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Part 10 of the story of the delusional Winnipeg con man: The con man asks to meet with me and ends up being thoroughly grilled about the cons he’s pulled

By BERNIE BELLAN This is the tenth -and final part of a story about a delusional Winnipegger who believes he is someone of great wealth and has spent the better part of 30 years contacting people all over the world telling them that he wants to invest in their businesses or projects. The first nine parts of this story are all available to read under the FEATURES category on this website.

Here is the final part of my story:

On April 9, 2026 I finally had a chance to meet with Fred Devlin again. The day before, I was totally surprised when I saw a message from him saying he wanted to talk to me – and gave his phone number (which is the same phone number I had for him from years ago).

I called him – and he was quite pleasant, although he said he was suffering from pneumonia. After just a couple of minutes, however, he said his wife had just walked in and he couldn’t talk.

The next day he messaged me and asked whether we could meet. I said “yes” and we agreed to meet at either the Fairmont Hotel or Hy’s. He said he would let me know. It ended up being Hy’s.

When I walked in Fred was standing beside the bar. He looked remarkably the same from the last time I had seen him, although a little dissheveled. There were no apparent signs of his having had pneumonia.

He asked the server if we could have a private table somewhere and she told us that we could go upstairs to the dining room, which was empty. We sat down and I placed my iPhone on the table, as did Fred. I told him that I wanted to record our conversation so that everything he might say would be on the record. He agreed and also said he was going to record it himself – presumably to make sure that I wouldn’t alter anything.

In every instance where he refers to the name of his company or supposed group of companies, I’ve omitted the actual name – even though in the rest of my story I refer to his group of companies as the Xanadu group. In a couple of instances he referred to real people during our conversation, but since they are not mentioned anywhere else in this story and play no part in the story I’ve told, I decided to retain their real names.

I want to explain what follows is not easy reading. Fred Devlin clearly suffers from a psychotic delusion and my intent is not to make light of his illness. There are many people who suffer from various psychoses and many of them are capable of committing great harm to others if their psychoses aren’t treated – or, even if they are treated, the treatments fail.

What makes Fred Devlin’s story so unusual, however, is the harm he was able to inflict and is apparently still inflicting on so many others by his believing the story he had somehow developed to explain his life. Even as I was talking to him I could see that his calm, measured tone could seem quite convincing to most people with whom he would connect. I deliberately went after him as hard as I could though, to see whether I could break his composure by asking him questions quickly and not giving him the opportunity to start rambling on about his group of companies, his charitable endeavours and, most important, his vast wealth.

By the end of our conversation he was shaking and kept saying the was tired. I honestly felt sorry for him, but I wanted to get him on the record contradicting his story fully in so many ways so that no one reading this would doubt for a moment that Fred Devlin is fully psychotic and can be quite dangerous when he tries to envelop trusting individuals in his web of deceit, regardless whether he himself is unaware just how deceitful he really is.

One more note: As is the case with most conversations, speakers often interrupt one another, thoughts don’t get fully expressed – and even though the transcription program I used is quite accurate, a lot of what Fred Devlin said was indecipherable. I’ve tried to do justice to what was said, but I’ve left out a lot of the pauses and words that made no sense.

Here is how the conversation went:

Devlin: Now do you want me to just talk or you ask questions – or do you have questions?

Me: Well, of course I have questions, but if you want to start off by saying something, go right ahead.

Devlin: It’s gonna take a series of interviews to cover my life, but I’m gonna give you everything. I’m gonna give you evidence. 
I will show you that everything I always say is true. I started my life at… started in Israel when I was 10. My father went to teach at the Weizmann Institute. We went through Europe and then to Israel. We were in Greece on the way to Israel, and there was the (raid on Entebbe). 
Okay. We got to Israel, ran into by chance Benjamin Netanyahu, who had lost his brother. And we gave our condolences and that was the first meeting I had with Benjamin Netanyahu. We lived there. I went to school there. I was infatuated with the soldiers and the guns and the bullets and… a soldier, a friend – Michael Perl…. 
I don’t know if you know Michael Perl – but his brother gave us all these empty shells. I went to a sporting goods store, bought a gun, a starting pistol. I converted it into a gun and I guarded my campus in Israel, and that was what I was meant to be. So my life is about guarding Israel, the … Foundation worldwide, which is just a name, it’s actually a numbered company based outta Luxembourg and the … group of companies Worldwide Holdings 
are also a numbered company under … Investment Corporation, which you can look up at the Manitoba Companies office on Broadway.

Me: Let, let me stop you there. First of all, I’m not so sure about the whole story about meeting Netanyahu, but regardless, the … group of companies has no presence on the internet. 
I don’t believe there is any such thing as the ….Group of Companies. Do you have any proof that there is something (by that name)?

Devlin: Of course, I will have lawyers write to you.

Me: Never mind lawyers. What can you show in terms of documentation?

Devlin: I can show you the websites. It’s just a name, okay.

Me: And what are the companies in the … group of companies? 


Devlin: There’s 3,360.

Me: Okay. Can you name any of them?

Devlin: Of course, but I’m not going to name…

Me: Name one.

Devlin: I’m not gonna name one. It’s private.

Me: You’re not gonna name one?

Devlin: Not today, no.

Me: Why?

Devlin: ’cause they are secret. They’re secret companies. Okay. I want no one knowing my business. I haven’t been in a publication since May, 1990. 


Me: How many companies now is it (in the group of companies)?

Devlin: 3,300… 3,306.

Me: When I spoke to you in 2021, it was 300.

Devlin: I was being honest. Okay.

Me: Alright. So, the … group of companies has 3,300 companies. You won’t name one. You won’t provide any proof that there is (even one company).

Devlin: I’ll provide you with okay. But not today.

Me: Alright. And it’s headquartered in Luxembourg, correct?

Devlin: Okay

Me: And David Simkin is what?

Devlin: My CEO.

Me: Okay. Does he exist?

Devlin: Of course.

Me: Where does he live?

Devlin: Luxembourg. Okay. But he traveled.

Me: No one has ever been able to establish that there is anyone by that name.

Devlin: Because he’s Mossad.

Me: Because he’s Mossad?

Devlin: Correct. And that’s not his real name. 


Me: Oh, it’s not his real name. Okay. Alright, let’s go on.

I am sort of curious to know about your business career. I did read that you were in real estate and then you became the executive director of the Winnipeg Airport ….

Devlin: No, I first started Winnport. I founded Winnport.

Me: You founded Winnport?

Devlin; Yes. Yeah. Here, I’ll show you. 


Me: Okay. And what year was that?

Devlin: About 1992 to 1994.

Me: And you have some proof for that.

Devlin: Of course.

Me: Of course. (According to Wikipedia, Winnport was established in 1998 by Lynn Bishop. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Winnport: “Winnport Logistics, a Winnipeg-based air cargo consortium, was established in 1998. The company launched Canada’s first scheduled widebody cargo operations during that year, aiming to connect Winnipeg to Asian markets, before eventually ceasing operations in 2002”.)

Me: And then you became executive director of the Airport Area Business Improvement Zone?

Devlin: No. Of the Winnipeg Development Corporation biz, not the Winnipeg…. Never with the Airport Area Business Improvement Zone. (I found that answer particularly strange because the 1998 article I referenced earlier specifically stated that Devlin had been the recently appointed executive director of the Airport Area Business Improvement Zone. Why he would he have chosen to talk about Winnport, with which he may have had some involvement, but certainly not in the years he said he was involved, and not the Airport Area Business Improvement Zone – raises new questions – both about Devlin’s resumé – and his memory.)


Devlin: Yes, I was. And I had it (Winnport) spun off. I’ll tell you the story, but easy for you to look at. (And at that point he pulled out what I immediately recognized as his album of photos that he had first shown me in 2021.)

Me: Are you gonna show me more pictures?

Devlin: Yep. I’m show you.

Me: Okay. I don’t care. I’ve seen your pictures Fred, and you know what? I don’t care about your pictures.

Devlin: You know what, then don’t be rude…


Me; Alright. When was that? You say that was 1992.

Devlin: It’s ’94 or so.

Me: Okay. Alright. Look, I don’t doubt that you had some sort of business career. I wrote that (in my original story that I posted to the internet in February 2026), so the question is: ‘What happened?’ (At that point a waiter came over with our soups and the conversation paused.)


Me: Okay, let’s go on. So how long were you with Winnport then?


Devlin: About a year, and then that was…there’s a story behind that. There’s a lot more to the story. Alright, so can I tell you the story?


Me: The Winnport story? Yeah. Tell me the story.

Devlin: When I was running my company, … Investment Corporation, which I founded in 1987 and still operating, which owns all the … Foundation worldwide. In a … group of companies. It’s in the Companies office. It’s current and operating. 


Me: Go on.

Devlin: In May of 1990 I was featured in Manitoba Business Magazine.

Me: Yes, I have that article.

(At this point the man I’ve been calling Devlin launched into a very descriptive, but often incoherent account of part of his earlier business career. As I’ve noted previously, I have no doubt that Devlin was very bright – and successful – until something happened. So, when he weaves names of real people into his stories, there might be more than a semblance of the truth in what he’s saying. The problem is he seems to get key dates wrong – as when he talks about Winnport – and when he claims to have been the person to have started that company.

Still, it’s somewhat sad to think how much potential he had – as he explains in the following account. If only he had never veered completely off the rails and started insinuating himself into so many people’s lives, causing so mach damage along the way.)

Devlin: Yeah, (but) you don’t have the full magazine, which has much more information. (It) talks about me becoming an up and coming… and Izzy Asper saw the article and summoned me…it was a billionaire summoning a millionaire and it was the only time in my life I was intimidated a little bit. We became partners, friends, mentor, and he financed me for the acquisition of land where Centerport is. I still control land at the airport and I started Winnport. I founded it. It was my business plan, my concept, although it was talked about by others. I mapped it out on a plane coming back from Amsterdam, Holland 
’cause I mapped out a logistics plan that is now Centerport. So, I was sitting on a Saturday going through the career section at our place on Wellington. I saw a career commercial development officer wanted by the Winnipeg International Airport and Izzy Asper and I had already bought the land, so I figured I’d go as an insider. 
I got the job the next day ’cause I had a presentation, which included every element of what they were trying to do. I worked technically for someone named Warren Thompson, but I really worked with Lynn Bishop, who was the general manager of the airport and eventually president of the Bombers. I talked to Lynn yesterday, I believe so. I still keep in touch with a great guy. Okay. I realized that I had a conflict of interest owning land and being the insider in the airport. So I realized I had to spin off a company. So we spun off Winnport, which I named. I actually spelled it W-I-N-P-O-R-T. Lynn Bishop on a flight back from, I believe, Chattanooga, Tennessee. No, uh, Huntsville, Alabama, where we were looking at CargoX airplanes from Luxembourg, which I own now in control. Go look it up and you’ll see nothing about me. Every company I own does not come back to me. My business is silent.

