Features
Young community leader calls for others to step up in countering antisemitism, Israel haters
By MYRON LOVE With incidents of Anti-Semitism growing worldwide, Candice Tenenbein is exhorting fellow Jewish Winnipeggers – and non-Jewish supporters – to step up their efforts to combat this unhinged scourge of Jew and Israel hatred.
“Antisemitism is the most virulent and oldest form of hate, and today often appears as anti-Zionism,” she says.
“Speak out. Share accurate information on social media. Have discussions with friends. Write letters to the editors. Phone or email your elected officials and ask to know where they stand. It just takes a few minutes but, if enough of us take action, we could have a significant impact.”
The other side of the coin, she notes, is to promote all the good that Israel does for people around the world from sending emergency response teams to help after natural disasters to providing world-leading technology to help people in developing countries to improve agricultural output, better care for their environments, have access to clean drinking water and improve healthcare.
“As a local Jewish community,” she adds, “we also need to explain how diverse our members are – we come from many countries (from Latin America, to Europe, to Israel, to Turkey, Iraq, Morocco and beyond) and we have members who are LGBTQ+ and BIPOC. Many of our community members are doing good in our own backyard. Newcomers, and Jews born and raised in Winnipeg, have contributed to the fabric of our society for a long time. We need to showcase these efforts for all Winnipegers to see that we are not the evil tropes that we are portrayed to be on social media.”
In her call for action, Tenenbein is leading by example. The 2017 recipient of the Harry Silverberg Young Leader of Distinction Award has played a prominent role within our Jewish community pretty much since she moved back here in 2003 after a short time living in Toronto.
Tenenbein credits her mother, the late Cheryl Arnold, for infusing her with a strong sense of Jewishness, community and Zionism. “Despite being a working single parent with three children, my mother was a member of Hadassah and National Council of Jewish Women, helped out at Ramah (where Tenenbein and her siblings went to elementary school) and was active at the Herzlia Synagogue.
Tenenbein herself was a member of BBYO in high school (Grant Park) and Hillel at university. “I used to study at the Hillel office and attended all of the Jewish programs that I could,” she recalls. While in university Tenenbein served as a student member of the University Senate. She then volunteered and worked for a Member of Parliament in both Winnipeg and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
After graduating from law school (at the University of Manitoba), she moved to Toronto to article at Davies, Ward, Phillips & Vineberg LLP. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could hold my own with University of Toronto graduates,” she says. “Despite it having the nickname ‘Slavies’, I loved the law firm I was working at. But I also wanted to get involved in the Toronto Jewish community and found that the community was not very welcoming. And I missed my family. So I made the decision to move home.
“Winnipeg is a wonderful place and people are a lot friendlier.”
Upon her return, Tenenbein wanted to focus her volunteer efforts in a manner that combined her interests of advocacy, politics and Judaism. She reached out to David Kroft in 2004. Upon his suggestion, she immediately became involved with the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg as a member of the JFW’s Public Affairs and Advocacy Committee (PAAC) and hasn’t looked back.
Professionally, she notes that she practiced law here at Tapper Cuddy LLP for less than two years. “Again, I loved my firm but I really did not like the business side of practicing law. I had also met my husband, Marshall, and he was in medical school. Between his studies and my schedule as a lawyer, we found it hard to make the time to build a relationship.”
When the opportunity to work at the University of Manitoba arose, she happily accepted the position as its government relations associate. After her first child, Jacob, was born, she chose to leave the workforce to become a full-time mom. But Tenenbein continued with her volunteer efforts. In fact, in addition to PAAC, she served a term as a member of the Federation’s Board of Directors in December 2011 shortly after her second son, Ethan, was born. In December 2018, she became co-chair of PAAC and a Federation executive committee member.
“When I was first asked to chair the committee (PAAC), I had a number of family commitments that prevented me from taking on the position,” she says. A year later when asked again, she agreed to come on, but initially in a co-chair fashion. “Laurelle Harris agreed to remain as co-chair with me. She was amazing.”
