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Laya Crust: the Jewish art of a former Winnipegger

By GERRY POSNER What is the connection between a Jewish girl originally from Fort Garry and an internationally recognized artist and soferet, who has made a career in creating different forms of media? The answer lies in one Laya Crust. This woman, raised in an area of Winnipeg where searching for a minyan would have required months of work, has in her lifetime so far made Ketubahs, artist books, ceremonial objects, and produced works for large corporations, British royalty, government officials and major philanthropists. Her output is both voluminous and valuable.
Some readers might recall a couple named Dr. Joseph and Dorothy Crust, (formerly Greenstone), who lived in Fort Garry – not exactly a Jewish area at the time. It was Laya’s mother who created Laya’s deep relationship with her Judaism. That connection has only grown over the years and is present in her art to this day. The intriguing aspect of the Laya Crust story is the merger of her love of art with her passion for Judaism.
It started innocently enough. Laya always loved synagogue, even as a child (one of five Crust children), and she says that she experienced music in the shul as colour. She talks about stained glass music as a way she experienced Hallel. That connection between synagogue musical liturgy and art was the force that took Laya into the world of creating Jewish art.
Laya started at the University of Manitoba in general arts, but later drifted to Red River College to take drafting. She returned to the U of M for interior design, following in the footsteps of her sister, Gail. When that did not pan out, Laya changed course and cities – moving to Toronto. In pursuit of her passion, Laya avoided traditional art school classes. She enrolled in a programme that would allow her to follow her instincts, interests and talent. She studied drawing, etching and lithography at The Three Schools of Art, a tiny informal art school. She also took up Hebrew calligraphy. As if by chance (if you believe everything is by chance) she was asked to do a Ketubah (the Jewish marriage document). One Ketubah led to another and another. Laya seized the opportunity to delve into Jewish history and reflect it in her art.

A Leah Crust Ketubah

As Laya says, “I realized that the Ketubah took all the things I had learned and loved and even the things I didn’t love and put them into the most perfect package.” What this union of her two loves revealed was the mix of art, design, drafting, history and Jewish learning all together. Her first 17 Ketubot were what might be called, in sport terms, her minor league experience, although they were very well done. It was number 18 that really shot Laya into another stratosphere in her work. She titled her 18th Ketubah her “Medieval Arch Ketubah”. Designing that particular Ketubah is what led Laya to a much deeper dive into Jewish art and history.
It is not surprising to learn that Crust has done many, many Ketubot. In fact, she has created over 600 of them. She describes her work this way, “The eclectic mix of art, design, drafting, history and Jewish learning that I had pursued on my own is the perfect preparation for Ketubah design. Because of my background, I view themes, text, technique and images as separate elements to be integrated into a unique composition. I deepen the meaning of the piece by weaving in elements of design, art and history from different parts of the world and even different parts of Jewish history.”
She has developed and expanded her range well beyond Ketubot. Her work has been delivered, presented and hung in places ranging from the Herzliya Adas Yeshurun Synagogue in Winnipeg to several synagogues in Toronto, also the Toronto General & Western Hospital, as well as locations in Jerusalem and New York. In addition, Laya has produced over 500 documents for organizations and private clients. Suffice to say, she is a very well known and recognized artist.
Not that long ago, Laya was commissioned by a family in Toronto to scribe and illustrate a kosher Megillat Esther on animal parchment. You can go on Youtube to see the story of that creation and her explanation of the 32 panels that accompany the printed words. It is truly remarkable to see the Purim story unravel in front of your eyes both in script and art.
Laya has recently published an exquisite art book titled “ILLUMINATIONS, An Exploration of Haftarah through Art and History.” Just released in October 2022, this book is the result of a request by the Beth David Synagogue in Toronto. Laya created an original miniature for each of the 82 Haftarot and printed them into the synagogue’s formal Haftarah scroll. It is likely the first time this kind of undertaking has ever occurred. In her introduction to the book, Laya writes, “ I studied each Haftarah reading about political intrigue, illness, family dynamics. exile and longing. As the project grew, so did my aspirations. I wanted to link the ancient text with Jewish cultural history and today’s world. I wanted to convey the universal truths that span time and are recorded in the Bible.”
The book “IllUMINATIONS” includes reproductions of each of the paintings. A commentary accompanies the painting, outlining its connection to the Torah portion and the historical inspiration of the art. After studying her book, I can state, without hesitation, that Laya Crust has succeeded splendidly in her quest to link the words with the art. This book is indeed a treasure for anyone interested in Jewish history, art and the study of Haftarot. Images from the book can be seen at haftarah-illuminations.ca
Laya and her husband, Les Lightstone, are the parents of six children (some of whom reside now in Israel) and many grandchildren. That all of the work Laya Crust has produced over a lifetime (and she’s still going strong), representing the efforts of a woman whose origins were in a very non -Jewish area of Winnipeg, proves that you just never know what is possible anywhere.

