Features
Christian Zionist churches raise funds for seniors’ program in Israel in celebration of Winnipeg Holocaust survivor’s 100th birthday
By MYRON LOVE
On June 20, Rita Chabelski celebrated her 100th birthday. To commemorate the momentous occasion, the members of Faith Temple, a Christian Zionist congregation in Winnipeg led by Pastor Rudy Fidel, raised more than $1,000 from church members to help support Emunah Women Israel’s Maayan Rivka Goldene Age Restaurant in Petach Tikva.
The restaurant provides social engagement opportunities for elderly individuals – many of whom came to Israel as refugees and Holocaust survivors – who are often widowed and isolated, with no family or loved ones to care for them. The program was set-up as a “Restaurant”- instead of a “Soup Kitchen,” specifically to assure a level of independence and dignity for the participants. If they are able to, diners pay a token cost for their meals and any social activity in which they participate– a policy which allows for a sense of independence and pride among the seniors.
Some readers may remember Rita Chabelski by another name. For most of her more than 35 years as the balabus at the Chesed Shel Emes, our community’s non-profit Jewish funeral chapel, she was known as Rita Eryk. Her successor and current executive director, Rena Boroditsky, remembers her as very well-organized and a meticulous office manager.
As with so many Holocaust survivors who came to Winnipeg after the war, Rita Chabelski’s life story began in Warsaw. Her daughter, Lucy Manusovich Lipari, relates that her mother walked out of the Warsaw Ghetto with a friend in 1940 – at the urging of her mother and sister, heading east. Rita walked over 1,000 miles, eventually coming to Siberia, where she spent the last couple of years of the war in a labour camp.
“She never talked much about the war,” says Lipari. “She probably wanted to forget.”
After the war, an organization helping refugees sent her back to Poland, where she met her first husband (and Lucy Lipari’s father), Jacob Manusovich. Finding no other family members still alive in Poland, the couple moved on to Germany and Duppel Centre, the largest displaced persons camp in the American Zone in Berlin. That was where their daughter was born.
The family came to Winnipeg in 1948. Both Jacob and Rita had family already here. Rita’s cousins were the Perlovs – also Holocaust survivors – while Jacob’s relatives were the Warkov and Tauber Families.
The family arrived here in December. Lucy Lipari recalls her mother commenting that the temperature in Halifax when they got off the boat felt colder than Siberia.
Rita and Jacob struggled for the first few years in Winnipeg until they were hired to work at the Chesed Shel Emes some time in the 1950s. “We lived upstairs while I was growing up,” Lipari recounts. “When I was old enough to start dating, we moved to Garden City.”
Jacob died in 1968 at the age of 61. “He suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, a result of what he went through in the war,” Lucy says.
Rita became Mrs. Eryk (the name by which I first knew her) after marrying a fellow by the name of Boris Eryk. That marriage was short-lived – ending in divorce.
In 1983, she married for the third time. Michael Chabelski was also from Poland. For many years, he operated a small coin and stamp store on Donald next to the Metropolitan theatre. From what Lucy Lipari describes, they had a happy marriage. She travelled quite a bit after she retired from the Chesed in the mid-1990s.
After Michael’s passing in 2003, Rita remained in their home on Rupertsland Blvd. Lipari and family moved Rita to the Middlechurch Home ten years ago.
“We tried to move her to the Simkin Centre,” Lipari says, “but she wanted to stay where she was. She is comfortable at Middle-church. A number of the staff speak Polish and her Polish now is better than her English.”
Rudy and Gina Fidel got to know Rita and Michael Chabelski through mutual friends and have stayed in touch with Rita. The Fidels have led numerous trips to Israel over the years. In 2003, Rita went with them to Israel.
“That was the first time that she had been to Israel,” Rudy says. “Rita was the most active person in our group. She wanted to see everything.”
Lucy notes that her own search of the Yad Vashem website about 15 years ago found one of her mother’s cousins living in California. “She last saw this cousin in 1939,” Lucy notes.
“My mother loved to walk. She walked everywhere.
“She also liked trying new recipes.”
Lipari herself left Winnipeg after high school for Harvard and New York University. About 25 years ago, she and her husband Rick, moved to Florida.
