Blog from Israel - with regular updates
Bruce Brown. A Canadian. And an Israeli. Made Aliyah a long time ago. He is (still) happily married to a beautiful sabra and they have two grown kids. Bruce works in Israel’s hi tech sector by day and, in spurts, is a somewhat inspired writer by night. He is the winner of 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.
Entry # 4 - posted 11:00 am CDT Sat., May 15
Don’t Answer That Call
My wife received a call on her cell the other day. Caller ID’d it as ‘Suspected Hamas Affiliate’. Now how does that work? Who is screening these calls? And whatever happened to privacy?
Musings from the Comfort of My Livingroom
Editor's Introduction: You can find up to date news about what's happening in Israel on any number of news sites, but when it comes to reading first hand what Israelis are going through, this website is open to any Israeli who has a Winnipeg connection and would like readers to read their impressions of the terrible events happening there. We received an entry from Adina Horwich (who is a 3rd cousin of mine) on Friday, May 14, followed up by another entry Sunday, May 16.
By ADINA HORWICH Sunday, 16/6/21 2 p.m. Jerusalem time
Another week, another day has dawned. A peaceful, relaxing Shabbat spent with family in a community 25 minutes outside Jerusalem, provided a welcome respite from everything going on around us. You'd never know the struggle continued all throughout Shabbat, elsewhere. What a relief to shut off all devices, just breathe, spend quality family time together.
Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate basketball teams from the 1980s to be inducted into Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame
We received the following release from The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame: The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its Class of 2021.
In the team category four Raiders teams from JWC in the 1980s are to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Those varsity boys’ teams were 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86 & 1988-89, MHSAA Provincial ‘A’ Champions.
Rabbi Matthew Leibl leaving Shaarey Zedek
By BERNIE BELLAN In what must have come as a shock, not only for members of Shaarey Zedek Congregation, but for most of Winnipeg’s Jewish community as well, Gary Hyman, President of Shaarey Zedek Congre-gation, announced on April 27 that Rabbi Matthew Leibl will not be renewing his contract when it expires at the end of June this year.
Camp Massad and BB Camp adjust – again – to Covid restrictions
By BERNIE BELLAN After a summer in 2020 that saw our two Jewish sleepover camps have to cancel all overnight stays for campers, this summer, our community’s camps are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
While some children may be unable to attend camp with their friends – which undoubtedly comes as a huge disappointment once again, this year both camps had prepared contingency plans quite some ago in anticipation of the possibility of not being allowed to have regular overnight camps.
Norman Stein – a teacher in the Jewish school system for over 14 years, whose varied interests in music, art, films, and Jewish learning made him a true “Renaissance man”
By BERNIE BELLAN For hundreds of Winnipeg Jews – both current and former, the name Norman Stein conjures up a multitude of memories.
For many of us, “Mr. Stein” was a teacher in the Jewish day school system during the 1950s and 60s who not only taught Hebrew subjects, he was also truly a Renaissance man with an extraordinarily broad knowledge of literature, art, films, and music.
Eira Shoichet demystifying body care
By REBECA KUROPATWA Ukraine-born, Israeli-raised Eira Shoichet is working to shed light on body care products, and help explain that mainstream body care products may not be good, either for their users or the environment.
New coffee table book takes a delightful look at Winnipeg’s rich repository of mural art
By BERNIE BELLAN Back in the fall – when our brief dalliance with the relatively loose Covid restrictions that had been in place over the summer started to come to an end, Kayla Gordon found herself with time on her hands.
Now, for anyone who knows Kayla, she’s constantly buzzing with ideas – whether it’s to create a new theatre project or, as has been more recently the case, to take her camera out somewhere and start taking photos.
The Little Synagogue in Me: How one of the last surviving prairie synagogues found a home at Calgary’s Heritage Park
By IRENA KARSHENBAUM Looking back, I can’t believe it’s been 12 years since The Little Synagogue came to Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village, the largest living history museum in Canada. It feels like another life.
I remember lying in bed at night, dreaming about this project, how I was going to put a synagogue in Heritage Park. Everything seemed so far into the future.
What We’re Getting, What We’ve Lost: Ben-Gvir, Friedman and Democracy
By JAMIE MICHAELS Ed. note: This article was sent to us before the latest round of coalition-forming attempts. In the pulsating balagan that is Israeli democracy, it can be difficult to pay attention to small details. At the time of writing, King Netanyahu—Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister—is attempting to cobble together an unstable coalition government. If he is able to do so his success will likely be short-lived.
Winnipeg-born mom Morgan VanDam (née Micay) writes best selling Etsy book: a heart-warming story documenting the highs and lows of being born in a pandemic
We received the following email from Morgan VanDam: My name is Morgan Van Dam (formerly Micay), I’m living in Calgary, AB but am originally from Winnipeg, MB. I wrote and illustrated “Pandemic Baby” as a fun momento for my son but quickly realized that my sister and many friends are going through the same motions of being a new parent in a pandemic. Like me, they are looking for a moment of levity in an otherwise difficult time.
More than seven acts of antisemitism a day in Canada in 2020, new B’nai Brith Audit says
The following is taken from B’nai Brith Canada’s most recent audit of antisemitic incidents in Canada, which was released April 26:
On average, more than seven antisemitic incidents occurred per day in Canada in 2020.
This is one of several disturbing facts revealed in the 2020 Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, released today. The Audit is produced by B’nai Brith Canada’s advocacy arm, the League for Human Rights.
Melanie Martin (née Schachter) blazes trail for women in science
By MYRON LOVE In 1993, then University of Manitoba physics student Melanie Schachter had the honour of being one of just two Canadian students chosen by an organization called the Youth Science Foundation to represent our country at the Nobel Prize ceremonies and the 18th annual Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar that year.
Harvey Chochinov inducted into Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
In an online induction ceremony held April 29, Dr. Harvey Chochinov was one of six new inductees into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
Following is information taken from the CMHF website: "Six Canadian medical heroes are inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame each year. Their work may be a single outstanding contribution or a lifetime of meritorious achievement. Pioneers in their field, they are role models of excellence in the health field, in Canada and around the world."
Aleeza Gerstein, Zach Raizman among recipients of Manitoba Medical Service Foundation research grants
By MYRON LOVE In the (Saturday) April 17 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press, the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF) took out a half page ad to highlight the organization’s 2021 grant recipients. Among the 12 researchers approved for grants this year were two members of our Jewish community – Drs. Aleeza Gerstein and Zach Raizman.