Features
Jaron Rykiss’s half-year spent on exciting “Kivunim” program in Israel cut short by COVID
By BERNIE BELLAN
In 2019 Winnipegger Jaron Rykiss embarked on what, for almost any recent high school graduate, would probably be considered the adventure of a lifetime.
Jaron, who had just graduated from Gray Academy in the spring of last year (and doesn’t that seem like an eternity ago, even though it’s really only a little more than a year and a half ago?), had decided to enroll in a program that is probably not all that familiar to many Winnipeggers, known as “Kivunim”.
Kivunim, which means “directions” in English, is a program begun in 2006. Here is how the Kivunim website explains what it’s all about:
“KIVUNIM succeeds in delivering an immersive and transformative gap year experience of serious academic study, focused international travel and cross-cultural dialogue. These take place within the context of impressive intellectual and aesthetic exploration and growth that develops and deepens our students’ Jewish identity as engaged global citizens.
“KIVUNIM students forge a lifelong connection with Israel and the Jewish people through thoughtfully and intentionally-designed travel experiences that impart what other Jewish education programs can only envy: a nuanced and integrated understanding of Jewish civilization through sophisticated contact with the remarkable spectrum of religious traditions, cultures and world views among which the Jewish people grew throughout our 2,000-year Diaspora. Israel, our gap-year program home for the academic year, provides a challenging and surprisingly inspirational setting for appreciating the possibilities of Muslim-Jewish and Christian-Jewish co-existence and informs our broader international encounter with ‘the other’.”
Sounds pretty fantastic – right? And for any graduating high school student with the resources to participate in a program like this, it has to be considered a dream come true.
I spoke with Jaron Rykiss about his experience in Kivunim, which sadly for him and everyone else in the 2019-20 program, was cut short by COVID.
I began by asking Jaron how he heard about Kivunim in the first place?
Jaron explained that back in high school he was very involved with BBYO. Through BBYO he was exposed to a certain amount of international contact and realized “that there’s more to life than just Winnipeg”.
As graduation from Gray Academy was approaching Jaron “sat down with Avi Posen” (who was still in Winnipeg at that point, although in the fall of 2019 Avi himself made aliyah to Israel with his wife, Illana Minuk), and “we began talking about the possibility of a gap year” (the year between graduating from high school and entering a post-secondary institution).
After spending considerable time researching various programs Jaron came upon Kivunim which, he says, was perfect for someone like him – someone who didn’t have much experience outside of Winnipeg.
I asked Jaron whether he had ever been to Israel before?
He answered that he had – “twice” – once when he was nine, for a family occasion, and then again in 2017 when he was one of the students participating in the P2G (partnership together) program that Gray Academy has with Dancinger High School in Kiryat Shemonah, Israel. “That was really when I fell in love with the country,” he noted.
Fast forward to September 2019 and Jaron is in Jerusalem – “which is now my favourite city on the planet,” he said. There were 54 students in the program with Jaron – mostly from the U.S., but one other Canadian from Toronto as well.
“We all lived in a dormitory together – in the Mamillah area,” Jaron explained.
Under the original plan, Jaron said, he would have been in the program for eight and a half months, which would have taken him to the end of May.
As it was, he came back in March of this year – “exactly five months after I left”.
I asked Jaron at that point to describe what exactly he was studying during the program?
He answered: “The program goes to show you religion in other countries, so we spent the year studying Judaism, Islam…a Buddhist monk came to live with us for a couple weeks in Jerusalem and then when we got to India he showed us around.”
Which countries did Jaron actually visit as part of Kivunim? I asked.
Jaron said that the first month was spent in Jerusalem, followed by what was supposed to have been the first of several international trips.
“We ended up going to Greece and Bulgaria for two weeks,” after which the group returned to Israel for a month and a half, then India, but trips to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Morocco were all canceled due to the outbreak of COVID.
“We were supposed to end up in Morocco and meet the king there,” Jaron noted. “It’s too bad that never happened.”
(Jaron added that they were also supposed to visit Turkey at the same time as they visited Greece and Bulgaria, but that didn’t happen either. As he explained, “there were a lot of political issues” – what with the heightened civil unrest in Turkey at that time.)
What was the actual learning experience like? I wondered.
Jaron described the learning as “experiential”.
