Local News
Yonatan Orlov honoured by Sport Manitoba for excellence in coaching
By BERNIE BELLAN Yonatan Orlov is a past nominee for Jewish Athlete of the Year (2018). We’ve been writing about Yonatan since 2014, which is when I first saw him perform at a talent show sponsored by Jewish Child & Family Service, when Yonatan was 15 years old. I, along with everyone else who was in the audience at the Art Gallery Auditorium that day, was absolutely blown away by what Yonatan was able to do with a baton.
Anyone who’s ever seen Yonatan twirl a baton would realize that he combines an amazing level of athleticism with creativity in a sport that one does not usually associate with boys.
In the 2014 article where I first wrote about Yonatan, I quoted his mother Olga, who described how Yonatan came to fall in love with baton twirling:
“In grade 6 (when Yonatan was 11) Dr.W. Penner school had a talent show and two girls where practicing baton. Yonatan liked how it looked so he tried it out. During school recesses Yonatan would take the baton from his friends and practice. We didn’t know about his interest at all. At the end of grade 6 Yonatan had a Farewell evening. During this evening kids were asked to tell something special about there friends. They said about Yonatan, that he is borrowing baton every recess and play with it. My husband and I knew nothing about baton; we even did not know the word “baton”. As a Jewish mom I was wondering, why my son has to borrow something every recess. So, I asked Yonatan, why he is borrowing and offered him to buy the baton. He explained to me what it is and I started to look for the baton. As I learned later it wasn’t an easy task… I was thinking baton is a toy, and I went to the Toys “R” Us. Nothing was there… We “googled” it but nothing was sold in Canada. Then we decided to make baton ourselves. We bought two small balls at Dollorama, connected it to the rod with glue and gave Yonatan to play with it. The “invention” didn’t work… I started to look for the Baton clubs in order to buy used baton from them. So I called Greendell community center and the coach Joyce Ormshaw was very surprised by my story and invited Yonatan to the club. The same summer Winnipeg hold a Canadian national championship and Yonatan was amazed how exiting the baton sport is.”
Yonatan went on from that early foray into the sport to become a Canadian champion, and to compete in a number of international competitions. More recently, Yonatan, who is now in his final years of science studies at the University of Manitoba, has moved into coaching baton twirling, as well as remaining a participant in competitions himself.
Recently Yonatan was honoured by Sport Manitoba for his coaching, when he received the Sport Manitoba Vince Leah Memorial award for Fundamentals Coach of the Year.
In a letter I received from Tammy DeJong, Manitoba Baton Twirling Sportive Association Chairperson, Tammy expounded at great length on what a fabulous coach Yonatan is.
She wrote, in part: “Yonatan is genuinely gifted in coaching young people. He has a certain way about him that makes his students love learning. He is adaptable and shifts his lesson plans depending on how his class is going. He makes learning baton fun and offers his students a safe and inclusive environment. He makes each participant feel successful and special.
“Within the Winnipeg Russian community, Yonatan is a popular coach. Baton is not a well-known sport for newcomers, but Yonatan has made it his mission to share his passion with the community so others may have the benefits he does. He attends frequent outreach events and teaches the children. His goal is to increase participation in baton twirling in Manitoba.
“Yonatan coaches classes in Russia and Germany via Zoom because he is also gifted at teaching skills and choreographing routines. His athletes compete locally, Nationally and Internationally. It is pretty remarkable that he came to Canada from Israel as a young boy, discovered baton twirling at school, trained to become an elite Canadian Champion and World level athlete, and now is giving back through his coaching.
“He is also an athlete and will compete at the World Championships in August in Turin, Italy. He is coached by Winnipeg resident, Kristin Macaraeg of Legacy Baton Club. She too is active in the Jewish community.”
In order to be able to compete internationally, however, Yonatan is in need of a certain amount of financial assistance. If you would be interested in helping Yonatan out, please contact his mother, Olga, at orlov.olga@gmail.com
Local News
Thank you to the community from the Chesed Shel Emes
We’re delighted to share a major milestone in our Capital Campaign, “Building on our Tradition.” Launched in November 2018, this campaign aimed to replace our outdated facility with a modern space tailored to our unique needs. Our new building is designed with ritual at its core, featuring ample preparation space, Shomer space, and storage, creating a warm and welcoming environment for our community during times of need.
