Local News
While many more Israelis may be thinking of leaving the country, Manitoba has seen very few arrive here the past three years
By BERNIE BELLAN Elsewhere on this website you can read an article about how many Israelis are planning on leaving the country as a result of the radical shift in that country’s direction since the new government came into power (https://jewishpostandnews.ca/rss/alarmed-by-their-countrys-political-direction-more-israelis-are-seeking-to-move-abroad/). We wondered though whether that might lead to an upsurge in Israelis applying to come to Manitoba. If recent figures for the number of Israelis who have come here under the Provincial Nominee Program are any indication, then it seems that the number of Israelis who have been applying to come here has fallen drastically in the past three years.
In May 2022 we published an article about an increase in the number of applicants that Manitoba was going to be able to accept under the Provincial Nominee Program. The PNP is the program through which most immigrants coming to Manitoba arrive. At that time we predicted that the increase – from 6,275 to 6,367, would lead to an increase in the number of Israelis applying to move to Manitoba.
Recently the province announced that its allocation for 2023 under the PNP hds jumped almost 50% – to 9,500.
Yet, while the number of applicants who will be accepted under the PNP may be skyrocketing, it hasn’t translated into any marked increase in the number of Israelis who have applied to move here – either in 2022 or 2023.
We asked a spokesperson for Jon Reyes, Manitoba’s Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration, the following question: “How many applications under the PNP have you received from Israelis in the past year?”
The answer we received was: “In 2022, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) received 16 applications from Israeli citizens. In 2021, the MPNP received 7.”
The spokesperson for the minister also added this note: “I’m not sure if you were thinking those numbers would be larger, but it’s also possible that individuals/families arrive in a different province, and then move to Manitoba. In those instances, that wouldn’t be reflective in the province’s numbers.”

We also emailed the Jewish Federation, asking this question: “I’m wondering whether there has been an increase in inquiries from people living in Israel wanting to know about moving to Winnipeg. The reason I ask is obvious: There are so many Israelis wanting to leave the country now because of what the government is doing, but from what I’ve been reading the vast majority are applying to move to Europe. Is there anything you can tell me about how many have inquired in the past year about moving to Manitoba?”
Here is the answer we got back: “We have not gotten any indication of people leaving Israel and coming to Winnipeg due to the political situation there, at least as of now.”
Between 2017-2019 there had been a steady stream of Israelis who were allowed to move here under the PNP. When COVID hit in 2020, however, the number dropped – for obvious reasons, and it dropped even further in 2021. It increased slightly in 2022 – but nowhere near the levels it had been from 2017-2019.
Following the article we published last May about the Provincial Nominee Program, we received an email from an immigration consultant here who has a great deal of experience assisting Israelis with the process of emigrating to Manitoba. That person suggested that, as a result of the tightening of requirements under the PNP, fewer individuals from Israel were applying to come to Manitoba. We also wrote: “That individual also suggested that many immigrants who have come here have left Winnipeg as a result of not being able to find work in their chosen fields.”
In June 2022 we reported that the Jewish Federation was optimistic that immigration by Jewish families would bounce back in 2022. A spokesperson for the Federation wrote: “We have 75 people ready and willing to come to Winnipeg and continue with the immigration process, and with pandemic restrictions loosening, we anticipate numbers to bounce back from 2021. There are currently 300 individuals in various stages of producing required documents necessary to continue with the process.”
From time to time we have been reporting in this paper about new families having arrived in Winnipeg from other countries, including Turkey and Mexico (and in this issue, from Brazil) – and we will be continuing to report on new arrivals in coming issues, but again, we’re left wondering: Why aren’t more people coming here from Israel?
In our November 9 issue last year we reported on information gleaned from the 2021 census about the number of individuals in Winnipeg who reported that their ethnic origin was Israeli. The figure in the 2021 census was 1,435; in 2016 the figure was only 405. (We also explained that figures from the 2016 census were suspect because that census did not report Jewish or Israeli as one of the choices for ethnic origin. Respondents would have had to write in those answers. In 2021, by way of contrast, respondents were offered a check list of over 100 different choices for ethnic origin – this time including both “Jewish” and “Israeli” as possible answers.)
In either event, there was certainly a marked increase in the number of respondents in 2021 who gave “Israeli” as their ethnic origin.
But, as we also noted in another article (in our November 23 issue) about results of the 2021 census, there were also some very surprising figures about the religious background of individuals who said their ethnic origin was Israeli: “Of the 1350 individuals who said their ethnic origin was ‘Israeli’, only 855 said their religion was Jewish. Of the remainder, 385 said they had no religion, while 105 said they were Christian.”

