Features
For Adam Rubin, success was secondary to maintaining roots in Canada – and reconnecting with old friends during Covid
By GERRY POSNER Could you predict an Adam Rubin? Not likely. If you asked him, he would have said not at all. But Adam, the youngest child of Chuck and Naida Rubin (neither of whom is exactly unknown to many readers of the JP&N) has carved out a path which is truly remarkable in many ways.
The grandson of Sam Rubin, a farmer from near Fort William, Ontario (as it was then called), Adam was what he calls a Ramah School dropout after Grade 1. He did, however, manage to complete Laidlaw Elementary School and later was one of a handful of Jewish boys at St. Paul’s High School. He was active in Kadima and BBYO and also was a camper at BB Kenora.
Then, in a an unusual step at that time, he left Winnipeg and headed east to study Economics and Political Science at McGill, living with two close friends form Winnipeg: Eric Corne and Jon Pesochin. Following graduation, Rubin headed to the University of Ottawa for an MBA. His roommate was another Winnipegger, Matt Golden. There is a theme here which Adam is quick to stress. He says, “I am still very close with Matt, Phil, Eric and Jon to this day (Phil being Phil Haid). One of the things I treasure most about Winnipeg is the lifelong friendships that have been nurtured by that city. In fact, as I am now middle aged, I look back with tremendous fondness and admiration for the strength of community Winnipeg has. It’s one I have not seen replicated.”
The education of Adam Rubin then expanded to include law school at the University of Calgary. Rubin thus had the package of business and law, on top of which he also completed the Advanced Leadership Programme at Harvard Business School. Upon graduation from law school, he entered the work force during the dot.com boom – followed by its bust. Rubin joined a boutique law firm specializing in corporate finance and securities law in Calgary where he was responsible for taking companies into the public domain. As Rubin reflects, “I took many of those high- flyers from the cradle to orbit – and then to the grave, in three or four years.” Ultimately, Rubin wanted to develop his business side and in particular to build businesses and foster their growth. He joined a top energy company at the time – Nexen, a Calgary based corporation with a global presence. As Rubin notes, however, the “oil patch was a strange place for a Jewish boy from Winnipeg.”
In 2007 Adam took what was supposed to be a two-year assignment in Dallas to help run Nexen’s US operations, so off he went with his former wife and four-year-old daughter, Sam. Two years turned into five years and, even with his success at Nexen, Adam had an opportunity in 2012 to join Venari Resources LLC, a private equity funded offshore exploration company in Dallas. Adam served as Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Secretary for Venari. He and a few of his colleagues were responsible, among many other duties, for helping to raise $2.4 billion from leading private equity firms. Adam was a founding member of the largest private equity- backed start up in the oil and gas sector at the time. You could say Adam had come a long way from his grandfather Sam Rubin’s farming career, but they likely had the same work ethic. The business took off like a rocket ship, Adam states, but it also fell back to earth and, in 2019, the company’s assets were sold.
And so, in 2020 (just before the pandemic hit), Adam Rubin was unemployed for the first time in his life. Rubin was delighted to be in that position. He had what he calls “catching up time” with his buddies. Adam also did what many other parents were forced to do – he became a teacher to his son, as in Grade 3 science, geography and social studies. Adam describes that as a special time for him, also noting that time included tasting defeat in a 100 yard dash with his now 17-year-old daughter Samantha (named for his grandfather, Sam Rubin).
The big thing that was very special for Adam during Covid was reconnecting with his old friends as they all hit 50. The group – which included Avi Gesser, Matt Golden, Phil Haid, my son Ari Posner, Cory Pollock, Jason Klapman, Danny Stoller, also two guys from Saskatchewan and Alberta – Terry Levitt and Rob Eichelson, would meet online. The “prairie boys”, as they referred to themselves, tried to help each other navigate the new normal. They became coaches, mentors, cheerleaders and even entertainers for one another. They created a contest with each other to name that tune, with music provided by Ari.
And, what this all says to Adam is “It reminds me and affirms the great character of Winnipeg. Good people come out of that town. … Honestly, I think the best asset I have is having had the opportunity to be raised in Winnipeg. It’s the foundation for what makes our group who we are.”