(A few days after meeting Fred Devlin, I did manage to get a hold of Lynn Bishop, who was the original founder of Winnport – in 1998, when Fred would have been around 32. Lynn told me that Fred Devlin did work for the company for a very brief time, but they had to let him go because his behaviour was so erratic. That jives with my thinking that it was sometime when Fred was in his early thirties that he became quite delusional.)

Me: Why? Why is that?

Devlin: Two reasons. I don’t want anyone knowing my business. 
If I’m to buy land or buy something, the price goes up if they comes from …. So we use shell companies to buy and make offers with legal. That’s one. The other is reputation. God forbid Air Canada has a crash. And it connects to …, then my reputation is real.

Me: So Air Canada is one of the companies you own?


Devlin: I’m not gonna say.

Me: you’re not gonna say?

Devlin: I will tell you next meeting. I will give you a paper with some holdings. I know Michael Rousseau very well, who was vice president of Finance for Air Canada.(He was actually its CEO until recently. when he resigned over his not knowing how to speak French.) I deal with him. He’s been fired. We’re bringing in a new CEO and president. I own part of Boeing, okay. 


Me: Let’s move on. What did you do after Winnport?

Devlin: After I left Winnport, I was not happy. I sold it to Cargojet or behind the scenes, and we have shares in Cargo, which is the largest Canadian cargo companies, so Winnport became very successful domestically. I’m doing the project again to introduce runs by CargoX currently, which will be Winnport again and Cargojet. (As has been noted, Winnport ceased operations after 2002.)
 And I will make Winnport as I expected it to be. Then I left Winnport and I became executive director…(of what, Devlin didn’t say). Didn’t take a salary or I gave my salary to charity to stay involved with the airport area and Winnport.

Me. And what did you do then?

Devlin: I did nothing. I was executive director of the Airport Area Business Development Corporation. (The chronology is so confusing. Devlin just claimed he left Winnport and became executive director of the Airport Area Business Development Corporation, but Winnport wasn’t established until 1998 and that 1998 magazine article said Devlin was the recently appointed executive director of the Airport Area Business Development Corporation, which would have preceded his becoming involved with Winnport but, In the final analysis, it doesn’t really matter what the sequence of his various positions he hleld was – if he, in fact, actually held the positions he said he held. Still, it seems evident that Fred had an upward career trajectory until he developed his psychosis. I haven’t been able to establish what he was doing when he apparently developed that psychosis when he must have been in his thirties.)

Me: And you didn’t take a salary?

Devlin: I took a salary, but I gave it to charity.

Me: Is there a record – of your having been with Winnport?

Devlin: I can get that for you.

Me: Okay. So you were already in your thirties by then, I’m guessing?

Devlin: Yeah.

Me: Okay. Alright. I wanna move forward though because as you know, I’ve been writing about you. I wanna talk about your relationship….

Devlin: You are slandering me. 


Me: I want to talk about your relationship with Jonathan Soloway.

Devlin: Alright.

Me: I have copies of written agreements between you and Jonathan Soloway.

Devlin: You don’t have everything.

Me: I have signed agreements between you and Jonathan Soloway.

Devlin: No, I never signed an agreement with him.

Me: I have your signature on those documents. 


Devlin: Never signed it.

Me: Are they forged?

Devlin: Were they forged? I don’t know what Jonathan did with them.

Me: Okay, so you are saying that those agreements are invalid.

Devlin: They’re invalid and I can tell you what I offered Jonathan and I helped save his life, and was the only person who reached out to him after I hadn’t talked to him in 45 years. 
He flew to Winnipeg to meet with me at 529 (Wellington). I befriended him. I tried my best to help him. He had lost his life savings in a bitcoin scam or some type of scam on the internet. He had nothing. He had no car. He was living at his brother’s place. He lost his marriage. And the custody of his daughter, I believe, and his life was in ruins and I was the only one to step up to offer to help him. 
I offered him, I’m setting up a real estate investment trust in the fall with Nikki Bello (who, I was able to learn, is a Winnipeg Chartered Professional Accountant), if she’s interested still. And probably Lauren. (I have no idea who that is and I didn’t ask Devlin who Lauren is.)

Me: Did you tell him to stop making payments on all his debts?

Devlin: No.

Me: You deny that?

Devlin: No, I said to him, “Don’t pay if they’re not gonna come after you.”

Me: And you didn’t offer him a salary of $250,000 a year?

Devlin: I, no…. being paid on the first 50. (In talking to Jonathan, he explained that 50 would have meant 50% of the Real Estate Investment Trust he was supposed to be setting up with Devlin.) Would you like to know what it is?

Me: Sure.

Devlin: I offered him 49% of the company outta my goodwill of the shares. Jonathan was confused. He thought he was getting a job. I said, “No, you’re getting a partnership.”


Me: So if I were to show you the agreement (promising to pay Jonathan $250,000 a year) with your signature on it, would you say that is a false document?

Devlin: I’d have to see it.

Me: Well, I can open it up for you if you want.

Devlin: Jonathan turned on me because I was in the hospital. I disappeared for five weeks with a brain injury and I couldn’t help him pay off his debt. 
I talked to his creditors. I got his debt reduced. I did my very best for Jonathan.

Me: Alright, so you say that you didn’t offer him a salary of $250,000.

Devlin: Yes, I did.

Me: You did?

Devlin: But once we were operational and there was cash flow from the REIT. I wouldn’t take a salary. Nikki wouldn’t take a salary. She took shares and then I promised him a $250,000 salary as long as we had cash flow. 


Me: But these agreements are quite recently signed and don’t say anything about having to wait for a cash flow before he would get paid.

Devlin: Nothing happened. There was no money there.

Me: It’s all part of a pattern Fred of you stringing people along with promises of a big payday and then, when they start asking “Where’s the money?”, you say there is no money there – right?

Devlin: That’s your belief. It’s not true.

Me: Have you ever put up money for a project?

Devlin: Many times. All the time.

Me: And can you substantiate that? 


Devlin: Yeah. I can show you an airline project where I’m doing in Nigeria.

Me: Did you not offer Rick financial help with his publication?

Devlin: Never. No. Okay. I offered him a million dollars potentially to buy him out from …magazine and to have him run as CEO or in some position once we started …was a deadline (again – totally incoherent). 
I’m still willing to meet my commitments to him, but he slandered me and set up a group of people because he’s mentally ill. Has Asperger’s, I believe, or autism and rage management and A-D-H-D-.I disappeared in the hospital the next day without being able to tell anyone. I was in for five weeks. I couldn’t communicate. 
I had blinding brain injury, headaches, and vertigo. Couldn’t use my phone.

Me: How many times have you been in the hospital… committed for psychiatric reasons?

Devlin: Never. Never.

Me: Did you send a cease and desist letter to a psychiatrist?

Devlin: No.

Me: You didn’t’?

Devlin: Not that I recall.


Me: You didn’t have Bob Anderson send a cease and desist letter?

Devlin: Yes, I did.

Me: To a psychiatrist?

Devlin: Yes, I did. Okay.

Me; Why was that?

Devlin: I’m not gonna talk about it right now. Okay. Next time.

Me: So you were in the hospital for psychiatric visits.

Devlin: No. Okay.

Me: Did you meet a fellow named Jack in a psychiatric wing of a hospital? 


Devlin: I went in to be undercover and I met him and he was my roommate.

Me: Did you tell him that you owned the hospital?

Devlin: Yes.

Me: Why?

Devlin: Because I do.

Me: That would be the Health Sciences Center?

Devlin: No, the Victoria Hospital.

Me: You own Victoria Hospital?

Devlin: . Through Internet means I control the hospital. 


Me: Okay. This is all very interesting. You are actually confirming everything that has been told to me. Okay. I wanna talk about Charlie.

Did you offer to finance a charitable foundation for him in the Democratic Republic of the Congo? 


Devlin: No.

Me: You never did?

Devlin: No.

Me: Even though he’s got letters, texts, and emails to show that you did.

Devlin: If he says so I’ve got the texts, I’ll have to read ’em.

Me: Have you been threatening Charlie?

Devlin: No.

Me: Have you not been telling him that you’re gonna ruin his life?

Devlin: Legally? Yes. For slandering me on Facebook, I’m gonna sue him to the grave. 


Me: Did you tell him that you would take his farm? (I asked Charlie whether he ever had a farm. He said he didn’t.)

Devlin: Yeah.

Me: His pharmacy? (Again, Charlie was bewildered over the suggestion he had either a farm or a pharmacy which, he says, he’s never had. He said he did own a piece of land in his community – which he sold to finance the charitable foundation Devlin told him his …group of companies would finance.)

Devlin: I paid for his books, his computers, everything and the value that he has. And I said I would take it all.

Me: Why?

Devlin: Because he slandered me on Facebook after I put him through school partially, and I was a mentor to him. I spent hundreds of hours, which are documented. You can see. 
I’ll be happy to turn over all my emails and texts to you. Okay. He has not told you the truth.

Me; Alright, there are a whole slew of other people who I’ve talked to who told me that you would make promises to them. One of them was Dan Winthrop.

Devlin: I made no promises to Dan. I’m helping with a project with Israeli aircraft. Okay.

Me: And this has been going on for over 18 years?

Devlin: Correct.

Me: And you had a fellow in Las Vegas – Avi… I can’t remember his last name – who was going to facilitate your bringing over jets from Israel and convert them to some sort of use? 
Did Avi not try and set up a meeting between you and various officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu?

Devlin: Our deal was once I hired him and pay him a million dollars a year. Plus 3.33% of the funds he raises. He’s earning about 120, I believe, as the director of…(Avi actually works in an area that is too sensitive to Israel’s security to reveal.)

He was not happy. He expressed an interest in working for me, so I did my best to get him a position. I became ill and was unable to fulfill it. But I am planning on fulfilling it.

Me: Okay, one more story of promises unfulfilled.

Devlin: Not my fault. I was in the hospital, very ill.

Me: Alright. I wanna get back to Jonathan Solaway though, because since you deny that you have had any written agreements with him, I wanna show you the written agreements and then have you comment on them. 


Devlin: I don’t want to do this. Getting tired. I’m sick. I do next session.

Me: You’re getting tired now?

Devlin: Yes. Very tired. But I will talk to you next interview about that.