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Don’t Ignore antisemitism on the Right

l-r: Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Candace Owens

By HENRY SREBRNIK Most of us know that currently most antisemitism, usually masked as “anti-Zionism,” can be found on the left of the political spectrum in Canada and the United States, thanks to the hatred of Israel. The Jewish state is being isolated internationally, and its Jewish supporters harassed and attacked domestically. And since the political left controls much, if not most, of academia, the media, the “human rights” organizations, and other essential components of society, its negative effects are profound.

On the right, we find far more support of Israel. But this doesn’t mean we should ignore an atavistic, somewhat “old-fashioned,” form of antisemitism on the far right, particularly in the U.S. These people support isolationism in foreign policy. The most explosive issue involves Jews. They see neoconservatives – mainly Jews — as imperialists and themselves as defenders of the republic, including even against President Donald Trump himself. 

They are obsessed with the idea of Israel as a uniquely evil force in world history and American Jews as a malignant fifth column. Was the recent striking of Iran’s nuclear program by Trump in America’s national interest, or a needless sacrifice for the Israel lobby, they asked?

Most prominent in this group is the talk show commentator Tucker Carlson. In the paranoid version of world events concocted by Carlson and his guests, it is the “neocons” who drive America to war in the Middle East, motivated by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insatiably expansionist ambitions. 

The day after Israel commenced Operation Rising Lion against Iran, Carlson suggested the U.S. military was being controlled by Netanyahu. “Earlier this week, unnamed Washington sources expressed concern over Israel’s ability to fend off Iran’s retaliation, which would inevitably lead to Benjamin Netanyahu ordering the American military to step in and fight on his country’s behalf,” Carlson wrote in a newsletter. “We’re not going to imperil American national security, the American economy, or America itself on your behalf,” he continued.

At the conservative Turning Point USA (TPUSA) conference in July, Carlson also claimed that deceased convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was working for Israel’s Mossad. He said it is “extremely obvious” that Epstein “had direct connections to a foreign government.” Carlson went on: “Now, no one’s allowed to say that that foreign government is Israel, because we have been somehow cowed into thinking that that’s naughty.” 

At a debate at TPUSA between comedian Dave Smith and conservative intellectual Josh Hammer about U.S. support for Israel, Smith asserted that “The level of Israeli control over our politics is frankly pretty undeniable.” He called Trump “a war criminal who should spend his life in prison.”

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, elected in 2020, initially made headlines for an antisemitic conspiracy theory she shared in 2018 suggesting that deadly California wildfires were caused by alleged Jewish space lasers controlled by the Rothschild family. She has gone on to further infamy. This past June she appeared to suggest in a post on X that former President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 over his opposition to Israel’s nuclear program.

“There was once a great President that the American people loved. He opposed Israel’s nuclear program. And then he was assassinated,” Greene posted as she also defended her dissatisfaction with Trump’s strike on Iran. 

She and Carlson shocked viewers after praising New York mayoral candidate and socialist Zohran Mamadani for how he ran his campaign after he won the New York mayoralty Democratic Party primary. “That guy was the only person in the New York City mayor’s debate to say he wanted to focus on New York City,” Carlson said on the June 27 episode of “The Tucker Carlson Show,” with Greene as his guest.

While Greene and Carlson strongly disagreed with Mamdani’s vision for the city, they praised him for running a New York City-centered campaign, noting his answer during a Democratic debate where candidates were asked what foreign country they would visit.

“I think most said Israel,” Carlson stated. “And he said, ‘I wouldn’t go anywhere. I’d stay in New York and like, if I want to meet Jewish constituents, I go to their synagogues, their homes or whatever, but I’d be here in New York because that’s what I’m doing. I’m running New York. That’s my job.’” Responded Greene: “Well, he gave the right answer.”

