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Nathan Stall: a credit to the name

Dr. Nathan Stall

By GERRY POSNER

With all the devastating fallout from the COVID- 19 nightmare which has taken over all our lives on this planet over the last five months, there is an upside ( for me at least) to it all. Anyone who watches TV and the news of the pandemic has frequently seen two figures cross the screen in interviews.

 

These two doctors are both a kind of Winnipeg by-product as in Dr. Isaac Bogoch and Dr. Nathan Stall. (The Bogoch story will have to wait until the next issue.)

The name Nathan Stall, individuals who are very 70 will likely remember, was a very prominent Winnipeg businessman heading the well known clothing establishment S. Stall & Son for many years. It is likely the case that some readers purchased clothing from that business in the Peck Building.
Well, that Nathan Stall died sadly in 1986, but his grandson and namesake Dr. Nathan Stall has brought to the Stall family a similar laudable distinction. He is one of the go to experts for issues relating to the elderly. COVID-19 struck hard at the elderly and in particular to those in nursing homes. Likely few were acquainted with these issues better than Dr. Stall.
Stall comes by his medical degree honestly as he has the right pedigree shall we say. For starters, his father is Dr. Richard Stall, a psychiatrist (Why not – as Winnipeg has turned out Jewish psychiatrists by the bushel-load it seems.) and his mother is Dr. Lisa Berger, a public health physician. Both of Nathan Stall’s parents grew up in Winnipeg, Stall in the north end and Berger in the south. Lisa’s father was none other than Dr. Shimmy Berger, a long time dermatologist who worked in the Boyd Building. Given that history, you could say that medicine was in the Nathan Stall gene pool.
Stall graduated medicine from Western University and then completed his residency in Internal Medicine and his fellowship training in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Toronto. It is a fact that not many young doctors are attracted to the field of geriatrics and you have to think that Stall’s father, Richard, as a psychiatrist dealing with the elderly, had some influence on Nathan. But Stall is clear as to the reasons why he chose geriatrics.

First, he says he enjoys the complexity of geriatrics and the fact that geriatrics combines elements of internal medicine, psychiatry and neurology.
Second, Stall has a deep affection for the patient population (a key element to success in any field).
Third, Stall appreciates that his voice is heard and valued in conversations about health policy.
Finally, Stall recognizes that there is a great deal of ageism in society in general and within the health care system in particular. He says he finds fulfilment in his ability to advocate for older adults.
Stall is at present a research fellow at Women’s College Research Institute at the Women’s College Hospital. He is also is on the path to completing a PhD in clinical epidemiology and health care research.
And what is Stall’s doctoral research all about? In a general way, it is to study the health impacts of caregiving for individuals with dementia. How timely is that, given the bulging aging population in the Boomer generation, whose numbers will no doubt affect the rates of dementia in a dramatic way as the years go by?
Stall clearly has the credentials to embark upon his study in this field as he is receiving support from the University of Toronto Department of Medicine’s Eliot Phipson Clinician- Scientist Training Program (that title alone would deter me) and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship program. Moreover, he has been a staff geriatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto since 2017. His clinical work deals with acute care geriatrics. In short, when you talk old age, this young doctor, Nathan Stall, is your man.

Nathan Stall was quite clear about his love for Winnipeg – where he was born and lived until the age two. He says that he has visited Winnipeg over 25 times and spent many summers at Falcon Lake. He recalls fondly his frequent visits to his grandmother Gert Stall’s apartment in Winnipeg at Hampton Green, also the BDI, VJ’s and of course the ease of getting about in Winnipeg. But most of all, what is clear to me is that the Stall and Berger families had a positive effect on Nathan.
So, I say to all of the readers, like me, who are closer to the end than the beginning, let’s take some solace in the fact that there are young doctors like Nathan Stall to whom we can turn for help.

 

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Features

Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Quest And the Ukraine War

By HENRY SREBRNIK A worthy organization, of course, but it could have been granted the prize in any year since its foundation in 1961. Trump deserved the prize, but didn’t get it, due to animosity from the international liberal elites.

By 2021 Trump was out of office, but he would still have been eligible. Instead. the prize went jointly to Maria Ressa, a Filipino-American journalist and investigative reporter for CNN and a professor at Columbia University, and Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov, founder of a pro-democracy Russian newspaper, for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” Again, more of a “human rights” award than a diplomatic effort to end armed conflict.

Trump has long sought a Nobel Prize and has publicly questioned the decision to award the honour in 2009 to former president Barack Obama, who had barely entered the White House at the time. This time around, despite lingering bias, I think Trump will receive it. He can’t be overlooked — because he is really bringing at least a modicum of peace between longtime foes around the world. 