At that point someone walked by our table and Devlin turned to him, saying: “Hi, how are you?… I’m good. How are you?… Good… Oh, you’re the delivery boy today. You do everything. A jack of all trades. 
. Things are going well. Yeah. How about you? I haven’t seen you in a while. Been away and it’s been a while… I’ve been here. You been here? Was able to sneak in. You enjoy it? I am. Yeah. It’s good. Yeah. Good. Brock Wright. Brock Wright. Can you get me his number? ’cause we’re fixing the healthcare system.” (From 2000 to 2017, Brock Wright served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for what was then the new Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and, for five years during that period, also served as the Chief Operating Officer at Health Sciences Centre.)
 The person Devlin was talking to said : “I will try to, yeah. . Next time I see him, I’ll, I’ll grab it for you.”
 (I chose to include this little snippet to illustrate how good Fred could be at posing as someone important – and turning on the charm.)

I resumed my questioning: “Okay. Alright. If you don’t want to see the material that I have…

Devlin: Not, not this time, I’m too tired to look it up.

Me: Okay. Well let’s go back to asking some some more questions about other people who I’ve spoken to. One of them was a lawyer by the name of Bob Anderson.

Devlin: He’s not a lawyer. He lost his license for, well he was a lawyer in Virginia. Go look him up on the internet. I hired him after he was slandered and I tried to take down the information on him. 
We’ve been friends for 20 years. They came to me and approached me in Bolivia to buy banks and he came to the Forks area hotel. We became best friends and he did free work for me for many years for my foundation. And that’s it.

Me: How did you get in touch with Rick? Was it through Jack? 


Devlin: Okay.

Me: And you met Jack in a psychiatric ward?

Devlin: I met him in the hospital – okay.

Me: Well, he says it was a psychiatric ward.

Devlin: Whatever he says. I won’t argue.

Me: So you deny that you were a patient in the psychiatric ward.

Devlin: No, I was not a patient.

Me: No, you were checking out the system ’cause you were the owner of the hospital. 
Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?

Devlin: You can do what you want with it. I’m telling you.

Me: You say you own Victoria Hospital?

Devlin: No, through options on the hospital with the Manitoba government.

Me: Oh really? Okay. You think that if I were to print this conversation now that this is going to make you look somehow as a bonafide, legitimate businessman?

Devlin: Not the way you are putting it. I’m just going to answer.

Me: I’m just asking you the questions and you’re giving me the answers… and I’m doing it on the record.

Devlin: I’m giving you a courtesy before I sue your ass for a hundred million dollars.

Me: Is that right? On what grounds?

Devlin: Defamation. You didn’t approach me to ever get my side of the story. 
You went with a group of people – Rick, who’s a crazy man, and he stirred up all these people, dug up every single person I knew because I was too open with them and slandered me and made up stories and approached you. I don’t know the total chain of events, but I will shortly.

Me: Okay, but you say that even though there are documents with your signature on them, especially the ones signed between you and and Jonathan Soloway, they’re not legitimate documents. Is that what you’re saying?

Devlin: They’re not. Jonathan knew very well that he was getting no salary till it was operational.

Me: Even though your signature’s on your document and promises…

Devlin: We tried to put together a document. It was null and void. Jonathan knew that – when was it made null and void immediately, within 10 minutes of it being signed. 


Me: Why was that?

Devlin: Because Jonathan put in fake clauses saying that I owe him $250,000. But the other clause says he’s not gonna get paid till there’s generation of revenue. I have witnesses. Nikki Bello.

Me: Is that in the document?

Devlln: I believe so. I’d have to review it if.

Me: Jonathan is in big (financial) trouble and you deny that you told him to stop making payments on his debt?

Devlin: I said to him, these were my words: ‘If they’re not gonna come after you, it’s better to conserve your cash and not pay creditors.” I’ve had much experience with people who have worked for me with creditors.

Me: Did you not tell him that you were gonna take care of his debts?

Devlin: I did.

Me: You did?

Devlin: Yeah.

Me: Did you?

Devlin: Not yet. I got ill and I was unable to work, and now I’m happy to take care of his debts, but after he slandered me, I’m no longer willing to do it. 


Me: Isn’t that a breach of contract then?

Devlin: There was no contract. It was friendly. It was a friendly promise to do my best to help him. Okay?

Me: But when I say there is a contract with your signature on it…

Devlin: I, I’d have to see it.

Me; Well, if I showed it to you, is it gonna make any difference? 


Devlin: Could. It depends on what it says. I have to go through my documents and I’ll tell you next interview. (At that point Devlin said something incomprehensible, but then suggested that Jonathan doesn’t have a case that any lawyer would take on, saying “No one will take the case.”)

Me: There was a lawyer who was quite willing to take the case, but the problem is – you’re penniless – so there’s no point in suing you.

Let’s talk about your finances. How much money do you have?

Devlin: Look, that’s not your business, but I have a lot of money. 


Me: Okay, you don’t think there’s a lawyer who’s quite willing to take the case (of a lawsuit against Devlin)?

Devlin: Go for it.

Me: But I asked the lawyer: Can Fred’s parents and his wife be included in a lawsuit?

Devlin: Yeah. And what did they say?

Me: He said, “no,” unless we can prove that somehow they were materially involved in all your affairs. By the way, how do you pay for all these meals at Hy’s and at the Fairmont?

Devlin: With my Interac card. Why?

Me: I’m just wondering who is supporting you? Is it your parents?

Devlin: Nobody supports me. No, no.

Me: It’s income from where? From the … group of companies, right?

Devlin: Correct. 


Me: The …group of companies? And David Simkin is the CEO, right?

Devlin: Okay. I get my money from him.

Me: Would I ever be able to talk to David Simkin?

Devlin: No.

Me: Because he’s Mossad, correct?

Devlin: Right. And that’s not his real name. Ari Duran, my chief of Global Intelligence and Security based in Tel Aviv, who’s worked for me for over 20 years – he’s also Mossad. Everyone who works in my senior executives are Mossad or IDF.

Me: Are you accompanied by Mossad agents?

Devlin: Most of the time. I won’t answer that.

Me: Are you ever accompanied by Mossad agents?

Devlin: Correct.

Me: What does that mean?

Devlin: They guard my family in Winnipeg, in Cleveland – for 20 years.

Me: Do you live at …? (At that point I recited the address where Fred and his wife are presumed to live)?

Devlin: That’s our safe house. We have 1909 Wellington Crescent, and we’re moving to Number One Wellington in September.

Me: Did you live at 277 Wellington Crescent ever?

Devlin: Yes.

Me: All right. Who paid for the apartment?

Devlin: I did.

Me: You did? You paid how?

Devlin: My company paid for it.

Me: Okay. To be accurate, your house is owned by someone else entirely, with a mortgage on it, right?

Devlin: We have the option to buy it. His name is Michael (name omitted). Yeah. And his number is 3 3 3 3 3 3. (Of all the baffling things Devlin said during this conversation, that number was the weirdest. I have no idea what he meant by saying that.)

Me: We did a search for the title on that house. It’s only valued at $439,000. But you say that’s a safe house? 


Devlin: Correct.

Me: So, where is your primary residence?

Devlin: I won’t answer that – for security reasons.

Me: Oh, for security reasons. Do you know how ludicrous this all sounds?

Devlin: I don’t care. I’m sure it does, but it’s true.

Me: And do you think that if you sued me for defamation and I were to have this played in court that you wouldn’t be laughed out of court? Fred, are you under psychiatric care right now?

Devlin: No.

Me; Have you ever been under psychiatric care?

Devlin: I was once under psychiatric care, but for a fact that I have a sleep disorder and I couldn’t sleep, and they had to give me medication through psychiatry to make me sleep. I don’t sleep 24 hours a day. I have a rare sleep disorder. 
I never sleep and without the aid of medication, so that was the only time.

Me: Okay. So when I approached your mother years ago after I had met you and asked her: “What’s the story with …?” And she said, “… is not well, please go easy on him.,” what do you think she meant, Fred? 


Devlin: I wasn’t well physically and she wanted you to leave me alone.

Me: Well, was it because you weren’t well physically or weren’t well psychologically?

Devlin: No, it was physically.

Me: Have you ever been hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder?


Devlin: I’m not gonna answer that. Alright. My health is out of court.

Me: Well, you just said that you don’t have any psychiatric disorder.

Devlin: I have letters from the Cleveland Clinic. Each year for my corporation, I have to get a healthcare letter. I have no… besides pneumonia. Now I’m in perfect physical and mental health. Okay. And I have letters from doctors in Cleveland and in Winnipeg. Okay.

Me: Who do you have working for you in Winnipeg?

Devlin: I won’t answer that…many people.

Me: Is (name omitted) one of the people?

Devlin: She did some free work for me, but I’m planning on hiring her as CEO of … Foundation, Winnipeg office. 


Me: Did you ever pay her anything?

Devlin: Not yet.

Me: Why not?

Devlin: ’cause we had no agreements in place for me to pay her. She was volunteering for the foundation.

Me: Or is it not the case that you have no money and it’s all a delusion, Fred?

Devlin: Okay, Bernie, whatever you say, keep up with slander. You know what? This interview is over if you continue this line.

Me: Well, since you denied that you’ve had any agreement with Jonathan Soloway, that you had any agreement with Rick, that you had a plan to to bring jets from Israel over to Canada to convert them for some sort of…


Devlin: We are, uh, proceeding with that project.

Me: And this project has been ongoing for almost 18 or 20 years?

Devlin: No, no, three years. Just three years with Dan. Three or four years with Dan – who I offered a company. I offered him, I sent, he went to Israel on his own money. 
Yeah. And he didn’t expect anything to be offered. I wasn’t gonna go to Israel because I thought his ideas that he had for 20 years may not be solid. He went on his own way to meet Gli, who’s a tremendous person, director of … I believe I have her name.

Me: There’s a whole slew of people you’ve contacted over the years. According to what I was told by (name omitted), you’ve recently contacted the head of the Winnipeg, Airport Authority and the head of Centerport.

Devlin: Not recently, although I phoned Carly (Edmundson, the President and CEO of CentrePort) yesterday.

Me: The CEO of CenterPort? Okay, what was the nature of your communication with her and the head of the Winnipeg Airport Authority (Nick Hays)? You have plans, right? 
You have projects. What kind of project is it you want to develop?

Devlin: Next interview. I’ll be happy. Okay.

Me: They don’t know about your past history. Because when I told Carly in an email that you’re totally delusional, she responded that came as a surprise, but she said all that she did is introduce you to some other people.

That’s your style, isn’t it Fred? You network with people. You find people, you use them to contact other people.