After a year, Harris stepped down, leaving Tenenbein in charge.
So what is PAAC’s mandate? “We reach out to media and elected officials at all levels of Canadian government regarding domestic and foreign-policy issues affecting Israel and the local Jewish community,” Tenenbein responds. “We are active Israeli advocates and fight antisemitism. We work to encourage people to become lay advocates in speaking for Israel and against antisemitism.
“We also provide community relations and outreach, working to build bridges with other ethnic minority and religious communities,” she adds, citing, for example, the Christian Zionist Bridges for Peace and the Indigenous communities.
In addition to her work with the PAAC, Tenenbein also served for three years as chair of PJ Library Winnipeg and recently ended a seven-year term as a member of the Women’s Endowment Committee at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba. She is currently a member of the Board of the Jewish National Fund of Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan division and is the Chair of the Winnipeg Chavurah Chapter of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee.
And she and Marshall are determined to inculcate in their sons the same strong sense of connection to the Jewish people that they feel. Jacob and Ethan are going into Grades 7 and 5 respectively at Gray Academy in September. This summer the boys are attending Rady Camp at the Rady JCC and Jacob is currently at BB Camp in Kenora.
“It is important to us that our sons are proud to be Jewish and feel connected to our community. We love that Gray Academy provides our children with a religious education while also teaching them to become strong advocates through its Israel education and debating programs. Unfortunately in today’s world, these skills will be important and necessary assets when our boys reach university where antisemitic culture is prevalent.” Tenenbein says.
As to visiting Israel, although she was one of the participants on the first Birthright trip to Israel in 2000, she regretfully has not yet been able to return.
“Going on Birthright was life-changing,” she says. “I would not have gotten on my return flight had it not been for my family here.”
She says that she is hoping one day to organize and go on a community-run Federation or JNF family mission. “We could go on our own,” she comments, “but we believe that a JNF or Federation tour would be more meaningful.
“Once it’s built, I would really like to see the Beit KKL-JNF Canada House (which is being partially funded by monies raised at the most recent JNF Gala honouring Dr. Ted Lyons).
“Canada House,” she explains, “will serve as an after-school education, empowerment, and enrichment centre for high school students from Sderot and its surroundings. The students will be provided with the necessary tools and skills for scholastic and personal success in an engaging learning hub and an inviting, yet fortified, “second home” atmosphere. It is a phenomenal project that might work in Winnipeg for at-risk youth, too.”
Features
The Torah on a Lost Dog: Hashavat Aveidah in a Modern Canadian City
A neighbour’s dog wanders into your yard on a Wednesday morning in May, dragging a leash and looking confused. You have a choice. You can close the door and assume someone else will deal with it, call the city, or take a photo, knock on a few doors, and try to find out where he belongs.
For most people in Winnipeg and elsewhere in Canada, that choice plays out in a flash of moral instinct rather than reflection. The hand reaches for the phone and the walk around the block begins. The neighbour, if it goes well, is at the door before lunch. The decision feels minor, but it matters more than it looks.
In Jewish tradition, the act of returning a lost animal sits at the centre of one of the oldest practical commandments in the Torah. Deuteronomy 22, near the end of Parashat Ki Teitzei, contains a passage that has become the foundation for an entire body of Jewish ethical law: “If you see your fellow’s ox or sheep going astray, you shall not hide yourself from them; you shall surely bring them back.” The verse goes on to extend this duty beyond animals to any lost property. “So shall you do with every lost thing of your brother’s which he has lost and you have found.” Then comes the line that has occupied rabbis for two thousand years: “You may not hide yourself.”
The Hebrew name for this mitzvah is hashavat aveidah, the returning of a lost thing. It is one of the more practical commandments in a tradition full of practical commandments, and the rabbinic literature surrounding it is unusually thick.
A small commandment with big implications
The reason hashavat aveidah occupies so much rabbinic attention is that, on closer reading, it sets a high ethical bar. The Talmud, particularly the second chapter of tractate Bava Metzia known as Eilu Metziot, devotes pages to questions a modern reader would immediately recognize. How long must you wait for the owner to claim the item? How hard do you have to look for them? What if the animal needs feeding while you search? What expenses can you recover, and what counts as fair? What if the item is too inconvenient to safely return?
The rabbis answer all of these. The answers are not always intuitive. The finder is obligated to feed and shelter the animal while looking for the owner. The animal must not be put to work for the finder’s profit. The owner, when found, repays reasonable costs but is not on the hook for unreasonable ones. If the search takes too long, there are procedures for what to do next, none of which involve quietly keeping what is not yours.
Underneath the legal detail is a moral assumption that is easy to miss in a hurried reading. The Torah does not say to return the animal if it is convenient. It explicitly forbids the act of hiding yourself, of pretending you did not see, of crossing to the other side of the street. The commandment is as much about the person who finds as it is about the animal that is lost.
What this looks like in 2026
Most people who encounter a stray dog in a Winnipeg neighbourhood today are not thinking about Bava Metzia. They are thinking about whether the dog is friendly, whether they should call the City, whether they have time. The instinct to help is usually present. The question is what to do with it.
The practical infrastructure for hashavat aveidah in this country has changed considerably in the last decade. A finder in Winnipeg in 2026 has access to a regional humane society, a network of local Facebook groups, neighbourhood newsletters, and a handful of national platforms that gather sightings and missing-pet alerts across more than 180 Canadian cities. The mechanism is straightforward. A clear photo and a location pin can reach the right owner within hours when the system works, which it usually does.
The most underused of these resources, in any community, is the simple act of posting a sighting. Many people who find a stray feel they need to first catch the animal, find it food, take it home, or in some way solve the problem in full. The rabbis would actually disagree with that framing, and so does modern pet-recovery practice. The first responsibility is to make the sighting visible. The owner is almost certainly already looking. The finder’s main job is to surface what they have seen.
For people in Winnipeg looking for a place to start, a practical guide for what to do when you find a stray walks through the basic steps. Take a clear photo, note the cross-streets and time, check for a tag, and post the sighting where local owners will see it. The work is small. The effect, on the owner who has been awake for two nights and then sees a photo of their dog with a phone number underneath, is much larger than the work itself.
The ethical centre of the commandment
There is a strain of Jewish thought that reads hashavat aveidah as a kind of training in noticing. The deeper commandment goes beyond returning what is lost. It asks the finder to be the kind of person who sees what is lost in the first place, who does not cross to the other side of the street, who does not pretend not to have noticed.
That reading lines up with another Jewish ethical concept that often gets paired with this one: tza’ar ba’alei chayim, the obligation to prevent unnecessary suffering to animals. The Talmud derives this principle from several places in the Torah, including the rest commanded for animals on Shabbat. The two principles overlap in the case of a lost pet. The animal is suffering. The owner is suffering. The finder is, briefly, the only person in the position to do anything about it.
In a small way, the entire Canadian volunteer ecosystem around lost pets, from neighbourhood Facebook groups to national platforms to the dog walker who recognizes a posted photo, is an example of this ethical structure in action. People do not necessarily think of it in those terms. The framework is there anyway, doing its quiet work.
A community-scale point
Winnipeg’s Jewish community has always understood itself as a network of responsibilities to others, the kind that get described as chesed when they are visible and assumed when they are not. The work of returning a lost animal sits comfortably in that frame. It is not heroic, does not make the bulletin, and is exactly the kind of small obligation that knits a community together when nobody is paying attention.
The dog in the yard on a Wednesday morning in May, leash trailing, is one version of the question Deuteronomy asks. The answer, then and now, is the same. Do not hide yourself.
Features
Basketball: How has Israel become one of the best basketball countries in Europe in the last few years?
When Israeli Deni Avdija became the first Israeli to be drafted as the highest Israeli draftee in NBA history in 2020 – then emerged as a key NBA wing in Portland, it was not so much the breakthrough it appeared to be, but a portent of things to come. Israeli basketball development has been decades in the making, and in recent years its clubs have made Europe take notice.
This is why Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and the national basketball team of Israel are now the subjects of serious discussion in European basketball. It is only natural that fans and bettors reading form, depth of the roster, and momentum would look at our Euroleague predictions and then evaluate how Israeli teams would fit into the continental picture.
A rich history: The Maccabi Tel Aviv mythos
The contemporary narrative dates back to before Avdija. Maccabi Tel Aviv won its maiden European Cup in 1977, beating Mobilgirgi Varese and providing a nation under pressure with a sporting icon. Tal Brody’s declaration: “We are on the map” became not just a quote, it became a declaration of Jewish confidence, Israeli strength and a basketball dream.
Maccabi turned out to be the team of the nation since it bore Israeli identity past the borders. Maccabi has been a cultural ambassador before globalization transformed elite lists into multinational conundrums. Its yellow jerseys were the symbol of excellence, rebellion, and identification for the Israeli people at home and Jewish communities abroad.
The six European championships for the club provided a benchmark that has influenced the Winner League and Israeli basketball. Children were not just spectators of Maccabi, they dreamed of Europe as something accessible. Coaches studied in the continental competition. Sponsors and broadcasters realized that basketball had the potential to be the most exportable Israel team sport.
The modern pillars of Israeli basketball’s success
The recent ascendancy of Israel is no magic. It is the result of history, astute recruiting, youth-building and pressure-tested league culture. The nation has made its size its strength: clubs find talent at a young age and enhance the potential with foreign professionals.
Nurturing homegrown talent: The Deni Avdija effect
The most obvious example is that of Avdija. He was a high-ranking contributor in the system of Maccabi Tel Aviv, was chosen as a teenager, and was picked number 9 by Washington in the 2020 NBA Draft. His career was a reminder that an Israeli prospect could be more than a local star; he could be a lottery pick with two-way NBA potential.
Israeli NBA player Omri Casspi had already opened that door, and Avdija opened it even further for the next generation. Their achievements captivated the expectations of youthful players in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Holon, Herzliya, etc. An Israeli teenager is now able to envision a path from youth leagues to the Winner League, the EuroLeague, and ultimately – NBA minutes.
It is that dream that has been followed by investment. Israeli clubs put more emphasis on skills training, strength training, and analytics, as well as international youth tournaments. The success of the national program in the face of the best of Europe has also helped.
A global approach: The role of international and naturalized stars
The other pillar of the Israeli basketball program is the openness of Israel to global talent. The Winner League has been an important destination, not a stopover, for American guards and forwards. Most come in with NCAA or G league experience and become leaders due to the fact that the league requires scoring, speed and tactical flexibility.
It is enriched with naturalized players and Jewish players, who are able to use the Law of Return to come to Israel to play. Inspired by legendary players like Tal Brody, current imports who can bond both professionally and personally with Israelis have provided teams with uncharacteristic diversity in their rosters. The outcome has been a mixture of Israeli competitiveness, American shot making, Balkan toughness, and European spacing.
Making waves in Europe: Israel’s modern Euroleague footprint
Even in challenging seasons, Maccabi Tel Aviv has remained the flagship team. Currently, Maccabi is out of a playoff spot in the EuroLeague, but Hapoel Tel Aviv has shot up in playoff discussion. That juxtaposition speaks volumes: Israel is no longer represented by one lone, iconic club. Its profile has expanded.
Nevertheless, it is true that the reputation of Maccabi in the EuroLeague does count. Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv is one of the most intimidating arenas for EuroLeague teams to play in: loud and emotional. Recent security and travel realities have affected the usual home-court advantage but the name of the club is still a potent brand.