The August 8 agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan notched another victory for him. The photograph of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shaking hands, with a smiling Trump holding both their arms, should alone do it. And it comes after a series of such deals. He spent much of his appearance promoting his administration’s role in overseas peace processes. His last such success came at the end of July, when he intervened to bring Cambodia and Thailand to the negotiating table after a border dispute. 

Trump claimed involvement in a May ceasefire between India and Pakistan, two nuclear powers, though India denied, for domestic reasons, that the U.S. was a major actor. In June, he celebrated a peace agreement brokered by the U.S. between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, doing so with a signing in the Oval Office. 

“Today’s signing follows our success with India and Pakistan. They were going at it. They were going at it big,” Trump reminded people. “Also the Congo and Rwanda. Now that was one, which was going on for 31 years, and we have it all done, and people are very happy.”

Several world leaders have said they were nominating Trump for the prize, including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Among others, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have expressed their support. Pashinyan and Aliyev said that they believe Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and that they will advocate on his behalf to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Aliyev remarked that what Trump did in six months was a “miracle.”

Now comes the hardest part: the horrific Russia-Ukraine war. It has become Trump’s obsession to end it and enter the history books as a peacemaker. The symbolism of Trump meeting Vladimir Putin on the tarmac in Anchorage, Alaska August 15 was a photograph that undoubtedly made it to the front pages of every newspaper in the world. Prior to the meeting, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party candidate who lost the presidential election to Trump in 2016, said she would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize if he managed to pull off this extremely challenging feat!

Of course, the Alaska summit was actually just a first step. The ball is now in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s court. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Aug. 20 that Russia would agree to Western security guarantees for Ukraine only if Russia and China have a veto. 

Russia’s list of demands includes assurance that Ukraine will not join NATO. Conversely, Moscow will have to accept an eventual Ukrainian accession to the European Union. Remember: unlike the U.S. and Europe, neither Russia nor Ukraine can afford to lose. Both — yes, both — see themselves up against the wall. 

A redrawing of national borders seems inevitable. Much of Donetsk, Luhansk, and of course all of Crimea, with their Russophone populations, will likely remain Russian. On the other hand, Ukraine will become a far more homogenous nation state, perhaps a step towards its greater democratization. Otherwise, the war will continue. 

And I haven’t even mentioned Gaza.

As for Trump’s Nobel? The road ahead is rough, but it will still be a sure thing.

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

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Features

How beginners can profit from crypto

There are some people who have made money through investing in cryptocurrency. However, how can crypto help you make a profit if you are a beginner who doesn’t have a lot of technical expertise? Here is a list of some of the ways you can make money with crypto without having a lot of experience in the subject. 

Get in early

One way you can, potentially, earn money from crypto without needing any deep technical knowledge is by finding opportunities to get in on the ground floor. If you study any upcoming crypto launches by, for instance, looking at the list of new crypto presales from Best Wallet, you might find a coin or token which you could make a profit from. Very often, a cryptocurrency’s presale price is lower than what it trades at when it first appears on the open market. So, if you are careful, do your own research, and have luck on your side, you could make a profit from a cryptocurrency presale. 

Earn interest

If you want to make a profit in a slow but sure manner, then earning interest on a crypto savings account might just be for you. Much like a traditional, fiat, savings account, your money is lent out to borrowers or, in some cases, put into liquidity pools, and you earn interest, which can be as much as 10 per cent. Most major exchanges will let you do this, and they are often pretty user-friendly, too, so it won’t require a great deal of crypto expertise. If you do put your money into a savings account, make sure you research the platform and start with a small amount, the sort of amount of crypto you could afford to lose. It also helps if you diversify somewhat and use different platforms to avoid the risk of losses. 

Earn as you learn

While the debate between centralized and decentralized exchanges isn’t going to go away at any point soon, something that can work in favor of centralized exchanges is how they can give you free crypto in the form of learn-to-earn programs. These involve surveys and quizzes about particular cryptocurrencies, which reward players with some of the subject cryptos once they have completed them. Although the rewards are not exactly massive – usually a few dollars’ worth of the said crypto – they are real. What is, perhaps, even more useful is that the quizzes are educational, so you won’t just gain crypto from doing them, you will also learn more about the whole cryptosphere. 