“While we were in Israel we would study the places we were going to visit,” Jaron observed, “then we would experience what we had just learned about – so it was a combination of classroom and experience.”
I was still uncertain, however, what the overall purpose of the program was – beyond exposing students to a wide variety of experiences.
According to its website, Kivunim aims to provide a “liberal arts” type of education: “The power of conceptual and intellectual integration is the ultimate (and all-to-often illusive) goal of a liberal arts education.
The website goes on to say:
“Why do we train our children in the liberal arts? It is not because these studies can grant someone virtue, but because they prepare the soul for accepting it.”
“KIVUNIM represents the beginning of a unique intellectual journey for our students and our staff and faculty. KIVUNIM succeeds in creating a thoughtful, comprehensive, and resilient intellectual foundation for our students and alumni.”
Here are the five courses taught to students in Kivunim. (There are no optional courses and all students must take the same five courses):
Civilization and Society: Homelands in Exile
Land, People, Ideas: The Challenges of Zionism
Hebrew Language and Literature
Arabic Language and Culture
Visual Learning – The Art of Seeing
A more detailed examination of each course gives a clearer understanding of just what it is that Kivunim is attempting to convey to students. Here, for instance, is an excerpt from the course outline of Land, People, Ideas: The Challenges of Zionism: “Here we seek to make the history of the Zionist movement come alive and allow KIVUNIM students to truly appreciate the capacity of the human being to become an historical actor: to make things happen. The course explores the growth of Pan-Arab nationalism and the specific development of Palestinian identity and nationalism. We encourage our students to imagine solutions while studying problems and to develop their sense of empowerment in glimpsing a future more positive than the past or today.”
If this all seems slightly airy-fairy, then I wondered how a program like this would be perceived by other institutions of higher learning – for instance, at a university here in Manitoba? After all, on its website Kivunim maintains that its courses will give students 30 academic credits, which would be equivalent to a normal year of study in an Arts program at a Manitoba university.
Jaron, who is now enrolled in an Arts program at the University of Manitoba, said that the university has not yet accepted for credit all the courses that he took in Israel.
Thus far, he has received credit for two of the courses: “Civilization and Society: Homelands in Exile”, and “Land, People, Ideas: The Challenges of Zionism”.
He noted though that he is being asked to take aptitude tests in both Hebrew and Arabic to determine whether the courses he took in those languages will be accepted for credit. As for the fifth course – “Visual Learning”, he explained that he is not expecting to obtain credit for that course, since it was more of a “photography” course than anything.
The problem, however, as Jaron noted during our conversation, is that due to COVID, so much of the university’s decision making is backed up that he doesn’t know how long it will be before he knows what the status of the two language courses that he took will be vis-à-vis receiving credit for them.
As far as his future studies go, Jaron added that he plans on majoring either in Political Studies or Philosophy, with his ultimate goal to get into law. (By the way, did I mention that Jaron’s grandfather is Jack London, about whom I have a review of his book elsewhere in this issue? As a disclaimer though, I want to explain that I contacted Jaron long before I knew that Jack had even written his memoir.)
One final aspect of the Kivunim program that hasn’t been mentioned yet in this article is the question of cost. I sent an email to the Kivunim program, asking for information as to the cost of the program. Here is the response I received:
“Our tuition is $55,000 which includes room and board, international travel, academics, a round trip from New York, etc. Tuition plus a small fee also includes 30 academic credits from Hebrew College (a full college year) accepted by most colleges in the U.S. and Canada. Every year we offer scholarships and interest free loans. We give about 40-50% of our students scholarship each year. Jaron’s year, 45% of students received a scholarship totaling approximately $375k.” (By the way, as one might expect, Kivunim is not being offered in person this year, although there is an online program.)
Features
Understanding the Differences Between Online Poker Cash Games and Tournaments
A USD $50 poker buy-in can mean two different things. At a cash table, it becomes USD $50 in chips. In a tournament, it pays for entry to an event with its own starting stack and prize structure.
The cards and hand rankings may be familiar in both settings, but the way play unfolds changes. Cash players choose when to leave. Tournament entrants follow a schedule of rising blinds and eliminations. Understanding how those pieces fit together makes the differences easier to follow.