Today, Adam is back in action working as General Counsel with another private equity portfolio company, owned by the Blackstone Group. This company is one of the largest manufacturers of highly engineered structures for the telecom and utility industries in the United States. He still makes every effort to return to Winnipeg to see his family, either in the city or at the family cottage at Matlock. He is thrilled that his oldest child, Sam, is a first year student in the Faculty of Arts at Western University. What he delights in most is watching his child come to realize the benefits of being in Canada.
Features
In Dan Brown’s chaotic tale of a rampaging Golem, a case of missing Judaism
By Mira Fox September 27, 2025
This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox.
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Strap on your best smooth-soled Italian loafers and get ready to spring over some cobblestones, because Robert Langdon — everyone’s favorite tweed-jacketed, baritone-voiced, handsome Harvard “symbologist” — is back, and he’s racing through the streets of Prague.
In Dan Brown’s newest thriller, however, there’s no Dante or Mary Magdalene; Brown is finally veering away from the Christian mythos that drove all of his previous adventures such as The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. This time, he’s taking on something older and far more mysterious: Judaism.
Each of Brown’s symbology books has a central guiding myth or story, i.e. the Holy Grail, Dante’s Inferno or the Founding Fathers’ involvement with Freemasonry. The Secret of Secrets follows the same formula, and its opening moments make its central myth obvious. Within the first few pages of the book, the Golem of Prague — which for some reason Brown insists on spelling as Golěm — has already murdered someone.
The story proceeds about as you’d expect, if you’ve read any of the previous Robert Langdon novels; though it has been eight years since we last read about the Harvard professor’s misadventures, he remains dashing and impressively fit for his age, as Brown reminds us regularly, though this time we hear less about his penchant for tweed. Langdon still has a photographic memory, which still comes in handy as he deciphers various codes, and the book is still loaded with long tangents about the history of various buildings and artifacts that Langdon is sprinting by. (Even while desperately attempting to escape from a gunman in a historic library, the symbologist has the presence of mind to consider the artist behind the frescoes on the ceiling.)
But the book is notably lacking in something surprising: the Jewish history of Prague, or of the Golem, or blood libel. There are no Hebrew translations or reinterpretations of Talmudic texts. We don’t learn some little known midrash that holds a secretive double meaning. These are the kinds of factoids that usually drive Brown’s mysteries, yet they’re absent.
The plot revolves, instead, around a damsel in distress, who readers may remember from the previous Langdon books: The beautiful “noetic scientist” Katherine Solomon, who is about to publish an academic treatise detailing her research on human consciousness and death. Apparently some very powerful people want to destroy her manuscript, so the action and mystery unfold across Prague as Langdon attempts to save Katherine, save her book, and — hey why not — save all of Prague and also maybe the United States. And, somewhere in there, a Golem is on the loose.
Brown’s previous novels have delved into various Christian mysteries with vigor and palpable fascination; whatever Brown’s many foibles as a writer, you could tell that he was excited by the myth of the Holy Grail, which took centerstage in The DaVinci Code, which he reinterpreted to be an allegory about a love affair between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. In Angels and Demons, Brown has great fun with the secretive inner workings of the Vatican, and Inferno is laden with delighted diversions into Christian history and ideas about the afterlife, courtesy of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.
In The Secret of Secrets, Brown outlines the basic myth of the Golem: Rabbi Judah Loew, a 16th century Talmudic scholar and leader of Prague’s Jewish community, created a magic guardian out of clay to protect the ghetto from antisemitic attacks. Loew engraved the word “emet,” or truth, in Hebrew on its forehead to bring it to life. Eventually the Golem turned on the rabbi, almost killing him, until Loew managed to rub away the aleph in “emet,” turning the word to “met,” or death, and stopping the creature; its body was placed in an attic in case it was needed again.
That’s about all we get, yet there’s so much more to explore. In another version of the story, Loew made sure to erase the aleph from the Golem’s forehead every Shabbat to allow it to rest; instead of going on a murderous rampage, the creature was eventually destroyed because it desecrated the holy day. According to some stories, a Nazi tried to ransack the attic where the Golem was stored, and died mysteriously. Others say its body was stowed in a genizah, where sacred Jewish texts are placed since they cannot be destroyed.