Devlin: Correct.

Me: So, you admit that’s what you do?

Devlin: Oh, that works. Yes. Yeah.

Me: Okay, so you network with people and then you find what their particular area of expertise is. You have some background in aviation, so that gives you…

Devlin: And real estate… and financial markets.


Me: Yeah. Okay. So that gives you the semblance of having some experience.

Devlin: I have deep experience.

Me: Then you lull people into thinking that you’re actually credible – right?

Devlin: Oh my god, that’s slander.

Me: But isn’t that how you operate?

Devlin: No, I don’t.

Me: No? What do you do? 


Devlin: Not at all.

Me: What do you do then? How do you network with people?

Devlin: I try to find people I can help and do Tikkun Olam with, at every level. Tikkun Global. Yeah. And every person I touch, I try to help.

Me: Okay. What charitable foundations have you ever financed?

Devlin: In Africa, we financed USAID, Save the Children, World Vision… many.


Me: And you have proof for all that? That’s what Charlie told me that you told him when you suckered him into believing you.

Devlin: I suckered him? Yes. What a joke.

Me: Do you know the guy is suicidal? Do you know that I sent him money?

Devlin: How much money did you send him? 


Me: I sent him 600 Canadian dollars,but he still owes a lot more. (I later sent Charlie another $800. I still keep in regular touch with him. Charlie still finds it difficult to believe that Fred Devlin was a total fraudster.)

Devlin: Good for you. I paid him more.

Me: You haven’t paid him a cent.

Devlin: I put him through school for $650.

Me: Oh you did, did you?

Devlin: Yes.

Me: And what kind of school was that?

Devlin: His certificate’s in business. (After I had this conversation with Fred I contacted Charlie to ask him whether Fred had ever given him money for anything. He sent me a screenshot of a text from Fred that was sent in 2023 in which Fred asks the director of a school Charlie was attending to give him an extension on paying his tuition, saying that he will “receive the necessary funds to pay for his school after I return from Israel on my peace mission in early December. I need to be in Winnipeg to direct these funds to him.” Of course, there never way any payment of any sort, according to Charlie.)

Me: But you’ve been sending him threatening messages.

Devlin: Because he threatened me on Facebook. 


Me: What did he say on Facebook?

Devlin: He started writing all about me and saying I was a liar and I was… he slandered me. (I’m sure that Devlin was referring to the article I had posted on my website in February which contained that very detailed email outlining the litany of Fred’s broken promises. Somehow he had it confused with Facebook.)

Me: But that wasn’t Charlie who wrote that email.

Devlin: Who wrote it?

Me: You don’t know?

Devlin: I’ll find out.

Me: You think Charlie was capable of having written that email? (Charlie’s native tongue is French, and although his English is quite good, it didn’t take me long to realize that he couldn’t have written that January 16 email. I quicky deduced that it was Rick, who is capable of writing very well.)

Devlin: No. Was it Rick?

Me: That’s right. So why don’t you sue Rick? 


Devlin: I am.

Me: You are? Where?

Devlin: I have a lawyer in Florida. I have lawyers in Toronto who can operate in Florida.

(And then I asked him about a lawyer in Winnipeg who’s his cousin – and is the lawyer who threatened to sue me for defamation. I asked Fred whether that person has ever acted for him? He said he has – for many of his over 3,300 companies.)


Me: Can you name one of those companies?

Devlin: Yes. Worldview Capital.

Me: Which is what?

Devlin: Which is what the airport is. Worldview Capital owns the world’s only financial model that works, generates between 250003300000.0% for annum. Yeah. It’s worth $1.15 trillion. I’m going to be making a deal with their candidate. (Again, totally incoherent)


Me: And (Fred’s cousin) acted for you in this, correct?

Devlin: Right.

Me: So if I ask (cousin’s name – omitted here) that, do you think he’ll substantiate that?

Devlin: He’ll tell you what I asked him. He won’t talk to you, he’s not talking to you.

Me: Oh, is that right?

Devlin: I’ve done this on my own – against my lawyer’s advice.

Me: Does (your cousin) know that you’re here, that you’re meeting with me? 


Devlin: No.

Me: What would he say if he knew you were meeting with me?

Devline: He’d be pissed off.

Me: Yeah. What about your wife? Does she know? Pissed off, right? She knows that I’ve contacted you though – right?

Devlin: Yeah.

Me: Has she taken the phone away from you when various people have called you?

Devlin: No. No.

Me: Okay. What’s your wife’s role in all this? 


Devlin: My wife has no role in all this. She facilitates, she works for another company.

Me: Has she sat in on meetings?

Devlin: No, she did not.

Me: Well, according to someone who asked me not to name them, she has.

Devlin: I’d have to look it up.

Me: Yeah, please do. I’ve spoken to…(and then, Devlin interrupted me.)

Devlin: I don’t care who you’ve spoken to, you’re not getting good information.

Me: Okay, do you want the real truth? 
I’d love for this to go to court. I’d want it to go to court because maybe that could put a stop to you. That’s why, when people ask me why I got so involved in this story, I say to them it’s because I’m trying to stop you from hurting other people – because you’ve hurt a lot of people, okay?

Devlin: If you say so and you’re not aware of what you’re doing…You make an excellent argument based on the fallacy of your assumptions, Bernie.


Me: I don’t know where to take this. You’re substantiating everything that’s been told me about you so far.

Devlin: I need more interviews. I’ll be happy to talk to you about everything but this, this should not go into an article.

Me: Would you be surprised to know that I’m writing a story about you?

Devlin: No, but we’re gonna co-publish that story with the truth. 


Me: Oh, really? Do you think I’m gonna give you final edit on the story?

Devlin: No, I don’t expect it.

Me: I’m not even gonna let you see it. I’m gonna let the people who are mentioned in it see it before I try to publish it.

Devlin: Try it and see what happens to you.

Me: Well, I’ve already got one publisher who’s quite interested.

Devlin: I’m sure It’s a very interesting story. 


Me: It’s been fascinating trying to flesh it out.

Devlin: How about if it’s true, Bernie? Did you ever contemplate everything I told you is true? Has that ever gone through your mind? And then think about what you’ve done.

Me: You mean the story that you’re telling? Is the story true in whole or in part?

Devlin: No, it’s true in whole.

Me: Every part of the story, every single part? Every part about you owning over 3,300 companies? Are you a trillionaire or a billionaire?

Devlin: I’m a trillionaire.

Me: You’re a trillionaire.

Devlin: Over and over.

Me: Are you richer than Elon Musk?

Devlin: Much richer than Elon.

Me: Okay. Then why do you dress like this?

Devlin: Like what?

Me: I mean you’re presentable, but it’s not what I’d expect from a trillionaire.

Devlin: I care about my parents. I…

Me: If you’re a trillionaire, where are the bodyguards? I can’t imagine a trillionaire not being surrounded by bodyguards

Devlin: They’re here. You don’t see them, but they’re here.

Me: I don’t see them. Are they Mossad?

Devlin: Yeah, they’re Mossad. We don’t want to have (his wife), for instance worry about bodyguards for my family. So it’s invisible. I don’t even know where they are.

Me: You don’t even know where they are?

Devlin: I can find out quickly by just tapping a button on my phone. That’s the truth. Okay. Now if I tell you what I’m worth, would that be helpful?

Me: Yeah, sure. Go ahead.

Devlin: $9.33 trillion.

Me: 9.33 trillion? How do you think that sounds?

Devlin: Do you think that when I have world…., but I know every up and down in stocks, commodities, currencies, commodities. I just trade. Automatically outta Luxembourg and I trade on my desk in my office and make millions of dollars. 


Me: Fred, how do you think your parents would react if I were to send them a transcript of this conversation?

Devlin: They’d be very upset.

Me: Why?

Devlin: Because they don’t know everything about my business.

Me: Do they know that you have $9.33 trillion?

Devlin: No. You know, I’m very wealthy.

(I then asked Devlin about a cottage that he’s told people he owns, but I don’t want to get too specific about the name of the lake for the same reason I didn’t give Devlin’s actual address. Even though anyone who knows the real person I’ve been calling Fred Devlin in this story would recognize him from everything I’ve written about him, I highly doubt that anyone who doesn’t know his family would know whom I’ve been writing about – but if I were to reveal his actual address and where the family cottage is, it would be much easier to establish what Devlin’s real name is.)


Me: What kind of car do you drive?

Devlin: I drive a Porsche GT, three BMW convertibles. They’re not in Winnipeg right now because of the potholes. I store them in Florida and Cleveland. I have 17 cars that I collect for investments. 


Me: I see. And where did you tell me you’re flying to this weekend?

Devlin: I expected I’m to fly to Toronto to meet with Irvin Shane, one of my lawyers. Then I’m flying to Cleveland to spend about a month with my family going over our legal strategy to undo everybody. And then, we’re suing, unless you convince me that you’re an honest reporter.


Me: Oh. Do you think I’m afraid of a threat of a lawsuit from you, Fred? If I were to play this in court…

Devlin: Um, you know what, Bernie…

Me: I’m surprised that you haven’t been committed to an institution.

Devlin: Um, I don’t know. I don’t know exactly the legalities of that anymore. Bernie. Bernie, be careful. Why you, you’re walking on thin ice…slandering me… try to go after my mental health.

Me: We’ll see what happens. But you go after Rick’s mental health.

Devlin: He’s self-admittedly mentally ill.

Me: No, Rick admits that he’s got some problems.

Devlin: Mm-hmm. how about anger?

Me: Yeah, he admits that.

Devlin: Why didn’t he call me when I was in the hospital to see where I am instead of gathering up all these people against me? 


Me: What were you doing in the hospital?

Devlin: I had a concussion from a brain injury.

Me: And when was this?

Devlin: Uh, seven weeks ago maybe. Yeah.

Me: You were just in the hospital? You had a concussion from a brain injury?

Devlin: Correct. Do you wanna see the picture of my head?

Me: Where did you fall?

Devlin: I was in the bathroom. It was dark. We normally have lights that light up. Motion detectors. I lost my orientation. Lost my balance and fell on my head. On the bed board. (But he had just stated that he fell in the bathroom.) Yeah. Cussed myself. Knocked myself out.

Me: Alright. But even while you were in a hospital – with a brain injury, you maintained contact with various people, right? 


Devlin: No. No.

Me: You didn’t phone people from the hospital?

Devlin: Not many. My phone was taken away.

Me: Who took it away?

Devlin: The doctor.

Me: Why?

Devlin: He didn’t want me making calls. He wanted me to rest.

Me: Which hospital were you in most recently?

Devlin: Victoria.

Me: And which ward were you in?

