabbat candles.
Another time, Danny Koulack – best known for his association with Finjan – was in Berens River to lead a two-day workshop. “It was Chanukah and we got snowed in,” Kon recalls. “We organized a Chanukah party and invited all the teachers. We lit the candles and everyone joined in the singing.”
Velimir retired in 2017 – about the same as Branka. In 2020 the couple – along with younger daughter Lea, moved to Victoria where Deborah was living and working. All four Kons recently returned to Winnipeg after Lea was hired by the government.
“In a way,” Velimir notes, “working in First Nations Communities, I saw myself as an unofficial ambassador for Israel and the Jewish People. I found that people respected my beliefs and that there was strong support in the communities for Israel. One individual even apologized to me for the Canadian Government’s refusal to accept the Jewish refugees on the St. Louis in 1938.”
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.”