1. How the Table and the Event Work
Cash tables run as players arrive and depart. Each table has published stakes and buy-in limits, and an available seat allows someone to join the game already underway. The lineup can change several times during a session.
Tournaments bring players into a shared competition. Scheduled events have an advertised starting time; Sit & Go tournaments begin when the required seats fill. Standard entrants receive the same starting chip allocation.
As players lose their stacks, the field shrinks. In conventional multi-table events, the software moves players to balance tables, then combines the remaining players at a final table. The event’s rules determine any opportunity to return after elimination.
2. What the Entry Payment Covers
For readers learning about real money poker at 888poker, the buy-in is a useful place to start: its role changes with the format.
Cash players choose an amount within the table’s minimum and maximum. At hypothetical USD $0.25/$0.50 stakes, a USD $50 stack equals 100 big blinds. Only the chips held at the start of a hand are available to wager during it; additional purchases apply to later hands.
Tournament prices commonly include a prize-pool contribution and an operator fee. An entry displayed as USD $10 + $1 would cost USD $11, with USD $10 going toward prizes. The starting stack is listed separately.
Further spending depends on the rules. Cash players can reload within table limits. A freezeout tournament permits one entry, while rebuy events allow additional chips under stated conditions. Re-entry allows a fresh entry after elimination during the permitted window.
Cash-game fees also work differently: rake is commonly taken from eligible pots, while tournament fees are paid at registration.
3. What the Chips Are Worth
Cash chips keep their monetary value throughout play. Someone who buys in once for USD $50 and leaves with USD $65 has gained USD $15. Their remaining table balance returns to their account when they leave.
Tournament chips track progress through the event. A hypothetical USD $11 entry might provide 10,000 chips, while the payout schedule sets the money awarded for finishing positions.
In a standard elimination tournament, the winner finishes with all the competition chips, while prize money is distributed according to the published payout schedule.
Some events have a different endpoint. A satellite awarding equal-value entries to another tournament can finish when the remaining players have all qualified. Its structure sets how many entries are available.
4. How Rising Blinds Change a Stack
Blinds are compulsory bets that begin the action. At a cash table, their amounts stay fixed at the published stakes.
Tournament blinds rise through scheduled levels. That changes the weight of every stack, even when its chip count stays the same.
Take 10,000 chips. With a big blind of 100, the stack represents 100 big blinds. When the big blind reaches 200, it represents 50. At 500, it represents 20. The compulsory bets now consume a larger share of those chips.
The length of each level helps set the pace. Turbo and hyper-turbo events use faster increases, while the tournament’s published details specify the starting stack, level timing and any antes, additional compulsory bets. Those details explain how conditions will change as play continues.
5. When a Session Ends
Cash players can finish a hand and leave with their remaining balance. Their session ends while the table carries on.
A tournament entrant stays involved until elimination or the event’s conclusion under its rules. Some tournaments take several hours, so the time needed depends partly on how far someone progresses.
Scheduled breaks offer pauses. During active play, sitting out allows applicable blinds and antes to keep reducing an absent player’s stack. Leaving the screen therefore has consequences for their place in the event.
Spending and time belong in the same calculation. Responsible gaming means setting limits for both, including possible reloads or re-entries in the spending limit, and meeting local age and location requirements.
Checking entry rules, blind levels and the break schedule gives readers a clearer picture of the commitment behind a tournament listing. For cash tables, the key details are the stakes, buy-in limits and fees, alongside the freedom to end a session between hands.
Features
Embracing Your Femininity in Kislev
By ELENA KNIGHT Rosh Chodesh Sameach! Today is the start of Kislev, when we celebrate the eternal power of light over darkness through Hanukkah, we reflect on our dreams, and, through the month’s connection to the Tribe of Benjamin, we embrace our orderly and honourable side.
Hanukkah is the main feature of Kislev, the holiday when we commemorate the Maccabean Revolt against the Greeks when the Jews regained control over Jerusalem and when we celebrate the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. This miracle connects with femininity because we women are quite used to pulling things together when it seems like we don’t have it all; how often are we stuck grabbing our shoes as we run out the door, putting makeup on in the car, fixing our hair in the window reflection before we walk into work, and then walking in looking like we had an uninterrupted hour to get ready that morning? Not to mention all of the incredibly strong women who do all this between daycare or school drop-off, reviewing notes from meetings at hockey practice or taking a work call during the drive to a dance competition. The light that burned for eight days when there was only enough for one is a lot like the women who do eight days’ worth of work in just 24 hours.