Then there is the actual Jewish history, the blood libel, accusations of witchcraft and antisemitic laws that kept Jews segregated in Prague’s ghetto. There is also Loew’s own life as a lauded Talmudic scholar — not a Kabbalist, as Brown describes him — and, of course, a rich tradition of Talmudic and midrashic exegesis. The setting is rife with the kind of symbols and mystery that Brown uses as fodder in all his other thrillers, inventing secret societies and mystical artifacts lost to history.
Instead, The Secret of Secrets has no Jewish characters and very little Jewish history. Though Brown sprinkles in a few of Prague’s Jewish landmarks — the Old-New Synagogue and the city’s historic Jewish cemetery — the book still manages, despite its Golem centerpiece, to spend most of its time in churches. When Langdon first encounters the Golem and sees its forehead inscription, Brown notes that the symbologist “did not read Hebrew well,” though the professor, who specializes in religion, regularly relies on his fluency in Greek, Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic and even a fake angelic language invented by two crackpot mediums that was never spoken by more than a handful of people. At one point, the Golem is described as arriving “like some kind of ascendant Christ.”
The real focus of the book is an imaginary bit of science having to do with human consciousness and life after death, a topic Brown has been exploring in the Langdon books for some time now. His interest in religion seems to stem from the idea that they are all, fundamentally, the same, and that all religions are reaching for proof that life persists after death.
But Judaism doesn’t. There are concepts — which Brown overemphasizes — like gilgul or gehenna that imply some post-death experience, but they’re not central to Jewish thought. Though one of the characters reads Loew’s most famous text, Brown clearly didn’t. (Like most works of Jewish commentary, it’s hardly the kind of work one buys in a bookstore and reads in a sitting.)
It’s not as though Brown’s previous books got everything, or even most things, right about Christianity. His wacky inventions are part of the fun — no one is reading a thriller about a fictional professor of an imaginary discipline for accuracy. The Golem is a myth, a rich story that has remained resonant over the centuries due to its flexibility and ability to be reinterpreted; Brown can make whatever he wants of it. The problem is that he has made so little.
Mira Fox is a reporter at the Forward. Get in touch at fox@forward.com or on Twitter @miraefox.
This story was originally published on the Forward.
Features
Top Free Slot Demos You Can Play Right Now
Sometimes, you might not want to pay for spinning reels. Maybe you just don’t have cash at the moment, or you want to just play for fun without any responsibilities. And that’s totally normal. Free slot demos are there for you. If you’re looking for some great options to play right now, here are the top free slot demos that are worth checking out.
Free slot demos that bring the fun
Sweet Bonanza
Fans’ favorite Sweet Bonanza demo play offers a candy-themed slot. Instead of traditional paylines, it uses a 6×5 grid where wins happen when you land eight or more matching symbols anywhere on the screen. Every win triggers the tumble feature. It means that winning symbols disappear, and new ones drop in. Potentially, they chain multiple wins together.
The highlight, though, is the free spins round. If you land four or more lollipop scatters, you’ll get 10 free spins. They’d be complete with colorful multiplier bombs that can reach up to 100x. Since the game is known for high volatility, demo mode is a nice way to test whether you enjoy the thrill of chasing those big but less frequent wins. Plus, the candy graphics and upbeat soundtrack make the whole experience surprisingly addictive.
Big Bass Bonanza
If you prefer fishing rods to candy canes, Big Bass Bonanza is another top demo slot you should try. It’s simple and fun. It has a free spins feature where the fisherman collects money values that are attached to fish symbols. As you progress through levels, multipliers increase. And it gives you a shot at some impressive wins. The demo version is a great way to see how often the fisherman shows up and whether this type of slot is what you might like.
Cleocatra
Cleocatra slots are about ancient Egypt with adorable cats. As fun as it sounds, it somehow works. The base game features wild multipliers. However, the free spins round is what makes it truly interesting. Sticky wilds lock in place and can quickly build up some wild combinations. In demo mode, you’ll get to see how powerful those sticky wilds can be without risking any cash.
