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Winnipeggers set to participate in upcoming Maccabiah Games

Sam Lazareck (left)/Michael Stoller
to play in Masters hockey

By MYRON LOVE After a year’s delay due to the ongoing Covid situation, the 21st Maccabiah Games are back on track. The Maccabiah, aka “The Jewish Olympics”, is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition.

The (usually) quarterly event highlights the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of the Jewish people. The games, which were first held in 1932 and 1935 in what was then Palestine and – resumed in 1950 after Israeli independence, is organized by Maccabi World Union. The most recent competition in 2017 featured 10,000 athletes representing 80 countries, making it the third largest event in the world, behind only the Summer Olympics and the World University Games.
Maccabi Canada sent a delegation of 600, one of the largest delegations from any Diaspora country. Canadian athletes won 72 medals at the Games, including 15 Golds.
Now, my impression of the Maccabiah Games has been that it is a regular sporting event geared to Jewish young people – much like the Olympics. I have been wrong, however. The Games, reports Sam Lazareck, has a Masters category – for amateur athletes over 40 – and Winnipeggers Lazareck and his close friend Michael Stoller are looking forward to participating in this summer’s Maccabiah – scheduled for July 12-26 with opening ceremonies scheduled to take place, as usual, at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem. Lazareck and Stoller will be members of the Canadian Men’s hockey team, in the Masters category.
Both Lazareck, a psychiatrist, and Stoller, a portfolio manager (StollerWealth), have been playing hockey for years. For Stoller though, his first sport as a competitor was racquetball. It was racquetball in which he competed as a junior (under 18) on the Manitoba men’s team at the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island in 1991.
Lazareck started playing hockey as a 10-year-old. He was on the St. John-Ravenscourt team in high school, played at university and has been part of various men’s leagues around the city. Lazareck also coaches his hockey-playing sons, Dylan, 12, and Ben, 10, at SJR. His daughter, Julia, 14, is a synchronized swimmer.
Stoller coached his younger daughter, Madelyn, who is now 13, at SJR when she was younger in hockey there. This past season (2021-2022), she played for the U15 AA female Rangers. (He notes that his older daughter, 16-year-old Reina, takes dancing classes at the Shelley Shearer School of Dance.)
Both Stoller and Lazareck play forward.
“I love the speed of the game,” Lazareck says. “It is exhilarating. And there is a lot of opportunity for creativity and improvisation.”
It was Lazareck who first saw the Facebook posting calling for prospective players for the Canadian Men’s Maccabiah Masters hockey team. He later recruited long time friend Stoller to try out with him.
“We had to fly out to Toronto last July for the tryouts,” Lazareck reports. “Our team practices have all been in either Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa. All the other players are from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
”The practices – all optional – have been fun.”
“Israel is an amazing place” says Stoller, whose wife Miriam hopes that she will be able to join him in Israel. (Their daughters, he notes, will be at BB Camp in July.)
For Sam Lazareck, this will he his second time in Israel in three years. In 2019, he says, he and his wife, Chloe, joined his parents (Karyn and Mel), Sam’s siblings, and all their children for a multi-generational family visit.
“I didn’t expect to be back this soon,” observes Sam, who will be accompanied by Chloe and younger son Ben. (The other kids will be at camp.)
Prior to the Maccabiah Games, Lazareck notes, he is involved in putting together a fundraising hockey tournament. “The Goals for G.R.O.W. Tournament” – scheduled for June 4 at the Iceplex – aims at raising money for the G.R.O.W. in Winnipeg Program – which was founded by his mother Karyn 20 years ago, (originally under the auspices of the Rady JCC).
The program provides the opportunity for mentally and physically challenged individuals to learn and practice life skills and social skills in a safe environment. The transitional day program for young adults (21 and older) prepares them for independent living – with the focus on life management and healthy living – and the development of social, recreational and pre-vocational skills.
The Goals for G.R.O.W. tournament was last held in 2019.
(Readers who may want to participate in the upcoming tournament or make a contribution can email info@growourway.ca or phone 204 505-3799.)

