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Leading Bnai Mitzvah photographer Robyn Shapiro constantly working to refine her technique

By MYRON LOVE What started as a hobby while home with young children has blossomed into a successful and fulfilling career for Robyn Shapiro, arguably our community’s leading  b’nai mitzvah photographer. 
“I would like to say I have a unique style to my photography and pride myself on the details,” she observes. “I love a pop of color or a vivid black and white. A true candid makes me smile or when I can see their personality shine through.
“I love what I do, and love that I get to celebrate the lives and loves of so many people. Each event is a happy occasion that brings smiles and laughter to so many around me. I get to be a part of many beautiful ceremonies, rites of passage and ever amazing events. The circle of life is a gift and one that I want to capture.
I wake up every day to see the beauty in our world, one photograph at a time.”
Growing up, the former North End girl recalls that she enjoyed taking pictures.  The daughter of Allan and Rennie Elfenbein attended Peretz School and the former Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate until the end of Grade 9 –graduating from Garden City Collegiate.
The future professional photographer was enrolled in the University of Manitoba when she became pregnant with her first born daughter, Briya – who was soon followed by little brother Lev – both of whom are now in high school at Gray Academy.
 (Shapiro was married to Jay Shapiro who, sadly, passed away seven years ago at the young age of 47.)
“While at home with my young children, I started taking pictures of our dogs,” Robyn Shapiro recalls.  “I found that I really enjoyed manipulating objects and scenes for the camera.  I began to think about the possibility of photography as a business.”
While working half days as an education assistant with junior high school students in the Pembina Trails school Division  – a position she still holds – she began taking courses at the Prairieview School of Photography while growing her business – Robyn Shapiro Photography.
“I started with weddings,” she says.  “that went very well for me.  After a few years, a client hired me to shoot a bar mitzvah.  I loved it.  I love all the energy that is a bnai mitzvah. They are always a lot of fun.
“And I know the community well.”
(Growing up, she regularly attended the former Beth Israel Synagogue with her parents.)
She photographed her first bar mitzvah in 2010.  Up until Covid restrictions were introduced, she reports that she and the late Manny Sousa were the pre-eminent photographers in Winnipeg for bnai mitzvah.
“Manny and I used to often run into each other,” she recalls.  “He was a great guy, a good friend, and I learned a lot from him.”
Before Covid, she reports, she would generally be booked for bnai mizvah every weekend – and sometimes two on a weekend – throughout the spring, late summer and fall.  “Things have changed a little bit since the restrictions have been removed,” she notes.  “There are a few more bnai mitzvah taking place in  the winter months.”
Wedding season, she adds, is late spring and early summer, late summer and early fall.
Shapiro’s services are also in demand for grad photos, which are generally packed into the last two weeks in June and sometime early July.
No professional photographer can afford to neglect the corporate market.  In  that sphere, Shapiro notes that she takes on numerous assignments for hospitals.  She just recently shot a cardiovascular science symposium – and adds that she provides a lot of head shots for people in the medical field as well as for those pursuing acting careers.
Shapiro also, on occasion, gives of her talent in a voluntary capacity as, for example, for an upcoming fundraising gala for Ronald MacDonald House – and other similar non-profits.
She notes that she is always upgrading her photography education while staying abreast of the latest new trends and techniques.  “I watch a lot of videos,” she says.  “As well, I meet regularly with a group of photographers to which I belong. We learn from each other.”
In addition to her love of photography, Shapiro has a passion for cycling.   She cycles throughout the year, doing 25 km daily outdoors most of the year and indoors in winter.  She also enjoys kayaking in  summer and participates in a women’s soccer league in fall and winter.
 
And, of course, summers at Gimli are a well-established tradition for her and her children.  “A lot of people who summer at Gimli and Winnipeg Beach know me,” she says.  “I am called on frequently to photograph special events and family gatherings.”

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Features

The Growing Impact of Mobile Gaming on Online Casino Play in Canada

A decade ago, desktop platforms dominated the iGaming market. People mostly used PCs, Macs, and laptops to play table classics like poker, as well as live dealer games. That changed as smartphones became more powerful and mobile internet speeds improved across Canada and across the continents – a market that Apple takes the greatest market share in.