Boom!
Among the slots that are packed with features, Boom! is worth a spin in demo. This game offers expanding wilds, free spins, jackpots, and even multiple bonus games. It might not be the greatest choice if you’re new to slots. There are just so many different things that it might feel overwhelming. Well, it’s free. So, even if you want to try, there’s nothing to be afraid of. That’s exactly why demo play is so useful. You can try out each feature and figure out whether you like the layered gameplay.
Sweet Bonanza 1000
Yes, Sweet Bonanza deserves two mentions. The newer Sweet Bonanza 1000 takes the original formula and cranks up the intensity. There are bigger multipliers, higher max wins, and even more fun. It makes this version perfect for people who just want extra adrenaline. Why should you try it? You can actually see if the higher risk is what you can go after. It’s more volatile than the original. That’s why trying the demo play is a wise choice.
Why play free demos?
Of course, the feeling is completely different from playing for real money. However, there are people who enjoy slots not because of the potential winnings. Here are some other reasons to pay attention to them:
- You can get the full slot experience without spending anything at all;
- You can actually figure out the bonus trigger, scatter, and volatility;
- You can see how bonus buys, multipliers, and jackpots actually play out;
- You can choose if you like slow and steady play or big swings.
Final thoughts
With the option to play free slot demos, you can try popular titles like Sweet Bonanza without any risks. Surely, they can help you just kill the time. However, they can also let you figure out the mechanics and test features. There are lots of them, and you can test them all. After that, you can decide you’re up to bet real money.
Features
New movie, “Bau, Artist at War,” now playing in Winnipeg, tells the amazing story of Joseph Bau, whose marriage to his wife Rebecca was made famous in “Schindler’s List”
“They can starve us, beat us, cage us – but they could never kill our spirit.“ – Joseph Bau
A gripping new movie, titled Bau, Artist at War, is now on at the Cineplex Odeon McGillivray Theatre.
The movie tells the story of Joseph Bau, whose dramatization of his marriage in Plaszow concentration camp to his wife Rebecca was an unforgettable scene in the movie Schindler’s List.
The film is based in large part on Bau’s memoir, Dear God, Have You Ever Gone Hungry? (published in 1998). The film was written by Deborah Smerecnik, Ron Bass, and Sonia Kifferstein, and is directed by Sean McNamara.
Featuring stellar performances by Emile Hirsch (who appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as the protagonist, and Inbar Lavi (who appeared in the Israeli television series Fauda and the U.S. television series Imposters) as Rebecca, the movie is a combination love story and espionage tale that deserves attention in an era, as one commentator has said, “where survivors are fading away, and the Holocaust is slipping from memory.” It’s also a story about resistance during the Holocaust.
In the movie, during his time in Plaszow Concentration Camp, Bau is a Jewish forger, an artist and a designer. He is employed by the brutal commandant Josef Liepold to draw a newly planned wing in the prison. He is simultaneously forging IDs for Jewish inmates helping them escape the prison. Hirsch as Bau, also draws comics for the prisoners, and his gift of art inspires his future wife with his colorful “lifegiving” creations, to which she responds in the gloomy setting of the death camp. McNamara cleverly intercuts these wonderful artworks within the film’s action.
Joseph Bau was a man who defied the darkness of the Holocaust with art, humor, and an unbreakable spirit. A gifted artist and master forger, Bau risked his life to save others, using his talent to create false documents that helped fellow prisoners escape certain death. But in the depths of despair, he discovered something even more powerful…love.
In the Plaszow concentration camp, amid relentless brutality, Joseph met Rebecca – a woman whose courage matched his own.
Years later, when Joseph is called to testify against the sadistic Nazi officer who tormented him, he is forced to relive the horrors of his past. But through it all, he draws strength from the love that saved him, the art that sustained him, and the unyielding will that kept him alive.
A gripping war drama, a daring espionage thriller, and one of the greatest love stories of our time, Bau, Artist at War is a testament to the power of resilience, the triumph of the human spirit, and the unbreakable bonds that even war could not destroy.
More stills from the movie:
