(Ed. note: Limmud will be offered online this year, beginning March 7. As is our custom, we will be presenting previews of various Limmud speakers, beginning with this piece. Check this website for more previews in the weeks to come.)
By MARTIN ZEILIG
An 1873 epidemic claimed the lives of 2,000 residents in Memphis, Tennessee, “a number which constituted at the time the most yellow fever victims in an inland city” according to Wikipedia.
Jonathan Sarna calls that epidemic a very Jewish story.
We received two interesting emails from readers Lou Billinkoff and Martin Buchwald that harken back to a much earlier time in the existence of the Winnipeg Jewish community: the 1930s. Click on "read more" to see those emails - and some fascinating pictures that are over 85 years old.
By BERNIE BELLAN
For the first time ever, B’nai Brith Camp on Town Island in Lake of the Woods will be under the direction of a husband and wife team: Jacob Brodovsky and Lexie Yurman. The decision announcing their hiring was made in the fall. As of January 1st, Jacob and Lexie succeeded Jerrod Henoch, who was executive director for two years following the retirement of Brenda Tessler-Donen. (Unfortunately, this past summer, as was the case with sleepover camps everywhere, there was no camp.)
Submitted by Gray Academy
The Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education (WBJE) is thrilled to announce an exciting new addition to Gray Academy of Jewish Education this winter, one that will bring tremendous benefits to students and the entire community. With the generous support of donors, we have recently unveiled a brand-new outdoor ice-skating rink.
By BERNIE BELLAN
The problem with writing about Covid is that the situation is so fluid that a report one day can quickly be superceded by a contradictory report the next day. What follows is a report we published in the Feb. 3 issue of The Jewish Post & News, with an addendum taken from the Simkin Centre website that somewhat contradicts what we reported in the print newspaper. We also want to apologize for a mistake we made in identifying a Simkin Centre resident wrongly.
Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (WJT) presents Mark St. Germain's Becoming Dr. Ruth from February 8 to 14. With a twist. The show will be streamed. Featuring Mariam Bernstein in her Evie award-winning performance, a holocaust survivor becomes a legendary sex therapist in this warm and funny play. Watch a clip from the play here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9rqDuI_L6Y&feature=youtu.be
This transformative gift will name Asper HUJI Innovate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Canadian Friends of Hebrew University are pleased to announce a transformative gift of five million dollars ($5M) from The Asper Foundation that will be used to name Asper HUJI Innovate, a multi-disciplinary center dedicated to assisting students, faculty and alumni develop their innovation and entrepreneurial skills at the Hebrew University.
A virtual lecture series where leading Jewish thinkers share their stories and messages of inspiration with our community. Live webinars take place every second Wednesday at 7:30 pm, followed by Q&A. To join, please register at JLI.ChabadWinnipeg.org or call Chabad at 204-339-8737. There is no cost to join but donations are welcome.
By BERNIE BELLAN
It was 50 years ago this month that the life of a young woman who was loved by all who knew her was cut tragically short as the result of a totally unforeseeable incident.
I didn’t know Rebecca Victor (who was commonly known as Rebbie), although it turns out we weren’t far apart in age.
By MYRON LOVE
These are trying times that we are living through. And certainly, our communal religious institutions – having been prevented from convening services for these past few months – have faced their share of challenges. But, as rabbis and synagogue spokespeople have pointed out in a series of interviews, there have also been new opportunities that have presented themselves that may never have occurred without the challenges.
By BERNIE BELLAN
In late November we reported that the Winnipeg branch of the Canadian Associates of Ben Gurion University had made a major transition in its local leadership when longtime Winnipeg chair Sheldon Zamick handed over responsibilities to two thirty-something members of our community: Diandra Etkin and Aaron Migie.