Players are used to casino games loading quickly, streaming smoothly, and working well on smaller devices. Operators have made their websites more responsive, released apps, and designed touch-friendly games designed for mobile players. For many Canadians, smartphones are the main way they access online casinos.

Reports from NetNewsLedger and Inside2U point to mobile gaming as the main reason for growth in Canada’s online casino market. The AI Journal has reported that mobile gaming accounts for 68% of slot gaming in urban areas, and 78% in rural communities.

Mobile-first gaming

The move toward mobile gaming happened because smartphones made casino access more convenient. Players can log in away from home, at home, or while travelling without needing a desktop setup. Faster 5G coverage improved streaming quality and reduced loading times.

Modern platforms allow gamers to play casino table games on mobile with live streams, touch-optimized interfaces, and real-time gameplay available on smartphones and tablets.

Many operators redesigned their platforms around mobile use instead of adapting desktop layouts for smaller screens. Cross-platform syncing is common, allowing players to move between desktop and mobile without losing progress or account access.

Live dealer games

Early live casino platforms worked best on desktop because mobile connections struggled with video streaming. That changed as streaming technology improved and newer smartphones had more processing power.

Live dealer games support HD video and stable streams across most modern devices. Players can access blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or a poker table either from browsers or apps.

Evolution and Pragmatic Play were among the providers to optimize their live casino products for portrait and landscape mobile viewing. Features like one-tap betting, live chat, and adjustable stream quality made mobile sessions easier to manage on smartphones.

Apps and browser games

Gaming apps sometimes offer faster login options, push notifications, and biometric security features (e.g. Face ID, fingerprint authentication). Apps also help operators improve performance consistency across different devices.

Meanwhile browser-based gaming is now more reliable because of HTML5 technology and responsive web design. Reputable casinos usually provide full mobile access directly through Safari or Chrome without requiring a player to download their app.

The flexibility helped casinos reach more users across iOS and Android devices. According to coverage from TorontoMike, HTML5 development played a part in making modern casino games reaching wider audiences.

Feature-driven games

Feature-driven games became popular on mobile partly because they fit short, pick-up-and-play sessions. Quick bonus rounds, tap controls, and fast loading times work well for players using phones.

Developers, as in other gaming genres, have improved optimization to reduce battery usage and data consumption. Adaptive streaming and compressed graphics help games run smoothly even on comparatively slow connections.

Canadian casino platforms will keep refining app performance, live streaming quality, and cross-device compatibility. The focus is fast access, stable gameplay, and interfaces built specifically for smartphones and tablets. Players should remember to use licensed platforms and make use of available responsible gambling tools and account controls.

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Features

Colleges With the Largest Jewish Student Communities

Choosing a college is hard enough without factoring in whether you’ll be the only Jewish person at the Shabbat table. For students who want Jewish life to be a real part of their college experience – not a weekly drive to the nearest city – campus community matters as much as academic reputation.

The good news: several major universities have Jewish student populations large enough that Jewish holidays are actually acknowledged, kosher dining isn’t a special request, and you’ll find everything from traditional minyanim to social justice groups to Jewish Greek life. What follows is a breakdown of the schools that consistently rank highest, based on Hillel International’s annual data and campus reporting.

What to Look For Beyond the Numbers

Raw population numbers don’t tell the whole story. Some students want a large Jewish population to maximize the number of organizations, fraternities and sororities, and participation at Jewish events. Others want schools with easy kosher dining options and a range of religious options for services. Still others want easy access to a large Jewish community off campus.

Top schools also come with serious academic demands. Jewish students who want to stay active in community life while keeping up with coursework often treat writing as something to outsource strategically. Students who decide to hire essay writer online guidance for specific writing tasks often find that the quality of that support keeps them on track without sacrificing everything else. Some things are worth delegating so you can actually show up for Shabbat or make it to the Hillel event on a Tuesday.

The questions worth asking before committing to any campus:

  • Does the Hillel have a dedicated building, or does it operate out of shared space?
  • Is kosher dining available in the main dining hall, or is it a separate facility that separates you from non-Jewish friends?
  • Does the school adjust exam schedules around major Jewish holidays?
  • Is there a Chabad house nearby for students who want a more observant environment?
  • What’s the campus climate like regarding antisemitism, and how does the administration respond?

The Top Schools by Jewish Population

University of Florida

UF has 6,500 Jewish students – bigger than some entire colleges. The Jewish community is so established that they have multiple Jewish fraternities and sororities, plus Hillel programming that goes well beyond awkward mixers. The Hillel at UF is nationally recognized, with kosher dining and daily minyanim. Gainesville’s Jewish community includes Orthodox synagogues within reach, and UF’s administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism, as noted in 2024 Hillel reports, ensure a welcoming environment.

Rutgers University

With 6,400 Jewish students, Rutgers gives you every type of Jewish person – from very religious to “only goes to synagogue on Yom Kippur.” Being in New Jersey means NYC is accessible for internships, Shabbat with family, or just a real bagel. Rutgers Hillel is one of the most active in the country and the campus has a long history of Jewish student life.

University of Maryland

One of the most significant Hillel building projects underway anywhere in the country. The new Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Hillel Center For Jewish Life at University of Maryland will be a 40,000-square-foot building in College Park, including a kosher dining area, café, rental catering spaces, and classrooms. Maryland’s Jewish population is large, geographically convenient to Washington D.C., and has been growing.

New York University

NYU sits in the middle of one of the largest Jewish communities in the world, which changes what campus Jewish life looks like entirely. The off-campus options – synagogues, kosher restaurants, Jewish cultural institutions – are unmatched anywhere else on this list. NYU Hillel is active, and students who want a more immersive Jewish urban experience rather than a contained campus bubble tend to thrive here.

Brandeis University

A different category from the others. Brandeis was founded as a Jewish-sponsored institution and still reflects that in its campus culture. Brandeis Hillel recently announced a $20 million project to renovate a former administrative building into a new 28,000-square-foot center for Jewish life on campus. Jewish studies programs are among the strongest in the country, and the campus calendar is built around Jewish holidays as a matter of course.

Cornell University

Cornell has the largest Jewish student population in the Ivy League and is finally getting the college hilel building to match. Construction began in spring 2026 on the Steven K. and Winifred A. Grinspoon Hillel Center for Jewish Community at Cornell – a 24,000-square-foot facility expected to serve over 3,000 Cornellians each year, featuring a kosher café, event hall for Shabbat dinners, a communal kosher kitchen, and a Beit Midrash. Until it opens, the community operates out of Anabel Taylor Hall, where space has been consistently stretched.

Princeton University

Smaller numbers than the large state schools, but the infrastructure is serious. Princeton’s Mandelbaum Family Dining Pavilion opened in March 2025, providing twenty kosher meals a week supervised by the Orthodox Union. Anyone on a Princeton meal plan can eat there – and students of all backgrounds eat there because the food is genuinely good.

Campus Comparison

SchoolApprox. Jewish enrollmentKosher diningHillel buildingChabad presence
University of Florida~6,500YesYesYes
Rutgers University~6,400YesYesYes
Cornell UniversityLargest in Ivy LeagueYes (new facility 2027)Under constructionYes
University of MarylandLargeNew facility openingUnder constructionYes
NYULargeYes + off-campusYesYes
BrandeisMajority JewishYesRenovation underwayYes
Princeton~13%Yes (OU-certified)YesYes

What Actually Makes a Jewish Campus Community Strong

Numbers matter, but they’re not everything. When you get above around 25% Jewish, the whole campus culture shifts. Jewish holidays become things that professors acknowledge. Kosher food isn’t some weird special request. Everyone understands why you disappear for three days during Rosh Hashanah.

Beyond that threshold, what separates good Jewish campus communities from great ones is programming depth and physical space. A Hillel with a real building, a kosher kitchen, and regular Shabbat dinners creates the conditions for genuine community. A Hillel sharing a conference room and running events sporadically does not.

