Obituaries
HENNY PARITZKY (nee WOLF)
Unexpectedly, our mother, Henny Paritzky, passed away on August 25, 2021, at the age of 94. She was predeceased by her devoted husband Abraham and her sister Branka and is survived by her three children, Ron (Esther), Gilead, and Rachel (Blair), and her seven grandchildren.
Born in Poland in 1927, Henny and her family moved to Holland several years later for a better life. Little did she know that her happy childhood with her younger sister Branka would end with the war, the invasion of Holland, the imposition of restrictions, and eventually the deportation of the Jewish population to concentration camps.
Henny, Branka, and their loving parents survived the war through the kindness of strangers, incredible luck and quick-wittedness, and her father’s planning. They never made it to Switzerland as planned, but were able to remain in France by masquerading as Protestants. Almost all of her relatives were not so lucky and perished.
The lessons of the war were not lost on our mother, who chose to focus on the acts of those who helped her family survive. This is what informed her post-war life. She learned how to smile again and almost every picture of her includes her beautiful smile.
Several years after the war, Henny went to study at Hebrew University in the newly established state of Israel. There she met the love of her life, Abraham, a university student (and dashing reservist). They married in 1951 and after several years in Israel, where their son Ron was born, Henny and Abraham moved to Winnipeg where both were beloved Hebrew and Judaic studies educators and active members of the Jewish community. In Winnipeg, their family grew with the arrival of their son Gilead and daughter Rachel.
Henny had a long and very meaningful career in Jewish education as a teacher and then as a principal. Teaching was her passion and it showed. Her secret? A genuine interest in each and every student, many of whom remained in touch with her decades later.
Our mother had many other passions and interests in her life. She spoke six, or was it seven, languages fluently, and when she and her sister spoke, they flitted from language to language without stopping to take a breath, other than to puff on their cigarettes. After retirement, she even occasionally worked as an interpreter.
Henny was a voracious reader and typically had a half dozen on the go at a time. She was a facilitator for reading groups and told us she recently received a small honorarium from one such group and that being capable of receiving it in her 90s meant more than her salary as a principal.
She often spoke publicly about her experiences in the war including on panels and at various schools. She believed it was her obligation as a survivor to teach young people about the lessons to be learned from her experiences.
She had a marvellous, self-deprecating sense of humour. Last year as she was struggling with her walker, she started laughing out loud and said “Oh my, I’m walking like…walking like…an old woman”. She especially enjoyed laughing at the results of her cooking and, brilliant woman that she was, never even tried to bake after her first few mishaps. A loving mother, mother-in-law, Oma, and friend, she is forever in our hearts and will be deeply missed.
The family has been overwhelmed by the expressions of sympathy from friends and the community at large, many of which came from former students who treasured their memories of Henny as a very special teacher.
Donations in memory of Henny may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
Obituaries
Lorraine Norma Reiner (nee Reich)
It is with deep sorrow that the family of Lorraine Reiner announces the passing of our mother and baba after a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her children, Marlaina (Hillel) and Susan (Wil), her grandchildren, Sarah (Justin), Jordana (Blake), and Micah, and her great grandson, Elias. She was predeceased by her parents Rose and Sam, her husband Barry, her brother Max, her son Sam, and her granddaughters June and Beth.
Lorraine, at her core, was a loving caregiver. Lor-raine‘s father died when she was only eight years old. She grew up helping her mother with household and family chores after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She cared for her mother-in-law, husband, and cousin during their battles with ill-nesses and final stages of life.
We remember Lorraine as a woman whose love for her family knew no limits. She adored her children and grandchildren and formed special bonds with each of them. Her family was everything to her, and she meant the world to her family. She stepped into the role of Baba Lorraine with open arms and an enormous heart; there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children and grandchildren. Lorraine was surrounded by her family during her final stage of life.