Devlin: I’m not gonna talk to you about my hospitalization ’cause you’re gonna twist it and write he’s got psychiatric problems.

Me: Isn’t it the case that were in the psychiatric ward of Victoria Hospital recently?

Devlin: I, I’m not gonna answer that. Do you have evidence that I was?

Me: I don’t, I’m just asking.

Devlin: Okay. Do I sound crazy, Bernie?

Me: Oh, you want me to answer that? Sure. You sound totally crazy, Fred. 
 And I feel sorry for you, I feel deeply sorry for you, but what happened is just that you harm so many people.

Devlin: I never harmed anybody. No.

Me: What about Charlie?

Devlin: Never harmed.

Me: He’s suicidal.

Devlin: That’s not my fault. No, no, no.

Me: So you didn’t promise to fund his charitable foundation and he went out and spent money on his own? 


Devlin: No. Never to start feeding (children). That’s not true.

Me: Poor African children, based on your promises to him?

Devlin: No, no, no. He asked me if I would send some money. ’cause he wants to feed the hungry. He brings porridge to them. Okay. To the hungry people.

Me: So did you send him money?

Devlin: No. No. Okay.

Me: Why not?

Devlin: Because I wasn’t involved at the time. I was planning on sending money…

Me: But you funded USAID and… which other charities? But you couldn’t send him a couple of thousand dollars. Why not?

Devlin: Was planning on it, but I, I got sick

Me: Did you ever pay Bob Anderson for any of the work he did?

Devlin: He never – I don’t owe him.

Me: Isn’t it true that either your father or your wife paid him? 


Devlin: No.

Me: Or maybe one of your brothers?

Devlin: No.

Me: Gave him a thousand dollars. That’s what he says.

Devlin: Could be.

Me: Because he said you kept refusing to pay him.

Devlin: Bullshit. He’s in the deepest of troubles.

Me: The confidentiality agreement thats you had him prepare, you had loads of people sign confidentiality agreements that Bob Anderson prepared, didn’t you?

Devlin: He didn’t.

Me: He prepared almost 15 non-disclosure agreements for people to sign. Why would you have people sign non-disclosure agreements? ‘

Devlin: Cause I don’t want to be gossiped about.

Me: Or is it the case you didn’t want other people to know about what you were doing?

Devlin: No.

Me: Because if other people knew about the nonsense you were spouting, absolutely they would’ve cut you off at the knees.

Devlin: Absolutely not. No. That was not my motive. No.

Me: So, when you approached Jonathan Soloway because he was an old childhood friend and you told him that you could help him by setting up this real estate investment trust and you sent him contracts, what was your motivation? 


Devlin: I didn’t send Jonathan contracts. No, I believe he sent them to me. (On that point Devlin was correct. I checked with Jonathan and he did say that he had the contracts prepared and sent to Devlin, adding that Devlin was incapable of producing the type of sophisticated agreements that Jonathan sent to him, but which show Devlin’s signature on them nonetheless.)

Me: Regardless, you signed the contract, but you say you didn’t sign the contract.

Devlin: Bernie. I didn’t say I didn’t sign it. I said, Jeff’s agreement that he sent me was bullshit.

Me: Okay, well, do I sound like I’m cross-examining you – because that’s what would happen if you went into court, Fred.

Devlin: I have zero problem. I’ve been in court many times.

Me: Would you be surprised to hear that different people are trying to initiate a police investigation of you now?

Devlin: There’s a police investigation of Rick…for threatening our lives, my mother’s and my life.

Me: Is that right? Where is that police investigation? 


Devlin: Rick twisted it to say I threatened him. What a joke.

Me: Would you be surprised to know that there was a file opened on you by York Regional Police in Ontario and it was sent to Winnipeg ?

Devlin: No. I don’t care. No.

Me: Do you care that there might be a police investigation of you?

Devlin: Doesn’t bother me.

Me: Doesn’t bother you at at all?

Devlin: No, I’ll be happy to speak to the police… and give them evidence.

Me: I’m not sure where it’s at. I just know that there was a file opened on you.

Devlin: I’m not going nowhere, but if it does go further, I’ll be happy to talk to the police.

Me: Okay, I think this is enough, Fred. 


Devlin: Um, are, are we gonna have another session? If you want,, I’d like the full truth to come out and then you can decide what to publish. I don’t feel you’ve given me justice.

April 26, 2026 This concludes my writing about Fred Devlin and his delusional cons. I was still receiving phone calls from Fred, however, asking when we could meet again – until I blocked him. And then I received a phone call from the man I’ve called Jack, who met Fred in the psych ward at Victoria Hospital. He was also totally incoherent, so I’ve blocked him too. I expect though that this story will still be ongoing. The man I’ve called Fred Devlin will likely continue to make contact with many more unsuspecting people and try to persuade them that he has a huge amount of money which he is willing to use to invest in various projects.

Further, I rather doubt any police force will proceed with an investigation. I’m sure whatever file ended up at Winnipeg Police Service has long been buried. But, since I decided to post these stories to my website – and I can reopen the story at any time, there may be more chapters to write.

If you’ve been reading these stories – either in whole or in part, you might like to know that I will compile them into one large pdf and make it accessible on this website at some point.

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.

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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 detailsNov. 11 matchup
DateWednesday, Nov. 11, 2026
Tip-off7 p.m. ET
VenueScotiabank Arena, Toronto
Canadian broadcastTSN 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.

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Features

Musings from Dizengoff Street – by Bruce Brown (updated Nov. 9)

(Posted Nov. 9) Dressed in a multicolored, sequined pantsuit and donning his signature, oversized, brightly colored bowler hat.  Boy George – in his inimitable, flamboyant and somewhat gaudy manner- graced the stage of Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena for his second and final concert in Israel on Saturday night.  And the wife and I were there.  Amongst the almost sold out crowd of eight thousand fans. 

Well.  The crowd may not have all been ‘fans’ in the classic sense.  But everyone was there in support of Boy George standing -or dancing- with Israel.  He has been an outspoken defender of Israel for years.  And now strongly and uncompromisingly bucking the latest trend of Israel bashing and boycotts that has become increasingly characteristic of the liberal, progressive nature of the entertainment industry.  In fact, he had to withdraw from London’s East End production of Jesus Christ Superstar where he was slated to play.  Yep, you guessed it.  King Herod (but without the bowler hat which was not in fashion back in 20 BCE).

With his reggae song “We Will Dance Again”, released in July 2026, Boy George clearly comes to Israel as…well…one of us.  His song is packed with emotional and caring lyrics.  “You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for”.

Dedicating his second concert, not originally planned but quickly arranged to satisfy the huge ticket demand, to the Nova Festival.  Surprisingly -and to his credit- Boy George did not milk his anti-boycott, divest and sanction position.  He did not play the drama queen on stage, for which he is so well positioned and on so many levels.  Rather he performed in his incomparable style.  Although well into his concert he sang only one recognizable chart-topper, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”.  And this sung as a duet with Israeli singer Ivri Lider -nice touch- in a rather different rendition from the 1982 breakout hit.

Making many pro-Israel -dare I say Zionist- references to being in Israel and the tsunami of resentment and hate he now faces.  Essentially telling his detractors to ‘F—k off’ (Boy’s words).  To a loud round of applause and cheering.  He told a story of how many of his so-called, one-time ‘friends’ told him his departed, Irish mother would be disappointed in him and his stance.  Boy George retorted, with his customary chuckle/cackle, that he was sure his mom couldn’t be prouder.  To yet another rousing round of applause and cheering.

Now I must admit.  Gotta’ come clean here.  Ninety minutes into his concert the wife began feeling sick and wanted to leave.  What!  Seriously!  There are still songs to be sung!  Admittedly, she had to ask me three times before I’d move.  Cause I really wanted to stay for the rest of the show.  And especially see him perform “We Will Dance Again”.  And hear his other recognizable classics like “Karma Chameleon”, “It’s a Miracle” and my personal favorite “The Crying Game” – all of which he may have been saving for the encore.  Based on reviews from his first show – sorry this part not scribed firsthand- he did indeed play his hits.  And the crowd predictably clapped and rooted when he sang “We Will Dance Again” towards the end of the evening.  Even singing and dancing in their seats along with Boy George.  A kind of unity in trauma.

During his stay in Israel Boy George toured the Nova dance festival grounds.  Visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem.  And met with President Herzog, who honored the singer by declaring that “Since October 7, Israel and the Jews…have faced an onslaught of attacks…(including) in the world of culture, art and music….However you stood up and said: ‘If you’re ever confused, I stand with the Jews’.”  A most appropriate tribute to the extravagant and colorful performer.

I’ve never been a Boy George or Culture Club fan.  Ya, I liked a few of his songs but not much more than that.  However it was important to demonstrate my support to the bravery and solidarity that Boy George has shown Israel.  And am now waiting for other performers to follow….  Jerry Seinfeld.  Sarah Silverman. Barbra Streisand.  Pink.  Drake.  David Draiman.  Simon and Garfunkel (alone or together).  Gene and Paul (revive one last Kiss concert). Israel is waiting for you.

(Posted Nov. 5) Was sitting in my saferoom the other day.  Watching T.V.  As the room also doubles as a den.  And I noticed a kippa (or skullcap for you reform Jews or yarmulke for you true Yids) sitting on one of the shelfs.  Guess I placed it there while preparing for another round of missiles during one of Trump’s infinite threats.  Don’t remember doing that.  But there it was.  Knitted blue with white trim.  If needed, only an arm’s reach from disaster.  Then I started to muse.  Like really muse.  Why did I, a secularist and probably an agnostic (but not really sure – is that a pun?), bring a kippa into the saferoom.   Mulled it over a few days.  But it still bemused me.  So I turned to a good friend.  Who is a rabbi.  And he provided a very profound response.  “As the saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes.”  Thank you, Rabbi.  For the wisdom.

(Posted Nov. 2) Wimpy from Popeye fame would have a gluttonously good time in Israel these days.  The Israel street food culture has strongly shifted since McDonald’s opened its first branch here in 1993.  I took my girlfriend -now the wife- to that grand opening.  Waiting almost forty minutes (!) for a Big Mac.  BTW, McDonalds now has 225 branches in Israel.   Digressing….    There are just some really great burger bars in Israel now -Vetrina, Prozdor, Josef’s  and America (what else?!), to name a few.  For sure since McDonald’s grand opening, the Israeli street food palate largely moved from falafels to burgers.  With the landscape changing from falafel stands to hamburger joints.  Tel Aviv alone has ~ 110 burger places vs 35 for falafel.  And, get this, the total annual Israeli burger market is about 2.5B nis.  While the famous Israeli falafel is estimated at a paltry 1.8B nis.  Disclaimer – while still a disputable fact, although largely associated with Israel the falafel has its origins in Egypt.  Talk about food colonialism and here I totally digress.  Anyway, as Wimpy would say while hanging on Dizengoff Street, “I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a good Israeli hamburger today.”

