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Further to the many Jewish psychiatrists from Manitoba

Evas bookBy BERNIE BELLAN Elsewhere on this website you can read an article by Gerry Posner about all the Jewish psychiatrists who have come from Manitoba (http://jewishpostandnews.ca/8-features/785-what-s-with-the-jews-of-winnipeg-and-psychiatry). In his column, however, Gerry explained that, for reasons of brevity, he did not include the names of Jewish women psychiatrists. Their names were actually given in Eva Wiseman’s book, “Healing Lives – A Century of Manitoba Jewish Physicians”.

 

Here are the names, as reported in Eva’s book:
Drs. Sheila Cantor, Marcia Fleisher, Adrian Kettner, Alla Kirshner, Cara Kroft, Gail Lavitt, Debra Lander, Mirtha Lopez-Fisher, Sara Rusen, Fran Steinberg, and Rivian Weinerman.

As well, other names that might have been included in Gerry’s article are: Gary Rodin, Allen Berkal, Leon Mowchun (brother of Neil), Marvin Shane (brother of Fred), Allan Rosenbluth, Lewis Pullmer, Grant Chernick, Neil Kraitberg, Dennis Kussin, and Peter Rosenthal. (Thanks to Dr. Adrian Kettner and Alan Levy for contributing those names.)

Of course, once you unleash an attempt to provide a categorical list of just about anything, others are quick to point out deficiencies in your list.

Gerry Posner himself has been on the receiving end of many emails and phone calls from individuals adding to his original list, including: David Gratzer and Tom Gratzer, Rex Kay, Ken Schwartz and Harold Spivak

We’ve also been receiving emails from individuals adding yet more names to the list. Here are two emails we received:

Hi Bernie,

I’ve been following your last two issues naming Jewish psychiatrists from Manitoba over the years. Unless I missed it, I haven’t seen Ed Chodirker’s name. He practised for the first few years of his career in Winnipeg but spent most of it in Vancouver. He is related to Dr. Nathan Wiseman who is married to Eva the author of the referenced book. I can’t imagine she missed him but its possible. He even came in for her book launch some years ago.

Fred Switzer

And this one:

Our son Joseph Bebchuk graduated in Medicine from U of M in 1988, took his training in Psychiatry in Toronto, and is now practicing in Minneapolis after a career in research in North Carolina and Detroit. So the influence of Manitoba continues. By the way the connection to Psychiatry even goes back to women cousins of mine in Russia who were a generation before mine. Also Rivian Weinerrman and Murray Schachter are my niece and nephew who also graduated from U of M. What a collection of Psychiatrists in one family with roots in Manitoba. I’m now retired and am very proud of having had the opportunity of playing a part in the teaching program in Psychiatry in Manitoba for 53 years. 

Regards,  Bill Bebchuk

So, to try to set the matter straight, we emailed Eva Wiseman herself to ask her how she apparently missed adding a fair number of psychiatrists to what was an extraordinarily comprehensive list of Jewish doctors from Manitoba.

Here is what Eva wrote back:

Re: Jewish psychiatrists

Hi Bernie,

Thank you for your email. I was able to write only about the physicians I knew about. I myself, and several research assistants combed the internet, professional organizations and journals, and interviewed colleagues for 3 years. If nobody told me about a doc or nothing was written about him/her,they weren’t mentioned in the book. I feel bad about it but it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t write about them if I didn’t know about them.  In any case, I made it clear at the beginning that the book is not an encyclopedia. I did my best but I knew from the beginning that some Jewish docs will be unfortunately missed.

One of the prerequisites to appear in the book, also mentioned in the beginning, was for a doc to practice in Manitoba for five years. If he practiced in the province less time than that, he wasn’t mentioned in the book. There were too many docs who spent a short time in Manitoba and then left. Nathan’s cousin Ed Chodirker, a psychiatrist in Vancouver fell into this category as did my brother-in-law DAVID, a radiologist in Calgary, and my own son Sam, a cancer surgeon in Vancouver. I don’t know which of the docs in your list on page 6 fell into this category as I didn’t keep track of the ones who stayed in Manitoba a short time only or not at all after graduating from medical school in Winnipeg.