Another prominent antisemite who has condemned Trump’s support of Israel in the “Twelve-Day War” with Iran is Candace Owens. “This was not Trump’s decision; it was Bibi Netanyahu’s decision,” Owens told TV host Piers Morgan. “And that is the reason that he did it. We’re very aware that Israel is dictating our foreign policy, and we’d now like that to stop.” Like Greene, Owens has suggested that AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, was responsible for President Kennedy’s assassination. 

Owens worked for a time at the right-wing youth conservative movement Turning Point USA, where she began to gain a following, including Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who later appeared in public with her before he went on a string of antisemitic rants. She has made and endorsed numerous comments with roots in antisemitic stereotypes, including the blood libel, and her views have been praised by avowed white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. 

Given that the Democratic Party has basically begun to abandon Israel, should the antisemitic right gain control of the Republican Party MAGA movement, Jews in America, and Israel internationally, would be left in a perilous position similar to the 1939-1941 period. That was when the America First isolationists, many of them fascists, and the Communist Party fellow travellers joined hands in refusing to oppose Hitler, following the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop nonaggression pact (also known as the Hitler-Stalin Pact) between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, signed that August 23, 1939. As we know, it led to the Second World War and the Holocaust. 

Henry Srebrnik is a professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.

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Two bookstores – two contrasting approaches when it comes to offering readers books by an avowed defender of Israel

Douglas Murray/cover of his most recent book

By BERNIE BELLAN Recently we were contacted by a reader who asked us whether we would be interested in looking into why it is that McNally Robinson Booksellers does not offer any books written by Douglas Murray.

Who is Douglas Murray? you might ask. We have had several stories about Murray on this website over the years, most recently last November, in a story written originally for the Canadian Jewish News titled: “Douglas Murray: A Champion of Israel.

To give you a better idea who Murray is, here is what Wikipedia has to say about him: “Douglas Murray (born 16 July 1979[)is a British neoconservative political commentator, cultural critic, author, and journalist. He is currently an associate editor of the conservative British political and cultural magazine The Spectator, and has been a regular contributor to The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, the Daily Mail, New York Post, National Review, The Free Press, and UnHerd.

“His books include Neoconservatism: Why We Need It (2006), The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam (2017), The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity (2019), The War on the West (2022), and On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel, Hamas and the Future of the West (2025).

“Murray was the associate director of the Henry Jackson Society, a neoconservative think tank, from 2011 to 2018.

“Murray is a critic of current immigration into Europe and of Islam. He became more well-known internationally due to his advocacy for Israel after the October 7 attacks in 2023.

“Murray has been praised by conservatives and criticized by others. Articles in the academic journals Ethnic and Racial Studies and National Identities associate his views with Islamophobia nd he has been described as promoting far-right ideas such as the Eurabia, Great Replacement, and Cultural Marxism conspiracy theories.”

Murray’s most recent book, as mentioned above, is On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel, Hamas and the Future of the West.

Here is the description of the book you can find on Amazon:

“In his travels through Israel and Gaza, #1 International Bestselling author Douglas Murray has seen the best and the worst humanity has to offer, and he has no trouble choosing a side.

“Murray is not Jewish and before October 7, he had never lived in Israel. However, he objects to being lied to, and Israel has been on the receiving end of the biggest, deepest, longest lies in history.

“Israel’s commitment to fundamental Western values—capitalism, individual rights, democracy, and reason—has made it a beacon of progress in a region dominated by authoritarianism and extremism. Israel’s principles vividly contrast with the ideology of Hamas, which openly proclaims its love of death over life. With incisive moral clarity, On Democracies and Death Cults exposes how the campus left and international establishment confuse this conflict by:

  • “Calling on Israel for restraint and proportionality, while Hamas commits genocide.
  • “Slandering Israelis as white colonialists, while only a third of Israelis are Jews of European ancestry.
  • “Framing the conflict as oppressor vs. oppressed, when it is really between a thriving multi-ethnic democracy and a death cult bent on its annihilation.

“Drawing from intensive on-the-ground reporting in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, Douglas Murray places the latest violence in its proper historical context. He takes readers on a harrowing journey through the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, piecing together the exclusive accounts from victims, survivors, and even the terrorists responsible for the atrocities. If left unchecked, misplaced sympathy could embolden forces that seek to undermine not only Israel, but all of Western civilization.”