While there have also been a number of arrivals of Jewish families to Winnipeg from countries other than Israel, it’s been Israel that’s been by far the largest source of immigration to this city for Jewish families over the past 20 years.
And, while Winnipeg’s Jewish population showed an apparent increase from 2011 to 2021, when you combine figures for both ethnic origin and religion, the increase was fairly negligible. As I noted in my November 23rd article, a careful analysis of data from the 2021 census showed that, at a maximum, the number of individuals in Winnipeg who might be considered Jewish – either by ethnic origin or religion, was 14, 270 – and the figure was probably much lower than that.
So, what does this all signify? The rate of immigration from Israel to Manitoba has slowed over the past three years – even though the number of applicants who would be allowed to come here under the Provincial Nominee Program has jumped dramatically this year.
But last May, when we spoke with Dalia Szpiro, GrowWinnipeg Director for the Federation, she told us then that there was a large backlog of prospective immigrants who delayed coming here for exploratory visits as a result of Covid. In the past little while many individuals have now been coming here on those exploratory visits, Dalia said at the time.
Evidently though, very few of those prospective immigrants are from Israel – at least if figures released by the Manitoba government showing how few applicants under the PNP in the past two years have been from Israel.
In some respects, what is going on in Israel right now is reminiscent of what was being expressed when Donald Trump was elected President in 2016. Many Americans said then that they would leave the US as a result. While some did come to Canada, it turned out that our immigration requirements were far more onerous than many Americans had thought.
Last May, when we wrote about the PNP, we noted that Manitoba was seeking immigrants in specific areas.
At the time we asked the spokesperson for Minister Reyes: “Are there particular classes of immigrants that Manitoba is wanting to recruit? e.g., computer programmers, nurses, etc. (also good hockey players)?”
The spokesperson responded:
“The MPNP is an economic program that aims to address labour market needs by nominating skilled workers and business investors who satisfy program criteria – and who are employable in their areas of professional experience – across all industry sectors.
“Based on the Manitoba government’s Labour Market Outlook 2021-2025 and recent Manitoba occupations gap analyses for the 2022-2026 period, the need for the following occupations is expected to be acute until 2026, given new and expanding businesses and organizations and replacement of retiring workers:
· Retail salespersons
· Transport truck drivers
· Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
· Retail and wholesale trade managers
· Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
· Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occu- pations; and
· Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
Many of the immigrants from Israel under the PNP have indeed found work in those areas, especially truck drivers, but one wonders why there has been such a slowdown in applicants from Israel under the PNP?
The answer seems to lie in the tightened requirement that the province is not imposing under the Provincial Nominee Program. Anecdotally, we recall hearing stories from individuals who had come here in the past. In many of those instances, we were told, they came applying to be truck drivers. When asked whether they had experience driving a truck, invariably they would answer: “Yes.” But, we were told, that wasn’t true; no matter, they were accepted under the PNP – and did get jobs as truck drivers.
Apparently the ease with which many applicants were accepted under the PNP no longer applies. We hope to explore the issue of why there has been such a dramatic slowdown in applicants from Israel to Manitoba under the PNP in a future issue.
Local News
Cathy Moser organizing information program and beach party at Camp Massad as part of campaign to raise funds for pioneering Israeli treatment using psychedelic drugs and psychotherapy to treat PTSD