We’re grateful to the nearly 1,000 generous donors who contributed over $4 million towards our new facility. A $750,000 mortgage will be retired in November 2025, completing this monumental project in just seven years.
We’re also thrilled to announce that our Chesed Shel Emes Endowment Fund has grown tenfold, from $15,000 to $150,000, thanks to you, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s FundMatch program, and Million Dollar Match initiative in 2024. Our fund helps ensure that everyone can have a dignified Jewish funeral regardless of financial need.
As we look to the future, our goal remains to ensure the Chevra Kadisha continues to serve our community for generations to come. Our focus now shifts to replenishing our savings account and growing our JFM Endowment fund.
We’re deeply grateful for your support over the past several years.
It’s our privilege to serve our community with care and compassion.
With sincere appreciation,
Campaign cabinet: Hillel Kravetsky, Gerry Pritchard, Stuart Pudavick,
Jack Solomon, and Rena Boroditsky
Murray S. Greenfield, President
Local News
Winnipeg Beach Synagogue about to celebrate 75th anniversary
By BERNIE BELLAN (July 13) In 1950 a group of cottage owners at Winnipeg Beach took it upon themselves to relocate a one-room schoolhouse that was in the Beausejour area to Winnipeg Beach where it became the beach synagogue at the corner of Hazel and Grove.
There it stayed until 1998 when it was moved to its current location at Camp Massad.
On August 2nd members of the synagogue will be holding a 75th anniversary celebration.
As part of the celebration anyone who is a descendant or relative of any of the original members of the first executive committee (as seen in the photo here) is invited to attend the synagogue that morning.
If you are a relative please contact Abe Borzykowski at wpgbeachshule@shaw.ca or aborzykowski@shaw.ca to let Abe know you might be attending or for more information about the 75th anniversary celebration.
We will soon be publishing a story about the history of the beach synagogue, which is something I’ve been writing about for over 25 years.
Local News
Vickar Family cuts ribbon on new Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre
By MYRON LOVE In the words of Larry Vickar, the Shaarey Zedek’s successful Dor V’ Dor Campaign “is not only a renewal of the synagogue but truly a renewal movement of Jewish life in our community.”An integral part of that renewal movement was the creation of a daycare centre within the expanded synagogue. On Monday, June 23, Larry and Tova Vickar cut the ribbon, thereby officially opening the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre in the presence of 100 of their family members, friends and other supporters of the project.
The short program preceding the morning ribbon-cutting began with a continental breakfast followed by a welcome by both Fanny Levy, Shaarey Zedek’s Board President, and Executive Director Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze. In Elbaze’s remarks, she noted that Larry and Tova wanted their family (including son Stephen and family, who flew in from Florida) and friends at the event to celebrate the opening of the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre, “not because of the accolades, but because, as Larry put it, he hopes that their investment in the congregation will inspire others to do the same.”
“When Larry and I spoke about what this gift meant to him and the message he wanted people to take away,” she continued, “I couldn’t help but connect it to the teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi whose book – Age-ing to Sage-ing – changes the whole way we look at the concept of ageing and basing it on our ancestral teachings.”
She explained that his concept of “Sage-ing” is based on three key ideas – Discover your meaning and purpose; accept our mortality and think about the legacy you want to leave.
“Larry spoke about these exact concepts when we met,” she said.
Elbaze also noted the presence of Shaarey Zedek’s newly-arrived senior Rabbi Carnie Rose, former Rabbi Alan Green, and area MLAs Mike Moroz and Carla Compton.
Larry Vickar expressed his great appreciation for all those in attendance. “Tova and I are deeply moved to stand here with you today for this important milestone in our community”, he said. “We are grateful to be surrounded by all of you, the people we care about, our family and friends… you who have touched our lives and played some part in our journey.”