(Posted Oct. 29) With a voter turnout of 77.7%.  The highest in twenty-seven years and eleven election cycles.  With neither block – the current coalition nor the opposition – able to form a stable majority.  Nay, a simple majority. With each party having made goldarn, hifalutin campaign declarations about whom they won’t sit with.  And now facing just such a choice.  With each block comprised of several smaller parties -yep, Israel’s wonderful proportional representative democracy at work- having their own goldarn, hifalutin principles.   And now struggling with comprise.  How do you define deadlock.  That’s precisely where our little shtetl finds itself.

(Posted Oct. 26) Trigger warning.  Totally unscientific, totally subjective, highly generalized tour of Israeli electoral patterns musing ahead. 

With election day upon us.  The wife says if more of the same is voted in… she’s outta’ here.  Somewhat extreme but I get her.  A pretty common threat in the Shtetl these days.  But that’s if you live in North Tel Aviv. While the word from stall owners of Tel Aviv’s HaTikva market and Jerusalem’s Mahaneh Yehuda market is somewhat different.  While visiting the latter, the Prime Minister received a rousing chorus of the Israeli English version of Happy Birthday.  Celebrating his 77th.  I wish him the best… as he hopefully prepares for retirement.  Which does not excuse a bottle thrown at his motorcade as he arrived – totally unacceptable!   Meanwhile, those in areas like Bnei Brak, Bet Shemesh and Mea Shearim may be looking for something else.  Voting for Shas, United Torah Judaism or the ilk to retain their status quo of not educating, not paying taxes and not serving.  And those from the Settlements most likely casting their vote for Smotrich or Ben Gvir.  Yikes!  And double yikes!  Our Arab co-citizens from Nazareth, Jaffa, and Umm al-Fahm most likely voting for Ra’am or the Joint List (comprising the three other main Arab parties).  Speaking of which, I am pretty impressed with Monsour Abbas’s Ra’am; channeling a message of co-existence, cooperation and loyalty.   Although a meaningful partner in the previous Bennett/Lapid government, still too extreme a ballot to cast.  For me anyway.  And supporters of the middle, -often veering to the right and comprising the current main coalition or opposition blocs- can be found throughout the shtetl.  As for me.  I still waver between Eisenkot or Bennett.  Or perhaps Lieberman…but probably not.  Message to myself – time to decide!  All while under the threat of another skirmish with Iran.  Who is looking to upend our democratic right but what do they know about democracy.  My back-of-the-voting-envelope wisdom as we approach October 27.  Vote.  But vote for the right guy.  Hmmm. ‘Guy’?   All party leaders are men.  Now where’s a good Golda when you need one.  Sagacious indeed. 

(Posted Oct. 22) Israel.  Once famous for its Jaffa oranges.  Has since offered the world so much more than just a tasty, vitamin C packed, citrus boost.  We’re offering.  And most of the globe is accepting.  World class hi-tech, med-tech, agri-tech, def-tech (yes defense!) innovations that.  Well.  Simply make the planet a better place.  From Intel Israel’s Pentium 4 and Centrino microchips.  Where the ancient city of Jerusalem became the world’s first Wi-Fi-enabled city.  How cool is that!  To Checkpoint’s worldclass network firewall security systems.  From Teva’s generic low-cost medications and schizophrenia and bone health treatments.  To Given Imaging’s pain saving Pill Cams.  To MeMed’s fifteen-minute blood tests distinguishing between infections. To Rafael and Elbit’s Iron Dome and Iron Beam anti-missile defense systems.  To Ormat’s renewable energy solutions.  From Netafim’s pioneering drip irrigation technology.  To CropX smarter farming with less water. To Watergen and H20LL which.  Now get this.  Essentially turns air into drinking water.  Hmmmm….  To Mobileye technology helping cars see.  Yep, those dashboard beeps when approaching another car too fast was developed in our little shtetl.  To Waze’s GPS navigation software.  Without which we would probably make the wrong turn.   And to Wiz’s cloud and AI cybersecurity platforms, sold to Google in 2026 for 32B$.  In cash.  The largest foreign acquisition of an Israeli company to date – not too bad!  And many, many more ‘Froms’ and ‘Tos’.  So now.  A modest call out to all those BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanctions) supporters.  You probably don’t realize how embedded your daily lives are with Israeli invention.  But don’t worry.  Israel won’t sanction you.  So remember.  Buy Israeli!

(Posted Oct. 19) So, two runner up distinctions for my little shtetl.  On the bright side.  Israel is often considered to have the second highest number of listings on the tech heavy NASDAQ.  Often jockeying for second place with China and sometimes Canada.  The number one country, of course, is the U.S..  On the not so bright side.  According to Microsoft’s 2026 Digital Defense Report, Israel was ranked the second most targeted county in the world for ‘observed state-linked cyber events’, at 210 events.  The number one country here is also the U.S.  (at 531 such events).  Now this is a specific metric limited to particular and observed cyber activity.  On a broader note, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate reported about 4,800 hostile cyber incidents in June 2026.  Yes, in a single month!  Somewhat daunting.  And thank goodness for our esteemed IDF 8200 unit.  I digress.  And back to the NASDAQ listings and the MS Digital Defense Report.  Guess we gotta’ take the good with the bad. 

(Posted Oct. 15) Congratulations South African jurist Navi Pillay for winning the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Not. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that she won the prize “for her efforts to promote peace and international law.” Now I admittedly don’t know much about Navi other than what I just googled. Our legal scholar defended anti-apartheid activists in South Africa including Nelson Mandella and was a Prosecutor against crimes committed during the 1994 Rwandan war. But. And here I tend to agree with the shtetl voices accusing Navi of bigotry and injustice. For heading a UN Commission of Inquiry that concluded Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. And for previously serving as a Judge at that bastion of ‘justice for all’, the International Criminal Court which later served arrest warrants for war crimes against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. Granted, not during her tenure but anyway kinda’ guilty by association – there’s a pun in there somewhere. Seriously. Am just so goldarn frustrated that now another anti-Israel voice will have its day on the international stage. To promote her version of ‘peace and international law’. And the beat goes on….

(Posted Oct. 12) Thirty-eight parties.  That’s right.  Thirty-eight political parties are running in this year’s national elections.  Meshuga!  Of course.  The list includes those ‘far out’ groups, such as the Garden of Eden party or the Shema party or the Eternal Covenant party.  All fringe messianic slates that don’t stand a chance of crossing Israel’s 3.25% electoral threshold.  Thankfully.  Of this very robust list there are about twelve ‘mainstream’ parties -yes, Israel has a very broad midsection- with a reasonable chance of winning a seat to Israel’s twenty-sixth Knesset.  Compare this to Canada’s political map of sixteen national parties.  That’s right.  Sixteen parties.  Meshuga!  Of course.  Surprising that stable, predictable and moderate Canada has so many political colors.  Of this somewhat robust list there is but a handful of mainstream parties – a pretty narrow midsection.  Back to thirty-eight and as the saying goes, ‘two Israelis three opinions’.  With fifteen days remaining until election day.  Let the mudslinging continue.

(Posted Oct. 8): The ‘negotiations’. And I use the term loosely. Between the U.S. and Iran. So goldarn random. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are playing a kind of remote game of rock, paper. Scissors. Just imagine them. President Trump for the U.S. And. Well. Someone for Iran. Hooked up via high security internet link. Throwing out their fists. Rock. Or paper. Or scissors. Lots of confidence, that.

(Posted Oct. 6): Commemorating Oct 7 2023

Shortly after that tragic day.  Visiting the haunting display of despair and hope at Dizengoff Square.  The wounds still raw.  Was mainly despair.  With only a glimmer of hope.  Overcome by the collection of bloodied and blindfolded stuffed teddy bears strewn against the Agam Fountain.

Driving home afterwards.  Two songs played on the radio. One after the other.  As if the music score to a very sad movie.  Even today, when hearing these songs.  They conjure up memories of my mindset three years ago.  

George Harrison’s ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.  “I look at the world / And I notice, it’s turning / With every mistake / We must surely be learning / Still my guitar gently weeps…” 

Paul McCartney’s ‘Blackbird’.  “Blackbird singing in the dead of night / Take these broken wings and learn to fly / You were only waiting for this moment to be free / Blackbird fly / Into the light of a dark black night…”

Always remembering.  But looking forward.

(Posted Oct. 1): So my daughter told me about the new apartment rental she was considering for the upcoming academic year in Jerusalem. “Third floor.  Three bedrooms for three roommates.  Twenty minutes from the university.  Close to the bus stop.  Grocery store nearby.”  She itemized.  Then with her next breath, “Shetler in the next building.” Kinda’ took my breath away.  Is that where we live?  What we’ve become?  What pre-occupies us?  Yes.  Yes.  Yes. 

Despite my recurring safe room musings.  It still kinda’ shook my core.  But once I regained my existential footing.  I realized how lucky we are.  We have a well-prepared wartime infrastructure.  We are conscious of wartime safety and security.   It’s become second nature.  Even when choosing an apartment.  Then I recalled how last year.  When my daughter first moved to Jerusalem.  I focused on the shelter thing.  Even timed a dash to the nearest shelter.  She cringed with embarrassment.  As she does with much of what I do – dad stuff and I digress.  Now here she is.  One year later.  Itemizing her well thought out considerations.  Including the shelter.   I guess she listens to me after all.  Well…sometimes anyway.

(Posted Sept. 28) Caution.  Caution.  A very long muse ahead….
 
So Prime Minister Netanyahu made his fifteenth address at the United Nations General Assembly.  I get excited with every speech.  Preparing some lightly buttered popcorn and comfortably settling in front of the T.V. for some high-stakes geopolitical posturing.  And this one didn’t miss the mark and the high bar Netanyahu sets for himself.
 
Liked when he referred to our ‘friends’ leaving the hall before he spoke.  Asking.  And smirking.  At the beginning of his speech.  If there are any other “moral cowards” who would like to leave.  He could have said much worse. 
 