Cooking was an important part of Lorraine’s identi-ty. She was most famous for her chicken soup and S-cookies and she loved to spread joy and comfort through sharing her cooking with others. She always had a freezer stocked with homemade meals and anytime a family member felt unwell, she was at the ready with a batch of “Jewish penicillin”.
Lorraine had a diverse and eclectic resume that in-cluded office work for all three Jewish Newspapers, including The Jewish Post, The Western Jewish News, and The Yiddeshe Vort. Later she worked as office staff at Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate and As-troid Management. Her final job was an 11-year tenure as a clerk for the City of Winnipeg’s Assess-ment Department.
Lorraine loved sharing stories with everyone and had a special way of getting lost in a story. Any-one who had the pleasure of listening to one of Lor-raine’s stories knows how her mood instantly lit up when she had the opportunity to share. Her stories, alongside her recipes, will live on through her loved ones.
The funeral was held at the Chesed Shel Emes on Tuesday March 26, followed by a burial service at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Blake Nichols, Justin Odwak, Cal & Asher Reich, Brian Rosenberg, Wil Scheiring, Sean Smith, and Micah Sommer. Honorary pallbearers were Mickey Rosenberg & Alan Schweid.
The family wishes to thank the numerous health-care staff who participated in Lorraine’s care over the past couple of months, especially the wonderful staff at the Health Sciences Centre H3 surgical unit, Drs. Bubis, Goldenberg, Lipschitz, Shell, and Visser.
Obituaries
EDWARD PERRY REISS April 30, 1935 – February 20, 2024
Ed was born in Poland in 1935 and fled to Canada in 1939 with his parents Raizel and Ira and older brothers Harry and Sam. The family settled in Edenbridge, SK where they farmed and where sister Ida was born.
In high school, the family moved to Winnipeg where Ed attended St. John’s before attending the University of Manitoba and finishing at the University of Western Ontario.
In 1968, Ed met his wife Barbara playing badminton at the YMHA. They were married three months later and left for New York where Ed trained as a stockbroker on Wall Street. Returning to Winnipeg, Ed worked as a broker for years before joining Barbara in what became the family business, Desserts Plus. They worked together for close to 40 years.
In 1971 daughter Lisa was born followed by Pam in 1974. Ed loved spending time with his family at their cottage near Kenora or on many road trips around North America and trips around the world. We were blessed and fortunate to be able to enjoy our time together.
Ed is survived by his wife of 55 years, Barbara; daughter Pam and his buddy Farfel, as well as his brother Sam, sister Ida Alpern and in-laws, Len and Lynne Shapiro, Honey Kowall, and nephews and nieces.
Ed was predeceased by his dear daughter Lisa, parents, Raizel and Ira, in-laws, Irene and Joe Shapiro, brother Harry, sisters-in-law, Vicky and Bayla, brothers-in-law, Saul Alpern and David Shapiro.
The family thanks the wonderful staff at the Simkin Centre who were very supportive and caring during his time there. And our deep thanks to Cantor Tracy Kasner for performing the burial ceremony with kindness and sensitivity.
Ed was a man of integrity, intelligence, honesty, wit, and above all else, he loved his girls.
Obituaries
PHILIP KAHANOVITCH
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Philip Kahanovitch in Winnipeg, MB on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Philip will be remembered by his dear son Joshua; brother David; niece and nephews, Deborah, Aaron and Jonathan. Philip was predeceased by his loving wife Susan, parents, Moses and Esther, brother Gerry, and sister-in-law Risa.
Philip was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Philip loved travelling on cruises and throughout both North America and Europe. Philip will be remembered for his career as a teacher in both Altona, Neepawa, and Winnipeg, and for his long standing practice as a professional accountant. Philip adored dogs, particularly terriers, and owned several furry companions over the years, including his beloved Hamish.
Following a service, Philip was interred at Rosh Pina Cemetery. If loved ones desire, a memorial donation can be made to a charity of their choice.
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