It is the reason why there is an interesting betting discussion within Israeli teams. The name Maccabi still retains a historical impact, but analysts also need to quantify the present defensive performance, injuries, substitution of venues and guards, and fatigue in the schedule. The emergence of Hapoel has provided another Israeli point of reference and markets have to regard the nation as a multi-club force.
What’s next? The future of Israeli basketball on the world stage
Sustainability is the second test. The Israeli national basketball team desires more serious EuroBasket performances and a future world cup. It requires Avdija types – fit and powerful, more domestic big men, and guards capable of playing elite defense to get there.
The pipeline is an optimistic one. Israeli schools are more professional, teams are bolder with young talents, and the Winner League is a test ground where potential talents have to contend with older, tougher imports each week. Not all players will turn into an Avdija, yet additional players ought to be prepared to participate in EuroCup, EuroLeague, and even NBA games.
To the Jews in the Canadian diaspora, the impact is not only sporting, it is also emotional. Israeli basketball brings pride, drama and a common language to the continents. To the European fan, it provides tempo, creativity and unpredictability. To analysts, it provides a sign that a small nation, with memory, ambition and adaptation, can rise to become a true basketball power. Israel has ceased to be the unexpected guest on the table of Europe. It is a part of it, season after season.
Features
In recent years, we have been looking for something more than a house in Israel – we have been looking for a home
For many Jewish families in the diaspora, Israel has always been more than a destination. It is the land of tefillah, memory, family history and belonging. But in recent years, many families have begun asking a practical question too: should Israel also become a place where we have a home?
Not necessarily immediate aliyah. Sometimes it begins with a future option, something good to have just in case, or simply roots with a stronger connection to Eretz Yisroel.
But what does it mean?
A Jewish home is shaped not only by what is inside the front door, but by what surrounds it: neighbours, synagogues, schools, parks, local services, safe streets and the rhythm of Jewish life. For observant families, these are not small details. They are the things that turn a house into a place of belonging.
This is not a new idea. It is a need that has helped shape Jewish communities in Israel before. The Savyonim idea is rooted in the story of Savyon, the Israeli community established in the 1950s by South African Jews who wanted to create a green, safe and community-minded environment in Israel. It was a diaspora dream translated into life in the Jewish homeland.
That idea feels relevant again today. Many Jewish families abroad are now making plans around where they can feel connected in the years ahead.
Recent figures point in the same direction. Reports based on Israel’s Ministry of Finance data showed that foreign residents bought around 1,900 homes in Israel in 2024, about 50% more than the previous year, with Jerusalem emerging as the most popular place to buy. In January 2026, foreign residents still purchased 146 homes, broadly similar to January 2025, even as the wider housing market remained cautious.
For Lior David, International Sales & Marketing Manager at Africa Israel Residences, part of the continued interest may lie in the fact that today’s residential projects are increasingly built around the wider needs of Jewish families abroad: not only buying a property in Israel, but finding a setting that can support community, continuity and everyday Jewish life. That idea is reflected in Savyonim, the company’s residential concept, which places the surrounding environment at the heart of choosing a home.
This can be seen in Savyoney Givat Shmuel, where the surrounding environment includes synagogues, parks, educational institutions, local commerce, playgrounds and transport links, and in Savyoney Ramat Sharet in Jerusalem, located in one of the city’s established green neighbourhoods.
For families abroad, these things matter. Jerusalem and Givat Shmuel are never just another location. They are home to strong Jewish communities, established religious life and surroundings that allow a family to imagine not only buying property, but building a Jewish home in Israel.
Together, these projects reflect a broader understanding: that for many Jews in the diaspora, the decision to create a home in Israel is not only practical, but rooted in identity, continuity and community. The Savyonim story began with a Zionist community from abroad that succeeded in building a real home in Israel; today, that same vision continues in a contemporary form.