Looking at the symbolism of light overcoming darkness, we can bring this into our daily lives this month by making this miracle and others public. How often do we do things without asking for any recognition? I say let’s quit that. Let people know when you succeed! It was amazing that you got on the Dean’s List at your university, so tell your friends! Tell your coworkers you got the promotion you’ve been working for! Tell your in-laws that you got the
new job! Publicize your own miracles just like we publicize the Hanukkah miracles by putting our Hanukkiot in the window.
Kislev is called the month of dreams; almost all of the major dreams in Genesis are read in this month’s Torah portions, and Joseph, master of dreams and interpreter of visions, takes centre stage this month. The Talmud teaches that dreams are one sixtieth of prophecy, and since the nights are so long this time of year, now is the time when the inner world, contemplation, and spiritual intuition can be deepened. A great way to connect to the dreamy nature of Kislev could be to keep a dream journal, and take some time to reflect on your dreams. There are many ways dreams can be interpreted, and so many tools to interpret dreams are available in books or online! Common dream symbols are flying (symbolizing freedom or a desire to escape pressure), water (representing your emotional state), and falling (symbolizing a loss of control or feeling ungrounded), and there are thousands of ways that you can use dream interpretation to better connect to your inner world and spiritual life.
This month is associated with the Tribe of Benjamin, which is known for its militarism, bravery, and skill in battle. For us women in the modern day, we can take the militaristic nature of the Tribe and interpret it through adding more order to our daily lives and honour to our personal behaviour. This may be creating a better night routine to support a more consistent sleep schedule or actually taking a full lunch break without any work. Whatever order your life needs, this month would be the perfect time to do it; channel your inner Benjaminite! Adding honour to your personal life can be done through keeping commitments–I recommend a detailed online calendar and to-do list–treating everyone with dignity, keeping your composure in hard moments, and owning your mistakes without shifting the blame. Though these seem like simple tasks, they can be pretty hard to implement when we are faced with tough situations. But what
are we facing in our lives that is as hard as a bunch of Greeks taking over our homeland? Let’s be like the Maccabees this Kislev and face challenges with bravery, knowing that bringing light into our lives will always beat the darkness that tries to sneak up behind us.
Features
Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Prediction: NBA Preview at Scotiabank Arena
The Toronto Raptors host the Boston Celtics tomorrow at Scotiabank Arena, where they’ll try to end a five-game losing streak against their Atlantic Division rivals. They’ll have a rest advantage. Boston plays in Philadelphia on Tuesday before travelling to Toronto, while the Raptors have a day off between home games.
The Raptors vs Celtics prediction comes down to whether Toronto can turn that extra rest into easier baskets. RJ Barrett can attack before Boston’s defence sets, but Jayson Tatum and Paul George give the Celtics two reliable scorers if the game slows in the fourth quarter.
Raptors vs Celtics Date, Tip-Off Time and Where to Watch in Canada
| Game details | Nov. 11 matchup |
| Date | Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto |
| Canadian broadcast | TSN and TSN+ |
Wednesday is the middle game of a busy stretch for Toronto. The Raptors hosted Memphis on Monday and visit Philadelphia on Thursday. For Boston, the 7 p.m. ET start comes less than 24 hours after its scheduled tip-off against the 76ers.
Recent Form for the Raptors and Celtics
Boston improved to 8–2 with a 117–97 win in Milwaukee on Sunday, its third straight victory. George scored 27 points, and Tatum had 21 points and six assists. The Celtics had also beaten the Bucks 109–102 at home four nights earlier, then won 119–80 in Charlotte in NBA Cup play.
Toronto entered Monday’s game against Memphis at 5–4. Its four-game road trip ended Friday with a 121–107 NBA Cup win in Milwaukee after a 128–109 loss in Denver. Barrett and Alijah Martin each scored 27 points against the Bucks, and Barrett went 9-for-11 from the line. That gave the Raptors a way to score even though Barrett missed all four of his three-point attempts.