Keep loyal

If you’ve been shopping at any point this century, the chances are that you will be familiar with the concept of loyalty cards. These give you rewards for doing your shopping, or eating and drinking, at a specific chain or store. And what’s true of traditional retail is becoming ever more commonplace with cryptocurrency. Whether it’s with crypto debit cards, which give users rewards in the form of crypto, shopping platforms such as StormX or Lolli offering points, or travel sites like Travala giving customers crypto cashback, there are plenty of ways in which you can get crypto just by getting things you would normally get. And, better yet, they usually just need you to sign up and link your card to your account, so there’s no mining or staking or anything like that. As ever, though, make sure that you read the small print and check that you comply with any tax requirements for any coins or tokens earned via a crypto loyalty program.  

Hold steady

Crypto investors who make money know when to get into a market and come out of it. However, one thing that can work in your favor is the simple act of buying and holding crypto. Now, this isn’t foolproof. Firstly, because nothing is foolproof and, secondly, because prices can go down as well as up. That said, there is a theory that, ultimately, this is the best way to make money with crypto, because it can involve a long-term strategy. You will, however, need to make sure that you do your own research, remember that prices can go down as well as up, and never invest more than you can afford to lose. It also helps to be patient, because you might not see a profit you want to take for quite some time. So just buying and holding can help you turn a crypto profit without having to study the technical intricacies of cryptocurrency. 

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Team Spirit: Jewish College Sports Programs Making Headlines

For many educational institutions, sports are no longer just an optional activity: they have become an important part of the educational process. They build not only physical endurance, but also social skills, values and a sense of belonging to the Jewish community, as is often written on the website jewishsportsreview.com. Let’s take a look at the place of sports in Jewish colleges.

Features of Sports Programmes

Jewish educational institutions have always placed a special emphasis on the harmonious development of the individual. However, in the past, sports activities often took a back seat to academic subjects and religious education. Today, the situation has changed: more and more colleges are realising that sports are not just physical activity, but a tool for character building.

Sports in Jewish colleges serve several key functions:

  • Social integration: joint training and competitions bring together students from different departments and courses.
  • Strengthening values through fair play, respect for opponents, the ability to lose gracefully and win without arrogance are fully consistent with the ethical principles accepted in Jewish culture.
  • Leadership development: team captains and sports event organisers gain experience in team management and decision-making under pressure.

Participation in sports clubs helps maintain a balance between mental and physical development, which is especially important for students who often have a heavy academic workload.

Sports Programme and Discipline Opportunities

Sports programmes at Jewish colleges are diverse and tailored to the interests of students, as well as the infrastructure of the educational institutions. In addition to traditional sports such as basketball, football and volleyball, the schedule may include baseball, tennis, table tennis and even sports related to historical or cultural traditions.

Interestingly, some colleges take Jewish holidays and Shabbat into account when drawing up their sports calendars so that training sessions and competitions do not clash with religious obligations. Students can combine sporting achievements with preserving their cultural identity.

Participation in intercollegiate tournaments is becoming an important element of sports programmes. This is not only a test of skill, but also an opportunity to represent one’s college at the regional or national level, creating a positive image for the educational institution. In such tournaments, the emphasis is often not only on winning, but also on the ability to behave in the spirit of fair play, which creates a special atmosphere of friendship and mutual respect between teams.

Impact on Student Life and Career

Sport in Jewish colleges plays a significant role in shaping the student experience. It helps students develop skills that are in demand not only in sport but also in any area of life: the ability to work in a team, make quick decisions and take responsibility for results.

Many graduates who participated in sports programmes note that this experience proved useful in building their careers. For example:

  • Team leaders subsequently demonstrate high managerial competence at work.
  • Players who are used to constant training and discipline adapt more easily to stress and deadlines.
  • Participants in intercollegiate games gain public speaking and networking skills that help in business negotiations.

In addition to career advantages, sport improves health and reduces stress levels, which is especially important for students who are balancing their studies with community projects and religious obligations. The atmosphere of support and mutual assistance created by sports teams helps many students adapt to college life more easily, especially if they have come from another city or country.

Joining a sports team or regular training can become an important part of student life. Those considering this option should take several factors into account:

  • Assess your goals: do you want to play sports professionally or just to stay in shape and socialise? This will help you choose the right level of commitment.
  • Check your schedule to make sure that training does not conflict with your studies or religious obligations.
  • Take advantage of college resources: many institutions offer free gyms, coaching, and access to sports clubs.

It is equally important to remember that sport is not just about winning. It teaches patience, respect for others and a willingness to work hard. At Jewish colleges, sports programmes are designed to combine these values with cultural and spiritual elements, making them unique.

Sports programmes at Jewish colleges become a space where traditional values are organically intertwined with modern approaches to education and leisure. For many students, participating in college sports is just as important as academic success. After all, team spirit, the ability to work together and support each other are qualities that stay with a person for life.

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