Given that Douglas Murray is a staunch defender of Israel, what does it say about McNally Robinson Booksellers that they refuse to carry any of the five books that Murray has written to date?

We asked a spokesperson for McNally Robinson whether anyone wished to comment as to why it is that the store will not carry any of Murray’s books, but we were told that McNally Robinson has no comment to make.

As a result, we headed down to the store to take a look for ourselves at the selection of titles that McNally Robinson has on display about Israel and Palestine and that can be found under the heading “Middle East Issues.”

Here are the titles we were able to see in the store:

The Time Beneath the Concrete – Palestine between Camp and Colony; I Shall Not Hate; Jews Don’t Count; Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza (by Peter Beinart); Hope Without Hope; The Gardener of Lashkar Gah; States Without People; Hamas – From Resistance to Regime; The State of Israel vs. The Jews; Israel/Palestine; Banging on the Walls of the Tank; Perfect Victims; Genocide Bad; The Wall Between; The Palestine Laboratory; Road to October 7; Hamas; The World After Gaza; Palestine in a World on Fire; Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic; Loot – How Israel Stole Palestinian Property.

As well, McNally Robinson has a great many other books about Israel and Palestine that are available to order online, including (but not limited to):

The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine – A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance 1917-2017; Genocide Bad; A Genocide Foretold; The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine; Recognizing the Stranger (On Palestine and Narrative): The Question of Palestine; October 7th – Searching for the Humanitarian Middle

In contrast with McNally Robinson’s approach to the subject of Israel and Palestine, Indigo Books offers books that are more sympathetic to Israel. Given that Heather Reisman is the owner of Indigo Books and has demonstrated support for Israel, particularly through a foundation she and her husband, Gerald Schwartz, established, known as the HESEG Foundation, which provides scholarships for “lone soldiers” serving in the Israel Defence Forces, it should come as no surprise that Indigo Books offers books that contain a more pro-Israel perspective – in contrast with McNally Robinson.

As well, from time to time, Heather Reisman adds the title “Heather’s Pick” to a particular book, which means that book is “specifically recommended by her and comes with a money-back guarantee,” according to the article about her on Wikipedia.

Here are titles that were located on shelves under the heading “World History” that we saw on display at the Indigo Books location on Empress:

The Prime Ministers – An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership (a “Heather’s Pick”); Mossad; A Child in Palestine; Understanding Palestine; Enemies and Neighbors; Palestine 1936 – The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict; The Hundred Years War for Palestine; The Wall; Israel – Palestine; Orientalism (by Edward Said); The Question of Palestine; Ghosts of a Holy War; The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine; A Half Century of Occupation; Can We Talk About Israel?; Deluge; A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy; Israel (by Noa Tishby); The Lemon Tree; Thirteen Days in September: The Dramatic Story of the Struggle for Peace (story of Begin and Sadat at Camp David); Son of Hamas; Israel – A Concise History of a Nation Reborn (a “Heather’s Pick”); Israel and Civilization; Terror Tunnels (by Alan Dershowitz); Israel – A History (by Martin Gilbert); Impossible Takes Longer; Israel Alone; Ally (by Michael Oren); On Being Jewish Now; The Story of the Jews; Antisemitism in America; The World After Gaza; The War on the West (also by Douglas Murray).

As well, Indigo Book has a lengthy list of other titles that relate to the subjects of Israel and Palestine and that can be ordered online.

We might also note that the Douglas Murray book, On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel, Hamas and the Future of the West, was not only for sale at the Indigo Books location on Empress, it was showcased when we were there (July 24).

Readers should bear in mind though that both McNally Robinson Booksellers and Indigo Books are privately owned and it is the prerogative of the owners to choose which books they will sell.

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The Atlantic Jewish Council (AJC) has just elected a Winnipegger to the position of president: Naomi Levine

By BERNIE BELLAN From time to time we hear from former Winnipeggers about what they’ve been up to since they left Winnipeg. (And Gerry Posner does a very good job letting Winnipeg Jews know how many ex-Winnipeggers have really “made it” once they left Winnipeg – ouch!)
But recently we were on the receiving end of a phone call from someone who hasn’t actually left Winnipeg; she just makes her home somewhere else for a good part of the year – and no, it’s not Florida, California, or Mexico – it’s in Indian Harbour, Nova Scotia, near Peggy’s Cove – well-known as a tourist destination.