Liked his strong defense against the acrimonious, hostile, and simply incorrect accusation of genocide.  Insisting, with examples, of Israel being guilty of the opposite.  Supplying a million polio vaccinations.  Distributing two million tons of food.  Providing warnings of pending attacks -leaflets, cellphone calls, ‘knocks on the roof’ (an IDF tactic of firing non-lethal projectiles towards roof tops as warning to noncombatants to evacuate before a pending airstrike)- in civilian areas where Hamas is inevitably hiding.  Netanyahu also referenced Colonel John Spencer, head of Urban Warfare studies at West Point and the preeminent expert on, well, urban warfare.   Who clearly defends Israel as having done more to prevent civilian casualties in war than any other military in history.  That’s quite a claim!  So yes.  Israel can actually be guilty of ediconeg – the opposite of genocide.
 
Didn’t like Netanyahu’s Ben-Gviresque defense of violent West Bank settlers.  Or is it  Judea & Samaria.  I admittedly struggle in geographically defining the area, I digress.  And didn’t like him referring to these settlers as “juvenile delinquents”.  They are much more than that!  If not terrorists, they should at least be called -and treated- as violent criminals.  I admittedly struggle with finding the appropriate label, again digressing.  Overall, this struck me as pandering to his far-right electorate.  Standing before the green marble wall of the UN podium…hmmm, not the most appropriate venue for local electioneering.   
 
Didn’t like his beeper reference.  While brilliant, the pager attack in Lebanon happened in Sept 2024.  Was so taken aback by this reference that I fact checked the date between mouthfuls of popcorn.  And Israel already took credit for this publicly and at several international forums.  Just seemed a bit dated, forced and out of place. 
 
Liked the swipe at our ‘friend’ Mamdani.  On the podium of the U.N. in N.Y.   No less!
 
Liked his call for Jews around the world to stand tall.  “Raise your head high.  Be proud.  Be confident.  Don’t be intimidated.”  He admonished.  Okay, confession time.  I will not speak Hebrew with the wife when travelling overseas.  Am a bit scared and maybe need to stand a bit taller.  I digress.
 
Liked Netanyahu’s callout to the Iranian people.  Declaring that “The power of the people will overcome the people in power.”  Although he didn’t have to provide a public service announcement for Elon Musk’s Starlink, waving a Starlink device at the podium. 
 
Didn’t like, as pointed out by the Jerusalem Post, that there was no complementary vision to his fiery, hardline and somewhat Sparta-like rhetoric.  No mention of a more conciliatory, Athenia-like vision for the day after.  Emphasizing Israel’s desire for peace and what it can and has offered the world.   
 
Loved the overall theme.  That Israel will survive.  And thrive.  Because, as he exclaimed several times, “We have no other choice!”  This was based on a reference in his address to his older brother Yonathan Netanayhu who led the rescue at Entebbe in 1976 and was the only Israeli casualty.  Netanyahu even thanked the Uganda government for recently erecting a statue dedicated to his brother.  Thought this a nice, personal touch.
 
Loved Netanyahu’s passion.  His fiery indignation echoing throughout his almost forty-minute speech.  His fury at the goldarn outrageous, bigoted, noxious branding of Israel as ‘bad’ by much of the world’s useful idiots.  Although should have channeled some of that ire to a more conciliatory day after vision.
 
Anyway.  As for the United Nations.  That bastion of partiality and moral cowardice.  Think it should be renamed the United Naars.  Again I digress.  

(Posted Sept. 25) Looping back to an August 9 muse about my visit to Jerusalem’s Basimta Café and its dispute with the neighborhood ultra-orthodox for opening on Shabbat.  Which I felt was a bit of a storm in a teacup as there wasn’t much protest action when I visited.  But kerfuffles nonetheless.  Unfortunately the café decided against remaining open on Shabbat.  According to the café manager “…it will return to what it was intended to be: a calm, pleasant and open place for coffee, culture and dialogue.”   As it turns out, the manager is also CEO of Jews for Jesus.  Which is fine by me.  Live and let live.  But just wondering if this was also reason for the café brouhaha.  As there are many other Jerusalem cafes open on Shabbat which the ultra-orthodox do not protest against.  Not that I want to give anyone ideas.  Just sayin’.

(Ed. note: Just to put Bruce’s latest musing in context, here again is what he wrote on August 9): August 8, 2026)

Outside Basimta Café in Central Jerusalem.  Love the red shirt against a tiny sea of black.  Not sure I am shrugging because of the ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat or the lack of an ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat.  For the last six weeks Israeli headlines shouted about the cafe chaos.  With the ultra-religious blocking entrances and storming the café.  While shouting ‘Shabbos!  Shabbos!’   Upsetting the secular amongst us just wanting to enjoy our Saturday iced matchas.  So the wife and I thought we would check it out.  And.  Yes.  Buy something to support the business.  Uproar.  Not.  Blocked entrances.  Not.  Storming the café.  Not.  Albeit there were police barriers separating the devout protesters from the coffee drinkers.  The protesters being just a few dozen black clad, pious Jews.  Mostly teenagers.   And yes.  Shouting ‘Shabbos!  Shabbos!’  Certainly underwhelming in its reported mayhem.  Reminds me of the famous saying misattributed to Mark Twain – “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed.  If you do, you’re misinformed.”  But I did enjoy my iced matcha.

(Posted Sept. 22) Admire him or despise him. Love him or hate him. Commend him or vilify him. Praise him or criticize him. Respect him or disdain him. Believe him or doubt him. Vote for him or not. However you perceive him. And whether you support him. Wishing Prime Minister Netanyahu a successful visit to New York and the U.N. And that we won’t have to send him a cake with a hacksaw baked inside. Mamdani… stand down!

(Posted Sept. 18) Just wonderin’.  When a tree falls in a forest and no one’s there to hear it, does it make a sound?   And if Iran says it’s not enriching uranium and no one’s there to verify it, do they develop fissile material?

Now Iran just obtained a seat on the General Committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference – how crazy is that.  Like letting the cat guard the milk.

(Posted Sept. 15) Apparently some superheroes are against us.  But not really.  Whewww!!!   Fortunately it’s just the progressive actors who play them in movies.  Such as Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange) and Mark Ruffalo (the Hulk) as well as other minor actors not worth mentioning.  What are these misinformed thespians aligning themselves with.  Not sure they really know.  Well.  It’s with The Freedom for Marwan campaign, which pushes for the release of convicted, arch-terrorist mastermind Marwan Barghouti.  Convicted in 2004 and sentenced to five life sentences plus 40 years for orchestrating various heinous shooting sprees in Israel during the Second Intifada (2000-2005).  Killing and wounding too many innocent Israeli civilians including a Greek Orthodox monk outside Jerusalem.  As a comic book fan, and closet Batman and Aquaman (when I swim), it saddens me that these guardians of the universe can be associated with defending evil.  But then I remind myself it’s only the actors -what do they know anyway- and not really the superheroes. Unlike our own Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Natalie Portman (the Mighty Thor), Shira Haas (Sabra) and Liev Schreiber (Sabretooth).  All firmly on the side of good.

(Posted Sept 10) Honey cakes.  Honey cakes.  Honey cakes.  It’s that time of year.  Yummy!  Here comes Rosh HaShana 5787.  And its…. You guessed it.  Honey cake season.  That light brown loaf our baba used to make.  Starting a few weeks before Rosh HaShana and extending through Yom Kippur – a first bite to break the fast and usher in a sweet year- honey cakes are found throughout the country.  The familiar sight of the ready-made, pre-packaged, ‘assembly-line’ honey cakes wrapped in cheap cellophane found in Grocery stores.  The freshly baked honey cakes adorning window displays at local bakeries.  The exorbitantly priced, gourmet honey cake desserts offered at fancy Tel Aviv restaurants.  And of course, honey cakes festooning the festive, colorful, Rosh Hashana dinner tables across Israel.  I bake my own honey cake which is pretty good.  My wife and kids would beg to differ.  But these slightly glazed honey cakes -of my own culinary, shtetl inspired creation- are heartedly enjoyed by me as I gain several honey cake induced pounds.  Shana tova!

(Posted Sept. 8) Hoarding.  A combination of my own little wartime PTSD and some recent headlines about Iran trying to coordinate a multifront attack (is that capability still there?!) and October 7 like rumblings from the West Bank (or Judea & Samaria, depending if you wear a kippa and if its knitted and if it tilts to this side or that side -that’s a shtetl insider joke).  I digress and Yikes!  And we just had a nation-wide drill of the IDF’s top-level headquarters preparedness for such scenarios.  Double Yikes!  So ya.  I’m always checking and rechecking that we have way more than enough of some things.  The thought of entering another prolonged war and some stuff no longer available, even for a short time, scares the bejeebers out of me.   Just writing about it triggers the ‘go and buy’ dopamine hit.  Medications.  Toilet paper.  Bottled water.  Canned goods.  Also worried about the country running out of bullets.  But I can’t hoard those.

(Posted Sept. 5) An open letter to the zany and zealous mouthpieces of those delightful, anti-Israel protests held regularly in Toronto.  In the heavily Jewish Bathurst & Sheppard area no less.  Fear and harassment in the community?  Not by the hairs of our chinny chin chins.

Dear Friends.  

Are you serious.  

Sincerely,

Bruce Brown, a Zionist who does not rape children.  Who does not murder children.  Who does not eat children.  And, get this, who lives in Israel.

(Ed. note: To better understand what Bruce is talking about, go to this story on our website: Police open hate-crime investigation)

(Posted Sept. 1) Can you be more of an international embarrassment and liability?  Yes talking about Israeli’s antagonist extraordinaire and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. 

Declaring that Israel should kill ’30-40 Gazans a day’.  Seriously?!?!  His actual statement may have been more refined and qualified.  But it doesn’t really make a difference.  That’s the takeaway.  Like whose side is he on anyway.  Talk about giving our detractors ammunition to delegitimize our little shtetl.  Hello?!?! 

And a few days later.  Showing off in front of a gallows site under construction at a high security prison.  Seriously?!?!  The death penalty for terrorists.  Right or not – I think the former.  But like can you give us reason to be compared to an extremist state.  That’s the takeaway.  Like whose side is he on anyway.  Talk about giving our detractors ammunition to delegitimize our little shtetl.  Hello?!?! 

Serenity now!

(Posted August 28) Kites.  Color.  Childhood.  Hamas and friends should watch Mary Poppins with the final kite flying scene.  Remember that song, Let’s Go Fly A Kite.  Ya, I know.  Somewhat ethnocentric.  But still….  I have fond memories of flying kites with my kids.  Down the Mediterranean shoreline in Tel Aviv.  At the Ness Tziona kite flying festival. Along the green grounds of the Weizmann Institute.  Laughing and running.  Looking to the sky with awe.  Multi-shades and fancy.  Kites.

With your fist ‘olding tight
To the string of your kite

…oh, oh, oh!