Ariel Tsaiger

For Israeli-born teenager Ariel Tsaiger, representing Canada at the Maccabiah Games will be a homecoming of sorts
Tsaiger says he is really looking forward to being a participant in this summer’s Games. “I have some friends who have gone to the Maccabiah before and they really loved it,” says the Israeli-born junior basketball player, whose parents, Dmitri and Lana, moved to Winnipeg when he was three.
The rising local star has been playing basketball since he was five. The 15-year-old Henry J. Izzat High School student plays point guard for the Manitoba-based Northstar Preparatory Institute (NPI) team, which competes in tournaments and circuits around North America. He is also a participant in Triumph, Winnipeg’s premier youth basketball program.
“What I like most about basketball,” he says, “is that, unlike most other sports, you can’t afford to lose focus. You have to be fully engaged at all times.”
In addition to participating in this sumemr’s Maccabiah, Tsaiger is also looking forward to seeing some of the many relatives he still has in Israel.
His dream , he says, is to be able to play college basketball – hopefully on a full scholarshop.

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Winnipegger David Ganetsky becoming go-to guy for mould and asbestos removal throughout Western Canada

By MYRON LOVE David Ganetsky’s Enviro Doctors is fast becoming the preeminent specialist throughout Western and Northern Canada when it comes to mould and asbestos removal.  In the past year alone, Ganetsky points out, his employee numbers have grown from 10 to 35.
“Over the past couple of years, our business has been growing exponentially,” he reports.  “We currently have seven crews (each consisting of four members) operating in places such as Thompson, Brandon and The Pas.   We have one crew that specializes in mould removal.
“We have contracts for projects – beyond Manitoba – in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwestern Ontario, Nunavut and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.  None of our competitors match our geographical reach.”
Ganetsky and Enviro Doctors have come a long way in just nine years but, for the long time resident of Garden City, his latest reincarnation is built on his many years of experience as an entrepreneur.  The son of Walter and Penny Ganetsky notes that he was inspired to pursue a career largely in business by his work with his zaida, the late Bernard Mondell, who was in the wholesale business.
Following high school graduation (from Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate), he began looking for business opportunities.  “My first business venture was in communication,” he recalls.  “I founded Delta Communications, one of the original cell phone providers in Winnipeg.”   
He learned the art of business largely by hands-on experience but, he points out, he also took a number of business courses over several years.”
Ganetsky’s work history also includes working in sales in the golf business and serving for two years as executive director of the Portsmouth Retirement Residence. His entry into mould and asbestos removal came about through his work as a business consultant.
“I was hired by a company involved in mould remediation and removal to help grow their sales,” he recounts.  “After helping them to achieve their goal, I could see that there was a void in the marketplace.  There was no company specializing specifically in mould removal.  I did some research into the industry, took a few courses and proceeded to open The Mould Doctors.”
That was in 2014.
As business grew, Ganetsky notes, he began to get a growing number of calls asking about asbestos removal as well. As a result, in 2016, he changed the company name to Enviro Doctors to better encapsulate the services Ganetsky offers.
(He later added a demolition service.)
The mould and asbestos removal maven points out that there are very stringent guidelines to be followed in his line of work, in particular when  it comes to asbestos removal.   “We are required to do a yearly audit,” he says.  “We have one fulltime staff member dedicated to ongoing training.”
Ganetsky observes that there is a clear relationship between mould build-up and health issues.  It has only been in recent years that doctors have become aware of the link between mould build-up and ongoing flu-like symptoms and respiratory ailments such as asthma, he reports
He adds though that not everyone is affected negatively by mould build-up. He explains that mould build-up is created by a combination of high humidity or moisture, resulting from a spill or a leak, and a “food source,” such as drywall or furniture.
“Much of the time, mould is invisible,” he notes.  “We at EnviroDoctors can do an air quality test which will confirm the presence of build-up.”
Homeowners can remove small amounts of mould, he suggests, by spraying the affected area with a 50/50 mixture of  vinegar and water, then wiping way the black film.
He points out that mould is a particular problem in Aboriginal communities.  “We have sent our teams into numerous First Nations bands throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwestern Ontario and the North.  There was one such community, for example, where about one-third of the houses had mould problems.  
“Most of these communities suffer from overcrowding, neglect and lack of knowledge how to prevent mould build-up,” he points out.  “As part of our service,  we try to teach the community members how to prevent the development of mould.”
Ganetsly  notes that he is proud of the fact that the environmentally-friendly formula Enviro Doctors uses for mould removal was developed in a Canadian laboratory. 
He further touts Enviro Doctors’ “fresh air guarantee,” which includes free air quality testing and a follow-up test 90 days after completion of the work.
Enviro Doctors’ potentially most high-profile project to date may be the upcoming excavation of Winnipeg’s  Prairie Green Landfill in hopes of finding the remains of two or three female Indigenous murder victims.  While the original estimate for the project was around $180 million, a new report released in late January by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and ISN Maskwa (an Indigenous-owned company that provides emergency response training and services) suggest that the work can be carried out for about $90 million.
“We have been approached to participate in the project,” Ganetsky reports.  “That landfill is one that accepts asbestos.”
Ganetsky states that he believes that excavation is doable, providing  fundinf can be found.  “Wab (Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew) is on board,” Ganetsky notes.   “Maybe we find something. Maybe we find nothing.  But at least it may give the families of the murder victims some closure.”