However , LEON MOWCHUN and MARVIN SHANE ARE ON PAGE 436 of Healing Lives. Bill BEBchuk’s son JOSEPH AND RUSSIAN COUSINS, mentioned in the letter below, are on p. 429 and RIVIAN WEinermann And MURRAY SCHACTER ON P.436.

Could you please put these corrections and my  explanation for selection criteria  into the next issue? I don’t want these people to  feel overlooked or believe that I was negligent.

I hope this explains the content to you.

Thank you for your interest. 

All the best,

Eva

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Famous Gambling Scandals and Controversies: Allyspin Casino Opinion

The gambling industry is full of scandals and controversies. There are various cases of fraud and manipulation schemes. That is why it is very important to pay attention to reliable gambling sites like Allyspin online casino, which follows the rules of responsible and safe gambling for its fans. Research shows that more than one trillion dollars are bet worldwide every year. That is why it is very important to be able to distinguish safe and reliable sites from fraudulent ones.
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The Future of Casino Security and Fraud Prevention
Large sites like Allyspin casino continue to expand, introducing enhanced security and fraud prevention tools. In the near future, such unique features will be available:
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Cybersecurity plays an important role in online casino gambling. Modern sites implement the latest mechanisms to combat fraud, ensure fair gaming process and fully protect honest players.

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Canada Is Failing Its Students on Holocaust Education — Here’s What Must Change

By EMILY (surname withheld by request) We received the following article from a third-year Health Sciences student at Western University, who wrote that as “a Jewish student, I have seen firsthand how Holocaust education in Canada is falling short and how that failure is contributing to fear, misinformation, and rising antisemitism on campuses like mine.”

Despite curriculum requirements, Holocaust education in Canada is alarmingly inadequate. A recent survey found that nearly one in five young Canadians believe the Holocaust has been exaggerated. This highlights a dangerous gap in historical understanding, leaving students vulnerable to misinformation, denial, and rising antisemitism. If Canada is serious about combating hate, it must take Holocaust education far more seriously.

When asked whether Holocaust education in Canada is lacking, Professor Hernan Tessler-Mabe, historian and coordinator of Jewish Studies at Huron University, did not hesitate: “You are 100 percent correct.”

While most provinces claim to include Holocaust education in their curricula, the programming and implementation of curriculum tends to be inconsistent and inadequate. A student’s understanding of one of history’s greatest atrocities depends heavily on where they go to school, which teacher they have, and whether their school offers substantive instruction. The result is misinformation, denial, and rising antisemitism.

Avoiding Holocaust education allows dangerous myths and conspiracy theories to spread unchecked. Without an understanding of the Holocaust and the centuries of antisemitism that preceded it, students are ill-equipped to identify modern antisemitism in the world around them. This antisemitism manifests into everyday conversation, online spaces, and political discourse.

To address this crisis, Canada must act with urgency in three key areas. These include consulting experts, confronting difficult material, and properly training educators.

First, schools and provincial governments must consult those who specialize in Holocaust history and education. “It is the most important thing,” Dr. Tesler-Mabé, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Jewish Studies at Huron University says. He points out, “You cannot just throw it into a general history class and assume it will be taught well. You need people who understand both the history and how to teach it.”

Second, we must accept that the subject is deeply disturbing and cannot be made comfortable. Dr. Tesler-Mabé iterates, “We have to accept that parts of this will be traumatic or triggering.” “Obviously it depends on grade level, but if students do not feel disturbed by it, they will not understand it. That discomfort is part of the learning.”

Third, teachers must be prepared. Many educators may feel unequipped to teach this material and either gloss over it or skip it altogether. Training programs and partnerships are essential. In Ottawa, the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES) works to connect schools with survivor testimonies and support resources, but broader reach and investment are needed.

Dr. Tesler-Mabé explains, “We have to teach the teachers, especially now that we are losing survivors. That raises a whole new concern. How do you teach something this heavy, this complex, without first hand testimony? Educators need the tools, the background, and the sensitivity to do it well.”

Some may argue that Canada already does enough in this area. After all, Holocaust education is present in some curricula, and many students visit Holocaust museums or hear from survivors. But occasional exposure is not enough. The widespread prevalence of Holocaust denial and the proliferation of antisemitic conspiracy theories underscore significant shortcomings in current systems designed to combat such misinformation. A 2022 report by UNESCO and the United Nations, in collaboration with the World Jewish Congress, found that 16.2% of Holocaust-related content on major social media platforms either denied or distorted fundamental facts about the Holocaust. A standardized, rigorous, and mandatory approach is the only way forward.