The person who called was Naomi Levine, a name very familiar to many Winnipeggers. Naomi told me she was calling from Nova Scotia, where she has been living for part of the year since she and her late husband, Judge Ian Dubienski, fell in love with the area many years ago.

Nova Scotia? you might wonder. Well, Atlantic Canada doesn’t have a very large Jewish population – only about 7,000. Halifax, which is a 45-minute drive from Peggy’s Cove) – although it doesn’t have a huge Jewish population (2,735 according to the 2021 census) has had significant growth in its Jewish population since the last time figures had been reported (in the 2011 National Household Survey). Of all Canadian cities, only Victoria has shown a more rapid growth relative to what had been reported in the NHS.

During that initial phone call from Naomi, in which she informed me that she had recently been elected president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, I asked her to email me some information about how she came to find herself in that role. During subsequent emails that went back and forth I asked Naomi to flesh out more about her life, her career, and her marriages to two very well known Winnipeggers: (Judge) Ian Dubienski and Arthur Mauro (both of whom have passed on).

What followed was a fascinating series of emails, each one leading me to ask even more questions about Naomi’s very interesting life. What follows is a detailed account largely taken from her own emails, in which she writes about her new role as president of the Atlantic Jewish Council and how she came to find herself in that role. We’ve rearranged her emails first to give some background about Naomi’s life prior to her becoming president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, but in between we’ve also included some information she sent about her involvement as a volunteer, not only with the Winnipeg Jewish community, but with a plethora of organizations outside the Jewish community:

By the way, before you read Naomi’s very interesting life story, here is some information about the Atllantic Jewish Council, taken from its website: “The Atlantic Jewish Council (AJC) has been the cornerstone of Jewish life in the Atlantic Canadian provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland & Labrador) since 1975, acting as the organized Jewish community’s representative and program/service provider for non-religious matters. With only a small staff complement and a modest budget, the AJC relies on the support of over 100 volunteers across Atlantic Canada to move the needle on (its) strategic priorities.”

Here, then, is Naomi’s story:
“My parents were Lou and Sophie Levine. My dad’s parents came from Propoysk, in Belarus. His mother’s maiden name was Duboff.
“My dad owned LONG’s HAT’S MENSWEAR, on Portage Avenue – with Harry Stuart, but around 1958 he became a commercial and estate appraiser, working out of Aronovich and Leipsic. After retirement, he sat on the City of Winnipeg’s tax review board and was instrumental in developing an accredited real estate program. He had been very involved with B’nai Brith and was Chair of Hillel. It was my dad who brought Reb Zalman Schachter to Winnipeg to be the rabbi for Hillel.

“My mother’s maiden name was Bookhalter. Her mother’s maiden name was Lockshin. My mom’s family was from Novozybkov, near Chernobyl. Her grandfather was the pivotal founder of the Lubavitcher Synagogue. Her dad, Pinyeh Bookhalter, owned a garment factory – Ontario Garment, on Princess Street. My mom did her B.A. at the University of Manitoba and worked for her dad before marrying. She was supposed to have gone to medical school but, she said, my dad cried for two weeks, so she married him.

“I have one younger brother, Martin Levine, who was with the Canadian Foreign Service, and who specialized in immigration policy. He lives in Ottawa and continues to present lectures to Canadian immigration lawyers.

“I went to Talmud Torah until Grade 10 and then had to switch to Grant Park High School because we moved to the south end. The difference (in my view) was enormous. At Talmud Torah, we learned to love study, reading, learning. At Grant Park, we learned to date.

“After my B.A., (1968), I did a Master’s Degree in Irish Theatre – not a very marketable commodity. I went into Law at the U of M and graduated with an LL.B. In 1976. I articled with the Manitoba Department of Prosecutions and was called to the Bar in 1977. I then moved to Ottawa for three years (with my husband, Ian (Judge) Dubienski, and worked in the policy wing of the Department of Justice. When we came back to Winnipeg, I developed my own practice – primarily in criminal law, also in human and civil rights law.

“In 1991, I changed from being a ‘courtroom’ lawyer to delve into the world of harassment – sexual, emotional and criminal; conflict of interest; and abuse of power. I had two offices – at the University of Winnipeg and at Red River College, and conducted inquiries for them and for other clients, such as governments, hospitals, universities, public schools, arts organizations, sports organizations, churches and others. I joined an American association called the National Association of College and University Attorneys and presented on matters related to freedom of speech and expression, comparing the differences in interpretation between Canada and the States.