By MYRON LOVE When it comes to fundraising for worthy causes, Dr. Cathy Moser is one of the most creative and innovative people I know.
For over a dozen years, she was the annual Cancercare Manitoba Foundation Challenge for Life entrant Serratus Superstars team leader. Over that time period, Moser and her team raised over $450,000.00 – not only through walking but also through donations from garage sales and bake sales she and her friends organized and concerts organized in their homes.
A few months back, the Jewish Post ran a story about Cathy and her husband Jeff’s newest cause – a campaign to raise money for the Jerusalem Foundation’s new Resilience Centre, a novel treatment center for Israelis suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Aided in fundraising by long time Talmud Torah classmates and friends Donna Weinstein and Gina Chodirker, the Winnipeg couple are pledging to double every dollar donated to the Centre up to $100,000.
As part of that initiative, Moser and her friends are inviting readers to a special event – “Jerusalem at the Lake” on Sunday, June 22, at Camp Massad. The day’s activities will begin at 11:00 with brunch and presentations by Jerusalem Resilience Center directors Dr. Sinai Oren, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and Pinni Baumol, a social worker who has been working in the area for decades.
That will be followed by a family-friendly beach party from 3:00 to 7:00 featuring activities for all ages. Moser reports that there will be dinner, a live band, Israeli dancing, sports, a heated pool and arts and crafts for the kids. She adds that she, Gina Chodirker and Donna Weinstein recruited several other Talmud Torah/JWC alumni – including Miriam Kohn, Avis Raber, Jackie Winestock, Deborah Fleishman and Gail Thau – to help out.
Moser points out that, according to the Jerusalem Foundation, estimates suggest that over half a million Israelis are suffering from PTSD, as well as other psychological issues, since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and ensuing war.
“It is not only Israeli soldiers who have been traumatized,” Moser observed in that earlier interview. “Everybody in Israel knows someone who was affected by the attack on October 7. This past year has triggered trauma from past wars as well as intergenerational trauma from the Holocaust.”
In response to this tsunami of trauma that has hit Israelis, the Jerusalem Foundation, soon after the October attack, founded the Resilience Centre – operating out of the Shaare Zedek Hospital. The Resilience Centre utilizes a range of treatments for trauma therapy – including the pioneering use of the drug ketamine, in combination with psychotherapy.
Cathy Moser has been treating patients for the past 40 years. During that time, she says, she has treated victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and other horrific life events. Conventional tools and treatments can successfully treat trauma, but some (traumas) are so barbaric and complex that no matter how skilled a clinician is, “we cannot restore one’s lifeforce,’ ” she points out.
Moser initially approached the Jerusalem Resilience Center because of her work in psychedelic medicine. “Last summer, I visited the Reslience Centre,” she says. “I witnessed their treatment efficacy. There are less than a handful of legal psychedelic treatment centers in Israel, and this is a main one.”
Moser notes that readers who are interested in attending this special event and becoming sponsors can contact her at 204 295-3214, Donna Weinstein – 204 540-9869, or Gina Chodirker – 204 218-4803 or email friendsofJRC@gmail.com.
Registration deadline is June 14.
We owe it to our Israeli brothers and sisters to show them that we care about the mental health sacrifices that they are making to defend our homeland. While we happily offer donations for forest and building restoration, this gift will help to restore the ability of those that are traumatized to enjoy life again.
“We are hoping to raise at least $250,000.00 for the Jerusalem Resilience Centre,” Moser says. “That’s a lot of gelt…. but I think we can do it!
It is definitely a worthy cause.”

Local News
What was in a letter sent to Etz Chayim Congregation that led to Winnipeg police visiting the home of the sender and the barring of the sender – along with their family, from coming to Etz Chayim?