Holocaust education is not just about history, it is about safeguarding the future and combating antisemitism in modern manifestations. When students understand how propaganda, scapegoating, and dehumanization led to one of history’s darkest chapters, they are better equipped to recognize and reject hatred in all its forms. Without a solid foundation in Holocaust education, antisemitism continues to fester, not just in online spaces, but within universities, workplaces, and public discourse. We are already seeing the consequences of unchecked Holocaust denial and rising antisemitism, from bias in professional spaces to hostility on university campuses. As a Jewish student at Western University, I have seen fear take hold among my peers. Friends who once wore Stars of David or spoke openly about their heritage now hesitate to do so. I have also begun to question whether it is safe to express my identity. With the last generation of Holocaust survivors passing, the responsibility to preserve their stories and the lessons they teach rests with all of us. If we do not confront this crisis at its root, we risk allowing history to repeat itself in new and dangerous ways.

Canada is failing its students. In doing so, it is failing the promise of Never Again. The question is not whether we should strengthen Holocaust education, but why we have not already.

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Anna Kaplan one of Winnipeg’s youngest personal trainers

By MYRON LOVE It is always uplifting to read (or, from my perspective, to write) about people who have been able to reinvent themselves – and even more so when such an individual can use her own transformation to inspire others.  Such is the case with Anna Kaplan, a young (21) personal trainer whose passion for physical fitness grew out of personal troubles as a teenager.
“I had a feeling of being excluded,” says the daughter of Kevin and Roxanne Kaplan. “I was afraid that I was missing out. I was losing friends.  I had developed some bad habits and was at a real low point in my life – at rock bottom.”
At 18, Kaplan determined to change her life. She began working with a personal trainer and going to the gym. She also changed her dietary habits.
“Before long, I was feeling better mentally and physically,” she recalls.
Two years ago, wanting to help others struggling to improve their lives, Kaplan opened A Plus Fitness. On her Facebook page, she notes that “When you sign up for online training with A Plus Fitness, you’re not just getting a workout plan — you’re getting full access to our all-in-one training app designed to support your transformation every step of the way.”
Kaplan started A Plus Fitness strictly as an online business for which she developed her own app.  “I started building my client base initially by contacting friends and acquaintances via a social media platform to see what interest there might be out there,” she says.
With demand for her services growing, about a year ago she began working with clients in person out of a gym on Portage Avenue.  In just two years, she reports, business has grown to the point where she has had to hire a second trainer.
“I work with people ranging from 18 to 65 plus,” she says.  “The number of clients has tripled in the last year and I have been able to help over 100 clients to get into shape and change their lives.”
The reviews have been outstanding with many giving the young fitness trainer a 5 out of 5 rating.  Says one client: ”I’ve been training with Anna for a while now, and it’s been an amazing experience! She really takes the time to understand my goals and pushes me in the best way possible. Since working with her, I feel stronger, more motivated, and more confident in my workouts.”
Adds another: “Over the past year, A Plus Fitness has completely transformed my approach to working out, helping me tone my body and build strength in ways I never thought possible. Anna’s guidance and personalized training plans have made a huge difference in my progress, pushing me to achieve results faster than I expected.”
 
Kaplan feels good that among those she has been able to help have been her own mother, Roxanne Kaplan, who says that ”I’ve always had some sort of fitness routine in my life. I followed along with the fitness videos with the weights that were recommended – I’d go through phases but never stuck to it. With Anna’s coaching and sticking to her program, I see muscle definition that I’ve never had before. I feel better, more confident, and well rested.”
 
Kaplan further points out that, in additions to helping people through her business, she is also community minded.  “I have helped with several fundraising events in the Jewish community,” she reports.
 
Most recently, she helped raise money for the Reid Bricker Mental Wellness Fund in memory of a relatively young member of our community who struggled with mental health for several years before committing suicide 10 years ago. The fund aims “to increase the availability of mental health supports and education across the province while ensuring that individuals and families facing mental health challenges receive the support they need when they need it the most.”
 
Next for Anna Kaplan and A Plus Fitness is to open her own location at some point in the next few years.
 
Readers can contact Anna at 204 391-5832 or mail her at admin@aplusfit.ca

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