Regards from Israel – a regular blog from Israel
Bruce Brown. A Canadian. And an Israeli. Made Aliyah a long time ago. Happily married to a beautiful sabra and with two grown kids. Bruce works in Israel’s high tech sector by day and, in spurts, is a somewhat inspired writer by night. He won the 2019 American Jewish Press Association Simon Rockower Award for excellence in writing. Bruce is now blogging for The Jewish Post & News; his beat….reflections on life in Israel. For comments on his blog, Bruce can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Blog 20 The Villa (Posted Oct. 19)
Kudos to my brother. He and thirty other cycling enthusiasts are in Israel with the Beit Halochem (House of Warriors) for their annual Courage in Motion cycleathon.
Conservative, Reform synagogues see continued expansion in number of online Yom Tov viewers
By MYRON LOVE In a full page ad on the back page of the August 4 issue of The Jewish Post & News, Shaarey Zedek Congregation let it be known that there would not be any in-person high holyday services come September, but all members of the community would be welcome to participate online.
New Shaarey Zedek Torah reader Tali Millo happy to be “home”
By MYRON LOVE In looking for a change in career, Tali Millo, didn’t have to look far. She literally just had to move next door.
The newest member of the staff of Congregation Shaarey Zedek was, until just six weeks ago, the operations manager and general manager for 529 Wellington Steakhouse, one of Winnipeg’s leading restaurants.
When do anit-vax social media posts cross over into antisemitism
By BERNIE BELLAN To what extent do many individuals who are adamantly anti-vax also share antisemitic beliefs? That is a question that has become of increasing concern, not just to members of the Jewish community, but to many thoughtful individuals who are alarmed by the tendency of many anti-vaxxers to use slogans that would either identify them as overtly antisemitic or, as is often the case, quick to use references to the Holocaust so as to gain sympathy for their usually totally erroneous arguments against vaccinations and mask mandates.
Canada’s Oldest Siblings: Three Bodies, One Heart, and a Set of Lungs
By CAROL SEVITT (This article first appeared in The Globe & Mail. Reprinted with permission.) My mother and her siblings, all Holocaust survivors, might just be the oldest siblings in Canada. Amazingly, they have spent nearly all their lives together.
Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada Florence and Norman Vickar Archival Endowment Fund aims to better preserve community’s historic records
By MYRON LOVE It is of utmost importance to know the past in order to understand your place in the grand scheme of things. From time immemorial, people the world over have venerated their past. Even in pre-literate societies, the stories and legends have been recounted orally from generation to generation.
In Judaism, we also continue to tell the stories and legends of our origins, our people, through the weekly readings of the Torah and the study of our sages through the centuries.
Nine Jewish (or half-Jewish) Members elected to House of Commons in Sept. 20 federal election
By BERNIE BELLAN The recent federal election saw the re-election of all eight Members of Parliament who were at least half Jewish and the addition of one new member, Melissa Lantsman, who won the seat of Thornhill for the Conservatives. Among the MPs who won re-election were: Jim Carr (Liberal) in Winnipeg South Centre and Marty Morantz (Conservative) in Headingley-St.James-Assiniboia-Charleswood.
Gray Academy’s mandatory vaccination policy for high school students receives overwhelmingly positive response from parents
By BERNIE BELLAN In our September 1 issue we reported that Gray Academy had become the first school in Manitoba that would be requiring all high school students age 12 and up to be vaccinated in order to attend school this year.
B’nai Brith Canada announces winners of “Diverse Minds” writing contest
We received the following communication from Adriana Glikman, National Program Coordinator of B’nai Brith Canada:
We had a wonderful evening, September 15, celebrating all the finalists in Manitoba who created beautiful books for our “Diverse Minds” creative writing contest.
As you know, “Diverse Minds” is a creative writing contest designed to promote the vital values of diversity and inclusion in Canada through storytelling and illustration.
Former Liberal candidate Lesley Hughes pens her version of what happened to her in 2008 when she was accused of being an antisemite
By BERNIE BELLAN How many times are we going to revisit a story that has already received more than ample coverage within the pages of this newspaper – especially a story which one might have thought had been put to rest long ago?
Accolades continue to mount for longest serving University of Manitoba prof
By MYRON LOVE In a career filled with accomplishments and awards matched by few in terms of longevity, the accolades keep coming in for Michael Eskin, the longest-serving member of the University of Manitoba`s Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences (where he has also served as Department Chair and Associate Dean).
New book tells story of incredible courage shown by two Dutch Jewish sisters during World War II
Reviewed by BERNIE BELLAN In early August we received an email from a publicist for HarperCollins by the name of Rebecca Silver, who’s sent us interesting books to consider reviewing in the past.
Here’s how Rebecca’s email read:
David Genser: Art is both a love of his as well as a business for him
By GERRY POSNER I am betting that many readers will remember the big furniture store on Portage Avenue - Genser’s. That store and indeed there was more than one of them at certain times, was well known in the Winnipeg for several decades.
Coin dealers Rochelle and Ian Laing giving back to community through family foundation
By MYRON LOVE When Rochelle Klasser first met Ian Laing in the early 1970s, she had just begun her career as a registered nurse and he was buying and selling coins to help pay for his university education. In 1975, after graduation, Ian turned his sideline into a fulltime business and, after a few years nursing, he was joined in business by his bride, Rochelle.
The Top 3 Most Popular Apps in Israel
A common question that the vast majority of people ask themselves at one time or another is: “What are the most popular apps in my area?”
Of course, this is a common question for a reason. By knowing what the most popular apps are wherever you may be situated, you will be able to keep up with trends, as well as minimize the risk that you may be missing out.
Click on “read more” and read what the three most popular apps are in Israel right now, as well as a brief description of them all to help you figure out whether you want to give them a shot.