By BERNIE BELLAN (June 2, 2025) On Friday, May 30, we received an email from an individual that immediately aroused our curiosity – and which subsequently led to an exchange of emails with both that individual and the Chief Operating Officer of Etz Chayim Congregation.
At the time of writing we have no idea what was in the letter that elicited such a strong reaction from the COO and President of Etz Chayim Congregation.
Here, in chronological order, are the emails we received, along with emails we sent in response to those emails:
email received Friday, November 30, at 12:42 pm from an individual whose name will not be revealed:
“I have just had a pair of police officers at the door telling me that we are now banned from Etz Chayim and if we show up the police will be called, no reasons given. I suspect it was an accumulation of things, including a letter I sent.”
email received Friday 2:40 pm from Morissa Granove, COO of Etz Chayim Congregation and Allan Cogan, President (Note: Although I am not a member of Etz Chayim Congregation I do receive emails from them, as I do from other Winnipeg congregations):
“Dear Congregation Etz Chayim Community,
“Please click HERE to read a letter informing you of an important CEC Safety & Security Update.
“Thank you,
“Morissa.
“Morissa Granove
“Chief Operating Officer
“Congregation Etz Chayim – Winnipeg, Manitoba
“Phone 204.589.6305 ext. 107 | Fax 204.582.0246
“1155 Wilkes Ave, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3P 1B9”
Here are the contents of the letter to which Morissa and Allan referred in their email:
“Congregation Etz Chayim – Safety and Security Update”
“May 30th, 2025
“Dear Members & Friends of Congregation Etz Chayim,
“As a sacred community (kehillah kedoshah), we are writing to inform you of an important matter concerning the safety and well-being of our congregation.
“On Tuesday, May 27th, we received deeply troubling correspondence from a member of our community. The nature of this communication raised serious concerns about the safety of our congregants and staff. After careful and deliberate consultation with our Board of Directors, Clergy, the Winnipeg Police Service, the Jewish Security Network, and the Secure Community Network (in partnership with the USCJ), and on their recommendations we have made the difficult but necessary decision to terminate the membership of this individual and all members of their household, effective immediately.
“These individuals are no longer permitted on the premises of Congregation Etz Chayim, nor may they participate in any of our synagogue’s programs or activities.
“We did not take this action lightly. It was made with a heavy heart and a steadfast commitment to protecting our spiritual home and all those who enter it. We are grateful for your trust and partnership as we continue to strengthen our kehillah. May we go from strength to strength—chazak v’ematz—with faith in one another and a deep sense of pride in our Jewish identity and values.
“Thank you for your continued faith and understanding,
“Morissa Granove and Allan Cogan.
“COO and President, CEC”
email we sent to Congregation Etz Chayim Friday 3:45 pm in response to the email received from Morissa Granove and Allan Cogan (My email has been edited to remove anything that would specifically identify whether the sender of the email was a man or a woman):
“Hi,
“I received an email from …telling me that (they are) now banned from the Etz Chayim. I assume… is also banned too, judging by the way your email (sent to congregation members) is worded.
“I don’t know …at all – I can’t begin to imagine what (they) might have written, but in the interest of fair reporting and fuller disclosure, can you say anything more about what (they) wrote in (their) letter?
“-Bernie Bellan
“Publisher,
“jewishpostandnews.ca
“also Associate Editor,
“The Jewish Post Winnipeg”
email received from Morissa Granove Friday 5:19 pm
“Hi Bernie.
“Thank you for reaching out, and for your commitment to fairer reporting.
“At this time, I am not comfortable commenting on a private matter between our shul and this now past member as this is an extremely sensitive and delicate matter. Out of respect for … I will let … decide the path forward that we all take from here and “if” … chooses to have any misinformation published/reported, only then do I feel it’s necessary for CEC to chime in. I encourage you to request a copy of the letter from … and we have no issue with you printing …words should … choose to provide them to you. The decision was forwarded to the WPS for review due to its concerning nature, as well as with SCN and JSN; all of whom separately and unanimously advised to take this matter seriously and to take this next step.
“If …does choose to make any comments to the media or he provides you with a copy of the letter and we see any discrepancies that need to be corrected on record, we will certainly be in touch to have you make the necessary amendments. If you would like to share any articles in draft form before you go to print to see if we have anything more to add then, I am more than willing to work with you in an attempt to avoid any unintended slander or need for amendments.
“Thank you,
“Morissa.
“Morissa Granove
“Chief Operating Officer
“Congregation Etz Chayim – Winnipeg, Manitoba”
email received Friday at 10:51 pm from the individual who wrote the letter to Etz Chayim that set everything off:
“First, please find attached a screenshot of a letter forwarded to us by a friend – we did not receive it. (Ed. note: The ‘letter” would be the letter sent to members of Etz Chayim Congregation earlier that day.) Given the completely outrageous and unfounded allegations in this letter and a police visit with no paperwork presented to us, we have contacted a lawyer and should probably not share anything more until we have talked to him. That will be Wednesday at the earliest, thanks to Shavuot. I trust you understand my not sharing the letter at this time. Hopefully I will be able to soon.
“Needless to say, we are astounded and our poor kids are devastated. B-B Camp #2, here we come.”
Local News
New young (and not so young) talent added to list of Jewish high achievers at most recent Winnipeg Music Festival