The schools on this list all offer something real. What varies is the scale, the feel, and whether you want a sprawling state school where Jewish life is one of many communities, or a smaller institution where it’s closer to the center of things.

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Features

Is AI Making the Canadian Gaming Sector Safer for Consumers in 2026?

The phrase “artificial intelligence” seems ubiquitous nowadays. It represents an extremely efficient technology that is revolutionizing virtually all industries; the Canadian online gambling market is not an exception. Although the first associations related to AI in the context of online gambling are connected with the creation of new content, it performs one of its key functions far from the spotlight.

By 2026, AI will become an absolutely necessary means for ensuring consumer safety within the regulated gaming market.

If it’s fraud prevention or responsible gaming promotion, artificial intelligence is used by operators to increase the security level in the market. This task becomes especially relevant in the case of a regulated market like Ontario where consumer safety becomes a primary concern.

Let us have a closer look at the concrete applications of AI for this purpose.

Detecting and Preventing Fraud

Among the primary risks faced by any online website that conducts financial transactions is the risk of fraud. This can range from using stolen credit cards to more complicated cases of bonus abuse.

In the past, such activities could only be detected through manual analysis by the security team of the organization. However, modern technologies have brought about significant changes in how this challenge is handled.

The current generation of online gambling sites employs advanced algorithms that help monitor all activities conducted on the site in real-time. The algorithm is designed to detect any suspicious patterns that could indicate any malicious intent on the part of the user.

In addition, the program can examine several data points within seconds, identifying any abnormal behavior of the player. For instance, the AI may identify a situation where a player makes many deposits using different payment instruments.

This helps to address potential issues before they become problematic for the operator and the users of the platform.

Ensuring Fair Play

In order to ensure fairness in an online world that is full of competition, especially within a game such as poker, it is essential to keep cheating at bay. AI technology is being applied in order to do this.

One of the major issues that arises when it comes to online poker is the use of bots. Bots refer to computerized systems that play poker without a human being.

Using AI to protect a poker room includes using AI security measures that can distinguish the patterns in which bots play. AI can help identify other types of unfair plays such as collusion, where there is cooperation among players at the same table.

These AI security measures have the capability of analyzing the hand histories and patterns of play that would take human beings too long to do.

Promoting Responsible Gaming

The most important application of AI in the Canadian gaming industry could be seen as the area of responsible gaming. The gambling license holders should offer various instruments to help players control themselves, but the AI technology will allow taking a step further.

With the help of AI algorithms, licensed operators may learn to detect signs of gambling disorder based on specific patterns of playing. It is worth mentioning that AI technology is not meant to evaluate the gambler but analyze his behavior objectively.

For instance, the algorithm can warn the operator about a player who spends much more time or money than before, as well as someone who chases their losses.

Once the patterns are detected, the appropriate measures can be taken. For instance, an automated warning could be sent to the gambler informing about responsible gaming resources. If necessary, the player can be contacted by a person who has undergone special training for this purpose.

It can be considered a highly effective solution to make the gaming process safe.

A More Personalized and Secure Experience

Furthermore, AI is employed in creating a customized and safer environment for players and currently, many platforms utilize AI algorithms to provide personalized suggestions regarding games.

By analyzing the preferences of the user and the kinds of online slots in Canada they like, the system can make recommendations on other games they would enjoy playing. Thus, users have the opportunity to explore new games and get greater satisfaction from using the platform.

Regarding security, the technology is also used in order to make the login process more secure. Many platforms currently utilize AI algorithms based on behavioral biometrics.

Thus, the system identifies unique patterns of a specific user, including how he/she types or moves the mouse and in case somebody tries to log in under someone else’s name, the algorithm detects unusual behavior and initiates extra verification procedures.

Final Thoughts

There is no denying that artificial intelligence is quietly working in the background to ensure the safety of Canadian gamers.

From fraud and cheating detection to the benefits of promoting responsible gambling, the application of AI is aiding the development of a more reliable gaming industry.

With new developments expected in the future regarding AI, the industry will continue to benefit from this technology and this is indeed good news for all Canadians who enjoy online gaming as entertainment.

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