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New Federation program connects Winnipeggers with Israeli teens trying to improve their English

Israel Connect volunteers Tannis Mindell (left) and Rietta Floom

By MYRON LOVE Last fall, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg signed onto Israel Connect, an online initiative that brings together community volunteers with Israeli teens seeking to improve their English.
According to the Israel Connect website, the outreach program was founded in 2013 by Sarah Gordon, a former teacher at the Torah Day School in Ottawa, with the goal of creating a grassroots network of Canadian volunteers who answered the call of Israeli educators to provide their students with English language tutoring.
The website points out that “mastering English is crucial for success in Israel. Universities and high-paying jobs require a high level of English language proficiency. However, the current educational landscape presents a significant challenge. Immersive language experiences, proven to be the most effective way to learn, are impractical in overcrowded classrooms. It is virtually impossible for 30-40 students to engage in effective English conversations and interactions, and experiences outside the classroom are prohibitively expensive.”
Israel Connect’s results were dramatic, the website reports.  English proficiency among that first group of students quickly improved, and the demand for native English tutors became clear. Within two short years, the informal network grew into a global non-profit organization that has more than 1,000 volunteer mentors strong.    
Today, Israel Connect partners with the Israeli Ministry of Education to support hundreds of students in dozens of schools across the country. In just over 10 years, the organization has become the world’s largest external provider of services to Israel’s Department of Education – helping hundreds of 14- and 15-year-olds to perfect their English simply by chatting once a week with a mentor via Zoom.
Winnipegger Rietta Floom says that she learned about Israel Connect from relatives in Edmonton.   “I was looking for volunteer opportunities,” notes the retired  investigator, mediator and hearing officer with the province, who does some casual work as an education assistant.  She filled out an application in September 2022, and, shortly after, she was assigned her first student, a girl in  grade 12, living outside of Tel Aviv.  Her second student, this year, lives in northern Israel and goes to school in Tiberias.
Tannis Mindell, a former chairperson of Liquor and Lotteries Corporation, was also looking for a volunteer opportunity. “I learned about Israel Connect from my sister-in-law in Ottawa,” she says.
Mindell signed on last fall. She notes it was she who suggested that the Federation might want to support this initiative. 
“I connected with  Mariana Sussi – who is a member of the Federation Board (as chair of the Israel and Overseas committee) – and Abby Flackman (the Federation’s Youth and Overseas Engagement co-ordinator),” she says.  “Both Abby and Mariana are also enthusiastic about Israel Connect.”
Both Mindell and Floom point out that you don’t have to have been an educator to participate as an Israel Connect mentor, and there is little preparation required.  All that is necessary is to commit to a weekly 45-minute Zoom session with the student that is convenient for both parties. 
Each Thursday, the Israel Connect organizers send out a weekly lesson plan. At the appointed time, the student reads aloud the assigned paragraph and goes over with the mentor proper pronunciation and the meaning of new words.  After that, mentor and student chat about any number of subjects
The goal of the program, according to the Israel Connect website, is that by the end of the school year, students have the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the national university entrance exams. 
Not surprisingly, the events of October 7 and resultant ongoing conflict have introduced a new psychological element into the tutoring.  Students share in the national trauma and most have family members engaged in the fighting.  The Winnipeg mentors have had a session with Mariana Sussi – who is also a psychotherapist – and who provided them with some strategies in offering some help to their Israeli students with their trauma.
“My work with my student through Israel Connect has been one of the most gratifying experiences I have ever had,” Mindell says.
Both she and Floom would like to encourage others in our community to consider donating a little bit of their time to Israel Connect.
Interested individuals can contact Abby Flackman at 204 477-7424 or send an email to AFlackman@jewishwinnipeg.org.
“I would love to help anyone who is interested in volunteering to get started,” Flackman says.