Raptors vs Celtics Head-to-Head Record
The Celtics swept the 2025–26 season series 4–0 and have won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings. They took both games at Scotiabank Arena last season, 121–113 and 112–96. Across the last five meetings, Boston won all of them, averaging 13.8 made threes and winning by 11.2 points.
George arrived in the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, and Boston added Mitchell Robinson at centre. Last season’s results show how consistently Boston controlled the matchup. Wednesday will test whether Toronto can put more pressure on this Celtics rotation early in the shot clock.
Toronto Raptors Injury Report and Lineup Outlook
Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley missed Friday’s game in Milwaukee. Toronto listed Barnes as questionable for Monday’s game in Memphis with a left groin strain and gave Quickley the same designation for right hamstring tightness. Kawhi Leonard was out for left knee injury management. The next game-specific report will give a clearer picture of who can play Wednesday.
Barnes has the size to defend Tatum without an immediate double-team. Quickley’s status matters at the other end. With him available, Barrett can spend more possessions catching on the move. If Quickley sits, Jamal Shead can initiate the offence and take some of that ball-handling work.
Key Player Matchups for Jayson Tatum and RJ Barrett
Tatum averaged 27.1 points and 7.8 assists through Sunday. When he drives, Toronto’s first decision is how far to bring help off Boston’s shooters. An early rotation can close off his path to the rim, but it also gives George or Derrick White a pass on the perimeter. Toronto’s chances improve if its primary defender can stay in front for longer.
Barrett averaged 21.6 points through Friday. A high screen can give him room to turn the corner before Boston gets a second defender into position. If the Celtics switch a bigger defender onto him, Barrett can try to beat the switch with his first step. His free-throw attempts will offer an early clue as to how much pressure he’s putting on the rim.
Toronto averaged 17.6 fast-break points through Friday, among the league’s best marks. That’s one reason to watch how Toronto gets its first few shots. Barrett attacking a retreating defence suits Toronto better than driving through two defenders late in the clock.
Jakob Poeltl, Mitchell Robinson and the Battle in the Paint
Toronto has outscored Boston in the paint in three of their last four meetings at Scotiabank Arena. The question is whether the Raptors can pair that inside scoring with enough defensive rebounds to get out in transition.
If Poeltl and Robinson share the floor, their positioning on shots could matter as much as their work around the rim. When Poeltl keeps Robinson off the offensive glass, Toronto’s guards can get a head start up the floor. A Boston offensive rebound forces those same guards to find their shooters again.
Robinson can also screen for Tatum. If Poeltl drops towards the rim, Tatum can pull up from the middle of the floor. If Poeltl steps out, the far-side defender has to pick up Robinson as he rolls to the basket
Raptors vs Celtics Betting Odds & Key Markets
Bettors can follow the NBA sportsbook on Stake for the latest Raptors vs Celtics odds, including moneyline, point spread and total points, among others.
Moneyline
The moneyline covers the outright winner, including overtime. Boston is the lean here. Tatum and George give the Celtics two ways to create a shot late in a close game, and either can keep the offence moving if Toronto takes away the first option.
Point Spread
Toronto’s extra day of rest matters when assessing the margin. If the Raptors secure defensive rebounds and turn them into early offence, they can stay close even if Boston controls more of the half-court game. Toronto’s margin on the spread will depend on the posted handicap.
Total Points (Over/Under)
Boston’s five games through Sunday averaged 206.2 combined points. Toronto’s five through Friday averaged 239.8. Those samples give some context for the total. If Toronto can run off misses and get Barrett to the line, the game could be more open. If Boston keeps it in the half court, both teams may have fewer possessions.
Player Props
Tatum’s assists and Barrett’s points are two markets to look for. If Toronto sends help into the lane, Tatum will have perimeter passing options. Barrett’s scoring outlook depends on whether he can get downhill against Boston’s bigger defenders and draw fouls as he did in Milwaukee.
Raptors vs Celtics Prediction and Game Pick
Toronto has the home crowd and enough scoring options to stay in the game, but Boston has the better record, last season’s sweep and Tatum’s star power. The back-to-back is the main reason to expect a close fight.
The recommended pick is the Boston Celtics to win. Canadian fans who want to follow the NBA with Stake can use its live markets and in-play options. Always gamble responsibly and within the legal age in your province.