Ian Dubienski

“My late husband, Ian Dubienski, had been Chief Judge of Manitoba’s Provincial Court and was seconded by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to look at sentencing principles across Canada. I travelled with him and have been to all the provinces and territories.

“In 1979, Ian and I decided we wanted, eventually, to have a home in Nova Scotia. We had been visiting three times a year, fell in love with the area, and bought a house in July 1997. Later, in 2003, I bought a house in Indian Harbour, on the Aspotogan peninsula – which is where I live now – when I’m in Nova Scotia. Indian Harbour is a few miles from Peggy’s Cove and about 1/2 hour from Halifax.

“Ian and I had two dogs (a malamute and a bouvier). Our bouvier, Teuchter (Gaelic for ‘farmer’; not Jewish for ‘daughter’) died two weeks before Ian.

“Ian died of cancer in January 1998. For 10 years I drove my malamute, ‘Fleurie,’ back and forth between Winnipeg and Nova Scotia. Fleurie was with me for five years in the house in Indian Harbour before she too, died.

Arthur Mauro

“Five years after Ian’s death, I met Arthur (Mauro). I had been associated with an international organization that negotiated for peace in war-torn countries and, when I read about Arthur’s founding the Institute for Peace and Justice at the U of M, I decided to meet him, in October 2001. It led to marriage in January of 2003. (Arthur Mauro died two years ago – in 2023.)
“I still sit on the Board of the Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice.”

“In 2000, the Canadian government amended the National Defence Act, to form the Canadian Forces Grievance Board, as an arms-length tribunal to sit, quasi judicially on all matters concerning the Canadian Armed Forces. I was one of the four judges who were appointed to that board. While I lived in and practiced law in Winnipeg, I had an office in Ottawa and sat on cases across the country. I was taken to every base in Canada and was impressed with the dedication and commitment of Canada’s Army, Air Force and Navy. I served in that position for seven years.

“I also became a journalist. I had started my involvement with Peter.Gzowski on his morning show, appearing somewhat regularly to talk about anything from cod fishing off Newfoundland, to food service on Air Canada. Then, CBC Manitoba asked me to do a weekly piece called ‘Levine’s Law.’ Terry McLeod was then the host and every Tuesday morning, he and I would talk about issues of international, national and local concern. I would analyze those issues from legal and ethical standpoints. I loved working with Terry. He was and is a mensch and an excellent interviewer.”

Now retired, in another email Naomi wrote some more about her career:

“After I retired from practice the then dean of the Asper School of Business, Goen Feltham, asked me to develop the Executive MBA program. I also became the Director of the Centre for Higher Education, Research and Development, situated at the University of Manitoba, which trains all presidents, vice-presidents and deans of Canadian colleges and universities.

“I finally retired completely when Arthur decided he wanted to spend four months a year in Palm Desert. I had done some painting, and found a wonderful art studio that I go to four days a week in Palm Desert. And I became a volunteer for the Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival.

“I’ve been fortunate in being able to have a wonderful group of friends in Winnipeg, Nova Scotia and Palm Desert. Arthur had been declining over a period of three years and died, at 96 years, in August 2023. Those three years were very difficult. My life was consumed with trying to keep Arthur alive and engaged. I had no time for anything, or anyone else. My ‘respite’ was my weekly modern Hebrew tutorial through the Rosen School of Hebrew, and occasional trips to Nova Scotia.

(Ed. note: I had asked Naomi to describe in some detail her career, but I was floored when she sent me a list of the boards and committees on which she served while she was in Winnipeg. You can read Naomi’s full resumé at the end of this article.)

But, here’s one paragraph that describes some of Naomi’s eclectic interests – outside of law and volunteering on a host of committees:
“I received an Homorary Doctorate of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Manitoba in 2019. I was Chair of the Board of the Winnipeg Art Gallery for a number of years. When I’m in Palm Desert I paint and one of my pieces, a portrait of Ariel Sharon, was in the recent Jewish artists show at the Rady JCC. I’m painting a series of Israeli prime ministers.”

“For seven years I represented Manitoba in the National Board of the Confederation Centre for the Arts in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.”