By MYRON LOVE The most recent (107th annual) Winnipeg Music Festival – which takes place annually in March – produced another group of Jewish musical stars – including several who were new to the competition. Joining repeat high achievers – such as Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, Gregory Hyman, Alex Schaeffer, Juliet Eskin and Noah Kravetsky – this year the winner’s circle also included: Lyla Chisick, Lotan Berenstein, Benji Greenberg and Shani Groisman..
While the overwhelming majority of the music festival entrants are pre-teens and teenagers, Greenberg, who is 38, and Groisman – who recently celebrated her 20th birthday – are exceptions to that pattern.
Shani, who finished first in the PIANO SOLO, LATE ROMANTIC COMPOSERS, GRADE/LEVEL 10 category – is an accomplished pianist, singer, and music teacher, who has participated in numerous international and local festivals and piano competitions. As a teacher, she teaches students ranging from beginners to Level 5.
The daughter of Marina and Boris Groisman arrived in Winnipeg from Israel 10 years ago. Shani says that she began taking piano lessons when she was 5.
“This competition was something new for me,” observes the Grant Park High School graduate. . “I entered for the challenge. David Moroz, my teacher at the (University of Manitoba’s) Desautels School of Music was very supportive. I am looking forward to next year’s festival.”

Benji Greenberg reports that it was her singing teacher, Geneva Halverson, who encouraged her to enter the competition, A lawyer by training, who currently works as a children’s advocate for Manitoba Advocate for children and youth, Benji notes that while she has always enjoyed singing and has appeared over the years in musical productions in high school and shows staged by the Manitoba Bar Association, it was only about a year ago that she decided to take singing lessons “to learn to sing properly”.
The daughter of Debbie and Harley Greenberg, Benji competed in two categories – Musical Theatre 1965 to 2000, and Musical Theatre pre-1965 – for singers 16 and over. In both categories, she was runner-up to Yale Rayburn Vander Hout, a veteran of four years now in the competition.
“I loved being on stage,” Benji says. “I am looking forward to the next year’s competition.”

Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout continues to build on his accomplishments at the yearly festival. Last year, his third year in the competition, the 18-year-old son of Samantha and Peter was awarded the prestigious Gilbert and Sullivan Society Trophy – awarded for the most outstanding performance in a competition of winners of Gilbert & Sullivan classes.
A former Gray Academy student, he graduated from the University of Winnipeg Collegiate, and is currently in his first year at the Desautels Faculty of Music, where he is studying under the guidance df Donna Fletcher, the co-founder of Dry Cold Productions.
Yale – who has already graced our local stages, notes that he is hoping to pursue a career in musical theatre.
Gregory Hyman is a multi-faceted artist who can do it all. The 17-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 seventh Music Festival, in which he registered three first-place finishes – once for guitar (20th and 21st century composers), and twice for vocals (popular and contemporary music and TV and movie music).
The St. John’s-Ravenscourt student has been busy on stage the past couple of months – headlining his own show at Sidestage on Osborne on March 2 and opening for musician/singer/’songwriter Goody Grace at the Park Theatre on March 16. His next solo performance was scheduled for the Rec Room on Friday, May 9.
Gregory has put out three albums – which readers can check out on any of the music streaming platforms as well as his own Instagram page (thegmh). He 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.

Fifteen-year-old Alex Schaeffer registered one first place finish this year in the Canadian musicals 16 and under category. For the son of Marc Schaeffer and Kae Sasake, this was his fourth year competing in the festival
Both Alex and his older sister, Hannah (both Grant Park students), continue their nascent careers on stage. Alex made his big stage debut last year as one of the Von Trapp children in MTC’s production of “The Sound of Music” – followed by an appearance in the Manitoba Opera production of Carmen as a member of the children’s chorus.
Both Hannah and Alex recently performed in Grant Park High School’s production of A Chorus Line (Hannah played Cassie, and Alex played Paul), and Meraki Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night (Hannah played Malvolio, Alex played Antonio).
This summer Hannah and Alex will be performing in three different shows with Meraki Theatre and Rem Lezar Theatre at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.
In the fall. Hannah will be off to to Oakville. Ontario to attend Sheridan College where she will be studying Musical Theatre Performance.

Juliet Eskin, 15, also stood out. In this her fourth go-round at the festival, the daughter of the musically talented Kelly Robinon and Josh Eskin took home three golds in: the viola solo, level 7 categories; Romantic composer, Baroque and Concerto; and was recommended by the adjudicator to compete for the Swedish Musical Club Trophy.
Juliet originally took up violin – adding the viola a couple of years ago. Outside of the music festival, she is the violist in the Assiniboine String Quartet and just finished performing in Evil Dead the Musical at MTYP, as well as singing the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line.

Rounding out this year’s returning Jewish WMF star was pianist Nate Kravetsky. playing piano.
Twelve-year-old Nate and older brother Noah, 15, the sons of Dr. Azriel Kravetsky and Dr. Carrie Palatnick, both attend Gray Academy – and have been taking piano lessons from Erica Schultz since they were five years old. Last year, Nate won gold in three classes: Baroque, Sonatina and Canadian Composer. In this year’s music festival, he completed in two classes: sonatina and own choice. He won gold in both classes.
His favourite thing about learning piano, Nate says, is getting to express himself and play a contemporary piece from a movie or video game when the festival is over.
This year’s music festival was the first for 11-year-old songstress Lyla Chisick – and the daughter of Daniel and Baillee Chisick acquitted herself quite well. She competed in five categories and achieved gold in three: solo performances in Own Choice; Musicals, 2965 to 1999; and 20th and 21st century English Art Song.
Lyla reports that she began taking voice lessons from Jessica Kos-Whicher abougt 18 months ago. “I really love singing,” she says. “It is a great activity.
“I am looking forward to next year’s festival.”
Lyla, Gregory and Yale were also recommend for the Provincials which will be held the weekend of May 24-26. Yale was recommended in the musical theatre category, while Gregory and Lyla were recommended in the TV and Movie category. Gregory was also recommended in the Popular Contemporary category, while Lyla was further recommended in the Vocal Primary category.
We look forward to the continued musical success off Yale, Gregory, Shani, Benji, Alex, Nate, Juliet and Lyla and what new talent may be unveiled at next year’s Winnipeg Music festival.
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