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The Middle East and the Erosion of our Public Discourse

By BEN CARR Like so many Canadians, it pains me day after day to watch the ongoing crisis unfold in the Middle East. From the horrific torture Israeli hostages and their families are still enduring, as well as the grief and uncertainty that remains across the country after Hamas’ terrorist attack, to the innocent children in Gaza who have been killed or are starving as a consequence of this horrible conflict, its sum has equaled nothing short of total human catastrophe.

I have been critical of Prime Minister Netanyahu before, and I will be again. There are three core areas that I feel strongly point to the ways in which he is proving to be an obstacle to peace. First, he does not accept a two-state solution as a viable path to peace (even without Hamas at the table). Second, he refuses to condemn and take action towards growing settler extremism on the far-right. Third, and most important at this stage, he is not allowing the aid so desperately needed in Gaza to flow as it should.

For its part, Hamas must release all hostages, stop using civilians as human shields, and cease its constant attacks against Israel. A criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu does not in any way provide a get out of jail free card for Hamas. The terms of a ceasefire cannot be one-sided.

It is critically important we remember that governments come and go. Our relationships with states are deeper than that we may have with the leadership of the day. Israel is still a key ally in the region, and plays a vital role in protecting our interests against hostile actors, such as Iran and Russia. 

We can expect that a more moderate Israeli government will emerge from the ruins of this chapter. It will be in Canada’s interest to have open lines of communication with them when the time comes.

Some have questioned my criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu, contemplating whether or not it is appropriate for a Member of Parliament in Canada to comment on the affairs of another nation. When the domestic affairs of another country spill over into the domestic affairs of ours, and impact those that I represent to the extent that this conflict has, I feel it is reasonable and responsible for me to lend my voice to the conversation.  

It is possible to remain outraged by the loss of life on Oct 7th and supportive of Hamas’ dismantling while at the same time feeling as though the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached such levels that it is incumbent upon the Netanyahu Government to address the issue immediately. That sentiment reflects how I, and many others in our community, are feeling right now.

Yes, Hamas provoked this war. Yes, Hamas has to be eradicated. Yes, Israel has a right to defend itself. No, innocent kids should not be on the verge of starvation as a consequence of actions completely out of their control. 

It is shocking that Israel’s most important ally, the United States, is set to create a makeshift port of entry off the coast in order to get aid into Gaza. This is a direct result of Netanyahu’s arrogant dismissal of the world’s concerns regarding the conditions facing innocent people.

There is nothing black and white about this conflict. Any attempts to overlook the nuance and historical complexity of these issues simply feeds into the hostility and aggression that is plaguing our public discourse on the matter, and by extension, negatively impacting the way we treat each other. 

People are constantly looking to put others into one category or another. Are you “pro-Palestine” or you are “pro-Israel?” Do you “support Hamas” or do you “support genocide?” 

The truth is, it’s simply not that simple.

These tribalistic narratives are no doubt to some extent the result of intergenerational trauma experienced by members of both communities involved, and it is understandable how and why this conflict has evoked the range of emotions that it has. 

However, the response is also reflective of a rapid decline in the quality of our public dialogue, borne from social media echo chambers and an underlying anger in certain segments of society that has stripped us of the ability to allow for compassionate argument to be accompanied by reasonable thought.

Because I have expressed support for Israel after the most devastating attack on Jews since the Holocaust, I have been called a “baby killer”, “genocide enthusiast”, and told that I have “blood on my hands.” I have been confronted by mobs of angry people screaming at me outside of events, and had threatening expletives hurled my way. 

Because I have been critical of Netanyahu and showed compassion for the circumstances facing innocent people in Gaza, I have been called a “disgraceful Jew”, “Hamas sympathizer”, and a “political opportunist.”

These people are not interested in solutions. They hear only what they want to hear, and disregard the rest. None of that offers a pathway to peace, here at home, or anywhere else in the world. 

We must, in the same breath, express care for the lives of innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians. In doing so, we contribute a small part here at home to the pursuit of a lasting peace for a conflict that has taken the lives of too many, for too long.

Ben Carr is the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre

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