As previously noted, Naomi went to Talmud Torah for 10 years, and later she went to Israel during the Six Dar War. She writes that she remains “an avid Zionist. I take a weekly Modern Hebrew tutorial with my tutor from the Rosen School of Hebrew, accredited by the Hebrew University.”

“I have only one cousin in Winnipeg – Sheryl Levine, but she is much younger than I am and we hadn’t been close. That has changed and now we are. But, as Arthur was dying, I found two new friends who are now my ‘family’: Lorne and Paulette Weiss (and their children, Richard and Alison). I have no idea how I would have managed without their kindness, generosity, love and their two border terriers. I have always adored dogs but had none after my malamute died, so ‘Maizie’ and ‘Lucie’ are my joy. Paulette and I met through a MahJong class at the Rady, but I had known Lorne years ago. He and I were two of six young people who volunteered and were sent to Israel to help in 1967, during the Six Day War. He was then a lovely young man and he has become a lovely older man. And Paulette is pure heart.

“I now divide my time between Winnipeg, Nova Scotia and Palm Desert. My new position, as president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, is a wonderful opportunity to give back to Atlantic Canada, a place that has been so good to me. And, to be able to get involved not only in its Jewish life but in the Canadian Jewish community at large. I suspect that few people of my age have the good fortune to be starting a new and exciting adventure.

“It is my view that many Canadians, particularly Westerners, have no or little familiarity with Atlantic Canada and its Jewish communities.

“The first Canadian city that most Jewish settlers saw was Halifax, when they entered Canada through Pier 21, which operated from 1895-1915. Now, Pier 21 is the repository for all the records of the immigrants who came to Canada, and many Jewish people can track their ancestors’ arrivals through the research room of The Canadian Museum for Immigration in Pier 21, on the Halifax waterfront. Their records go back to around 1865.

“My responsibilities as president of the Atlantic Jewish Council will be to act as the voice of the Atlantic Jewish community, to support and connect them to Israel; to engage Jewish youth through Hillel and its camp (Camp Kadimah); to educate about the Holocaust and human rights; to foster relations with governments and non Jewish organizations; and to support Israel.

“While the Jewish population of Atlantic Canada is small, it is growing. Jewish immigrants, mainly from Israel and Russia are settling there and others are being encouraged to come. The Jewish communities are extremely active and involved in Yidishkeit, the celebration of Jewish life and support of Israel. The synagogues are Orthodox and Reform. As well, Chabad has a large presence, as does Hillel.

“When I was asked to take this position, I was excited about the possibility of making connections between the Atlantic Jewish community and the rest of Canada. My first phone call was to Jeff Lieberman (CEO of the Jewish Federation of Manitoba), and we were both excited about the possibility of joint initiatives.

“I will not be leaving Winnipeg, even as I spend a great deal of time in Atlantic Canada. I am still very involved in organizations in Winnipeg. I remain Chair of the Investments Committee of the Shaarey Zedek, and am a committee member of the Women’s’ Endowment Fund of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

“I remain a passionate Zionist. I feel that, with ever-increasing antisemitism, it is important for Canadian communities to connect with each other and to support each other. “

Naomi encourages Manitobans who have an interest in Jewish Atlantic Canada to contact her. She can be reached at: Nzlevine@icloud.com.

Naomi Levine resumé:

Committee and Discipline Committee
Canada Summit of the Arts, Advocacy Committee
• ⁃ Folk Art Council of Winnipeg, representing the Irish Association of Winnipeg)
Strategy Group Canada (strategic planning in international peace building, conflict prevention and human capital development). Board Member Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, Board Member Prairie Public Broadcasting ( North Dakota), Board Member
• ⁃ Winnipeg Humane Society, Board Member
Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Manitoba, Board Member Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Board Member
Sport Manitoba,
Consultant
Sport Nova Scotia. Consultant
Denturist Association of Manitoba, Complaints Committee Scouts Canada, Manitoba Council, Honourary Scout
National Association of College and University Attorneys (USA)
• ⁃ Manitoba Arts Council, Board Member
Lawyers and Jurists for Soviet Jewry, Chair, Manitoba Region Irish Association of Manitoba, Member of the Board and Lawyer Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties Legal Aid Manitoba, Vice Chair
Manitoba Trial Lawyers Association
Manitoba Society of Criminology, Board Member Prairie Theatre Exchange, Board Member Rainbow Stage, Board Member
• ⁃ Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Association, Board Member
Winnipeg Jewish Community Council, Vice President

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