Until recently, Rita would spend every winter with her daughter and family, and Lucy and Rick would visit Rita in Winnipeg in the summers. Because of Covid restrictions, the family is unable to be with Rita to celebrate her 100th birthday but, Lipari notes, Middlechurch staff arranged for mother and daughter to spend some face time on line on mother’s day.
And Rudy and Gina Fidel were scheduled to pay Rita a visit the day before her birthday.
Features
The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
Features
Football: Which team from Israel could we see in the European Cup next year?
With Europe’s club competitions heading into another summer of drama, Israeli football is on the table. The domestic season is done, trophies picked up and now a new batch of clubs can now try their luck against continental competition.
What are the prospects of these teams in Europe next year and who are they? It all starts with Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s title, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s cup win and the competition of the best Israel football teams against each other, as fans look to Champions League on Wincomparator to see what teams are in contention.
How Israel’s clubs qualify for Europe: The 2026-2027 spots
Qualification to join the European elite hinges on the 2025-26 Israeli Premier League table and the Israel State Cup. Israel will have one Champions League spot, one Europa League spot, and two Europa Conference League spots in 2026-27.
That means the league winner gets into the Champions League, the State Cup winner goes on to Europa League qualifying. The next eligible league’s finishers take the Conference League slots. It’s a good model as it provides a tangible reward for consistency at home, while at the same time demonstrating the importance of each playoff game. A top three finish can help a club’s summer, bring in better players and provide fans with a European tour before the next season’s start.
The Champion’s quest: Israel’s hope for the Champions League
Meet the 2025-26 Premier League winner: Hapoel Be’er Sheva
Hapoel Be’er Sheva have qualified for Israel’s Champions League after their Israeli Premier League title win with 79 points scored in 36 games. Ran Kozuch’s side closed the gap on the three-point lead but also showed significant strength in the attacking phase to secure a win in a crucial championship round with Beitar Jerusalem.
Their challenge also comes as their reward. Hapoel Be’er Sheva are only expected to begin in the second round of the Champions League, not the league round. To get to the main competition they need to pass through the first round of the other national champions in two-legged ties, and their seeding, fitness and sharpness in early-season competition could be a game breaker.
While the club has experience in Europe and a rabid Turner Stadium following, the path is tough. It takes one bad outing to wipe out a year’s worth of work. However, as long as the bedrock remains the same and they are able to put some depth into the team, the champions have the balance to fight.
Battling in the Conference League: Israel’s other European contenders
The State Cup winner and league runners-up
Maccabi Tel Aviv go to Europe after the Israel State Cup final 2-1 win against Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem. That win denied Be’er Sheva a home double, and also meant that Maccabi got into the Europa League qualifying, where they were put in the second qualifying round thanks to access-list rebalancing.
The Conference League qualifiers are Beitar Jerusalem who finished second in the league with 76 points, and Hapoel Tel Aviv who finished fourth with 60 points. The importance of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s cup victory lies in the fact that it unlocked the rest of the way in the league. Beitar’s season was particularly impressive as they scored 78 goals and lost just four matches. On the other hand, Hapoel Tel Aviv managed to remain above Maccabi Haifa in the final table standing, earning them a well-deserved European berth.
The Europa Conference League is no consolation prize for these clubs. It’s a realistic platform. Although there are still a few hurdles to navigate, Israeli sides consider this competition to be the most realistic one for European football in the autumn.
A look at past successes and future hopes
This group has reason for belief, based on recent history. Israeli teams can make significant nights in Europe, and Maccabi Haifa did just that, when they made it into the Champions League group stage in 2022-23, and then impressively took out Juventus 2-0 in Haifa.
There is significant monetary and sporting worth in qualification. A UEFA cup can make a difference to a club, as can better attendance, TV coverage and recruitment opportunities. The early storylines will be the draw for Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the Champions League, as well as Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa league and the two Conference League routes — Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv. They all have tricky paths to follow, but all four provide Israeli football with a realistic European presence next summer.
Features
At one time one entire block of McAdam Ave. was almost totally Jewish
This story originally appeared in a November 2014 issue of The Jewish Post & News:
1994 McAdam Ave. reunion (names inside story)By GERRY POSNER (This story first appeared in November 2014.)
Once upon a time when life was simpler and gentler, there was a street in the north end of Winnipeg which was like all other streets in the city except in one significant way. Everyone, but for one family, living on McAdam east of Main Street was Jewish.