Lets go fly a kite

Kites.  Fun.  Laughter.  Innocence.

Kites.  Not an instrument of war.

(Posted August 25) How principled can you be!  Ireland -one of the most anti-Israel and foggiest countries in the EU- insisted that its government’s new, 60$M executive jet NOT be equipped with Elbit’s FalconEye navigation system, which helps pilots navigate in fog -how ironic- and other difficult weather conditions.  Without this unique system the plane must be diverted to alternative airports.  This a part of the government’s official boycott of Israeli goods. So good luck to Prime Minister Michael Martin in landing his aircraft in Dublin.  

And despite some negative sentiment towards everything Israel, Elbit achieved over 32$B in backorders with Europe driving much of its export growth.  On a more personal muse.  The morning after Iran’s first attack on Israel (April 13 2024), I woke up not with fear and panic.  Well.  Okay.  Some of that.  But also great excitement regarding an investment opportunity which developed overnight.  Actually it was the wife’s suggestion.  After Israel successfully intercepted over three hundred missiles and drones – showcasing the strength of Israel’s defense industry- my wife had a eureka moment.  What better public relations for Israel’s defense industry.  Let’s buy stock in Elbit, a key player in that ecosystem.  We did.  And about eighteen months later we cashed in.  With about 150% profit.  This is not an endorsement to buy… blah, blah, blah….

Again.  Good luck to Prime Minister Martin.

(Posted August 21) Sometimes musings are terribly sad.  But should be shared.

Happy belated birthday beautiful Ariel.  Turned seven on August 5th.  Thought about him and his younger brother Kfir and mother Shiri.  All murdered by Hamas shortly after their unbelievable and surreal abduction on Oct 7 2023.  

As I was driving home today.  “I Thank You Child” by Zakk Wylde shuffled onto my Spotify.  Always kills me, this song.  It was played by Yarden, the father who himself was held hostage, at the funeral of his family.  For Ariel and Kfir.  The lyrics chilling.  The frequent drum rolls haunting.

It was you who made living all worth the while

Oh, I thank you, my child

Comfort in your eyes 

For the warmth inside your smile

Faith’s done gone astray

It was you who made living all the while

All my fears repressed

Oh lovin’ you child it’s the best

This song.  Written almost thirty years ago.  Finds its devastating meaning today.  With the Bibas family tragedy.

How.

Listen to the song here:

(Posted August 18, 2026) And the beat goes on in the strait.  A bit quieter lately although may be heating up again with the 60day ‘ceasefire’ officially expired.  And while Iran occasionally lashed out over the last two months, they did not attack Israel.  How do you spell deterrence.  According to my Yiddisha mama, its spelled ‘Pftt.  Pftt.  Pftt‘. 

(August 14, 2026) Despite three years of varying degrees of warfare.  Moody’s biannual report of the Israeli economy was quite positive.  Basically, the report saw no pressures on Israel’s credit rating.  While the macro data remains strong, Israel still faces a complex geopolitical situation further complicated by upcoming elections (we pondered about how crazy that is in an earlier muse).  And Israeli’s inflation rate for the first half of 2026 fell to a historic five year low of 1.2% (vs Canada’s 2.6%).   As for my own pocketbook.  Haven’t had an infamous Israeli bank overdraft in years.  So all is fine. 

If that’s not enough economic voodoo talk for one musing.  According to one famous barometer.  Israel moved to second place in the Economist’s Big Mac Index.  Introduced in 1986, this tasty indicator compares the purchasing power parity across countries by measuring the price of a McDonald’s Big Mac -which most can relate to- against the benchmark U.S. burger.  So while a Big Mac in the U.S. costs $6.22.  In Israel it costs $7.67, the second most expensive place to buy the hamburger in the world,  Switzerland being the most pricey at a whopping (no reference to Wendy’s) $9.04.  While the cheapest Big Mac can be enjoyed in Indonesia at only $2.38.  Canada ranked 22nd of the fifty-four countries considered, at $5.85.  Parity.  Smarity.  I’m going for my Big Mac fix.  Just after I finish writing this muse….

(August 11, 2026) Bravo Boy George.  We certainly will dance again!  And what better way than with his new reggae tune.  Now Boy George is dealing with a hostile backlash against his just stand for Israel.  Having to withdraw from London’s East End production of Jesus Christ Superstar where he was going to play – guess it.  King Herod.  Never a big Culture Club fan, but I am anyway -as a sign of support- going to download his greatest hits to my Spotify library.  And hoping to have a chance to buy a concert ticket should Boy George perform in Israel.  Kind of reminds me of Bob Dylan’s 1983 song Neighborhood Bully.  Also in defense of Israel.  I’m going to download that song as well.  Although don’t think he was hounded the way Boy George is now.  Sign of the times I guess.

+++++

Coming clean.  I sometimes find myself chanting, to no one in particular, that snappy little ditty ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’  Now why can’t we come up with something as catchy. With such an impressive gene pool of great Jewish songwriters. George Gershwin. Irving Berlin.  Burt Bacharach.  Carole King.  Neil Diamond.  Leanard Choen.  Paul Simon.  Gene Simmons, Amy Winehouse.  Bob Dylan.  And yes, even the Buddhist Boy George.  And still… gurnish!  No wonder we’re losing the global PR battle

(August 8, 2026) Outside Basimta Café in Central Jerusalem.  Love the red shirt against a tiny sea of black.  Not sure I am shrugging because of the ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat or the lack of an ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat.  For the last six weeks Israeli headlines shouted about the cafe chaos.  With the ultra-religious blocking entrances and storming the café.  While shouting ‘Shabbos!  Shabbos!’   Upsetting the secular amongst us just wanting to enjoy our Saturday iced matchas.  So the wife and I thought we would check it out.  And.  Yes.  Buy something to support the business.  Uproar.  Not.  Blocked entrances.  Not.  Storming the café.  Not.  Albeit there were police barriers separating the devout protesters from the coffee drinkers.  The protesters being just a few dozen black clad, pious Jews.  Mostly teenagers.   And yes.  Shouting ‘Shabbos!  Shabbos!’  Certainly underwhelming in its reported mayhem.  Reminds me of the famous saying misattributed to Mark Twain – “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed.  If you do, you’re misinformed.”  But I did enjoy my iced matcha.

(August 6, 2026) Here we go again.  Another round of forever negotiations.  As someone who negotiates for a living.  The way things are going in the straits.  If I had to recommend a book on the subject to a new hire.  Between The Art of the Deal, A Presidential Edition by Donald J. Trump or The Real Art of the Deal by the Mullahs of Iran with a special forward by the IRGC. Well.  I would choose the latter.

(August 3) Bravo Yoav Segalovitz, Liberal Yesh Atid MK and Monsour Abbas, United Arab Ra’am MK and party head.  For breaking a glass ceiling where a Jewish lawmaker joins an Arab political party.  No less a political earthquake in my little shtetl.  Which can significantly impact coalition block arithmetic and posturing and strategy in the upcoming elections.  Now Ra’am can be considered a legitimate ‘Zionist’ partner when forming coalition blocks and potentially pushing the ‘center left/right’ party over the 60 seat majority threshold.  In our crazy parliamentary democracy defined by a multi-party (about fourteen!!), proportional representation system.  To paraphrase Winston Churchill, Israel’s proportional representation model of governance is the best parliamentary democracy system except for all other forms of working democracies.  Stay tuned for more amateurish political musings as we move towards Israel’s 26th national election – five of them held since 2019. 

(August 1) Although both sides say they are open to diplomacy.  Neither really trusts the other.  And American military action, or its threat, continues.  I read headlines in the middle of the night -it’s a nervous habit lately– that the Dynamic Duo of Trump and Netanyahu may again strike in unison.  Possibly this weekend.  Yikes!  Prompting me, at 2:30 AM, to dash around the house stocking my safe room.  Bottled water.  Canned food.  Medicines. Documents. The beat goes on….

If it’s crazy here.  It’s insane in Italy.  With a recent online ‘Jew Hunt’ in the Milan area.  Before being removed, the digital forms urged reportings of Israelis and Italian Jews staying in local hotels.  The infamous Global Sumud Movement -yes, the one coordinating ‘peace and humanitarian’ flotillas to Gaza- was somehow connected.  Although they deny involvement?!  This deranged decree was looking to identify Zionist tourism and Zionist neo-colonization in Italy.  I’ll stick with stocking the saferoom.

Then there’s New York Mayor Mamdani, a Global Sumud Movement supporter, threatening to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu if he comes to New York.   But since discovered he has no legal right for such a grandstanding, antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Western, anti-democratic antic.  Maybe Mandami should be arrested!  Or at least impeached.  For being a grandstanding, antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Western, anti-democratic mayor.


Here’s a post Bruce sent us Friday, July 31:
WARTIME MUSINGS

Should credible threats against FLOTUS and ‘FSOTUS’ (first son..) not be justification to attack first.

As for yesterday’s summit. Netanyahu really can’t win. Explainer. If Trump now attacks without victory its ’cause of Netanyahu. If Trump now attacks with victory its ’cause of Trump. And, in Israel, if Trump doesn’t attack -victory or not- Netanyahu failed in his eighth meeting with Trump. And if Trump does attack -victory or not- half the country will vilify Bibi anyway. Missing a permutation?

Ya. I know. Kinda’ need a definition of victory for that musing to work.
And here in my little shtetle. We go to sleep unsure if there will be a code red in the middle of the night. And if not. We wake up thinking it will be tonight. How do you define stress?

Seemed like an appropriate way to end this musing.

Bruce Brown is a former Winnipegger who made aliyah to Israel over 35 years ago. Bruce first began writing for us – in his own inimitable style, in 2012, during what was known as “Operation Pillar of Defense.” His occasional musings on aspects of life in Israel that were far from what you’d typically read in other reports from Israel were hugely popular – both in the print Jewish Post & News and on this website.
We’re now glad to report that Bruce is back writing for us – this time on a regular basis. We will post Bruce’s reports as they arrive – with the date of each post at the beginning of that post.
Here’s
some information about Bruce – and awards he’s received for his writing:

Bruce Brown.  Canadian born.  Now living in Israel (for a long time).  Bruce works in Israel’s hi-tech sector by day and, in spurts, is a somewhat inspired writer by night.  He received the American Jewish Press Association’s award for writing excellence in 2019 and 2025.  And wrote the1998 satire, “An Israeli is….”.   Bruce’s visuals are AI-assisted and created with ChatGPT under his inimitable visual concept and creative direction.  Bruce’s musings are political, social, economic and personal.  With lots of biting, contrarian, sardonic, irreverent and mischievous insights.

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