Did you know Michael Bolton is Jewish, born Michael Bolotin? Starting December 16, Bolton will be headlining at the brand new entertainment centre at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls.
By BERNIE BELLAN In 2018 Yana Ustinski immigrated to Canada from Israel with her husband Leo and her two children, Leenes (pronounced Lee-Nes) and Adam, who were seven and five respectively at the time. Like many another immigrant to Canada, Yana had hoped to be able to find work in her chosen profession, which was as a pharmacist. (Leo was a production planner in Israel and he was able to find work in his field upon the family’s move to Winnipeg.)
By HOLLY HARRIS Laughter and tears will flow when the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre (SOPAC) honours the late Jerry Maslowsky (zt”l), a prominent local business executive, supremely gifted entertainer, devoted family man, and all-around mensch, as the inaugural inductee for its newly minted “The Jerry Maslowsky Hall of Fame,” bearing the beloved Winnipegger’s name in perpetuity.
By BERNIE BELLAN The Combined Jewish Appeal of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg launched its 2022-23 campaign before a small audience at the Berney Theatre on Tuesday evening, September 20. Welcoming remarks were given by Federation president Gustavo Zentner. Following his remarks, Zentner crossed the stage of the Berney Theatre where he introduced Ukrainian-born (and former resident of Israel) artist Eugene Kabrun. Together the two men unveiled a painting depicting the suffering ongoing in Ukraine and which will be on display at the campus.
By BERNIE BELLAN On Wednesday, September 14, past and present participants, family members of participants, and support workers (both past and present) who have been involved with the G.R.O.W. program gathered at 91 Willow (which is one of two homes donated by the Lazareck family for the program, the other being the home next door at 93 Willow) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the G.R.O.W. in Gimli program.
By BERNIE BELLAN When I first received an email from a publicist by the name of June Lorraine Roberts about a new book, I became immediately aware of the similarities between what June had written in her email and what happened to former Winnipegger Adam Anhang when he was murdered in Puerto Rico in 2005. I told June that I didn’t have time to read the actual book at this time, but I would want to let readers know about it.
By BERNIE BELLAN It’s been a while since I’ve been able to report on Gray Academy without having to focus on how Covid had so drastically affected the lives of both students and teachers there. While every other school in the province was similarly affected, Gray Academy offers so many unique programs – almost all of which had to be put on hold for the past two and a half years, that when I spoke with Head of School Lori Binder on Tuesday, September 20, hearing of everything that had been going on there in just the short 11 days that the school had been open when we talked was somewhat overwhelming.
Playing online casinos seems simple, but new players can be at a loss for the first time. Of course, everyone wants to win lots of money — and it is possible. But players should know certain rules and advice before making the first bets.
By BERNIE BELLAN Friends of Israel is a Christian non-evangelical organization dedicated to providing support for the State of Israel. Founded in 1938 by a group of concerned Christians in Philadelphia who had just witnessed the Nazi savagery of Kristallnacht, FOI actually predated the founding of the State of Israel by 10 years.
By MYRON LOVE When The Jewish Post & News last touched base with Liam Karp, he had recently returned from a trip to Jordan where he was part of a film crew – he was assistant director - filming the Canadian-made feature, “Hyena Road”, a fictionalized account of the Canadian military experience in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
As the original environmental organization through planting trees for the last century it seemed only natural for JNF to join forces with the friends of the Harte Trail and the city of Winnipeg’s 1,000,000 tree challenge and lend our support and muscle. On Sunday September 18, more than 60 people from both the Jewish and general communities joined forces to plant 75 new trees, generously provided by JNF, along the Harte Trail in Charleswood.
By BERNIE BELLAN While the news that Etz Chayim Congregation was putting their synagogue building up for sale would not have come as a total shock to actual members of the congregation (who had been kept informed by their board of plans to do that), it certainly took thousands of other members and former members of our Jewish community by surprise.
By IRENA KARSHENBAUM While out walking recently, I came across a copy of “Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole in one of those free little libraries. Now the book doesn’t fit into my criteria of rare, lost or out-of-print works that I am usually on the hunt for, but knowing that this is one of the great American classics of the 20th century, which I had not yet read, I started reading it on the spot while thinking, can people see me from their front windows and think I’m like rummaging through their garbage?
The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba is seeking a new Financial Administrator. Click on Read More to see full details and click on the ad to be taken to the Jewish Foundation website.
Posted Sept. 16, 2022 By MYRON LOVE It would seem that it is finally happening. After “at least a decade” - in the words of Congregation Etz Chayim board member and spokesperson Avrom Charach – of talking about it and considering different options, north Winnipeg’s largest synagogue has taken a concrete step forward in relocating to the south end.
The “for sale” sign outside the 70-year-old building went up last weekend.
By MYRON LOVE There was a time – at least within the lifetime of older readers – when there seemed to be a kosher butcher on every corner in the old North End. An exaggeration, maybe, but in the 1930s, there were enough kosher butchers in Winnipeg to form their own shul.
The last kosher butcher in Winnipeg – that would be Omnitsky’s – closed in 2008 and, at about the same time, fresh kosher slaughter also came to end in our region.
While the skies were closed for the first waves of the pandemic, with many organizations canceling their Israel trips, Masa Israel Journey saw an increase of almost 40% of North American students and young professionals traveling to Israel to partake in immersive four-to-10-month programs.
Since its establishment in 2004 by the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel, Masa has served more than 180,000 Jewish students and young professionals ages 16 to 35, from more than 60 countries.
By MYRON LOVE On June 15, the Recreation Men’s Bowling League held its annual wind-up banquet at the Glendale Golf & Country Club. As per usual, the wind-up is the venue for handing out the awards for the year just past.Once again, for the tenth year in a row, Terry Robinson won the W. Harry Zimmerman Memorial Trophy for Highest Average, a feat that the largely Jewish Recreation Men’s Bowling League’s current secretary has achieved for 16 of the past 20 years.
By GERRY POSNER Cohen, Shell, Margolis, Diamond, Coodin, Slayen, Bloomfield, Simkin and many more family names all were in attendance on Thursday, August 18, 2022 at the Etz Chaim Synagogue for the second Bar Mitzvah of Jerry Cohen. In truth, the Bar Mitzvah was to have taken place last year in Cohen’s 83rd year, but Covid interfered with the event at that time so the simcha was postponed a year. But even with a year’s delay, the joy of the moment was everywhere, Covid or not. What was present was happily, not Covid, but Kavod.
By MYRON LOVE For B’nai Brith Camp co-executive directors Jacob Brodovsky and his wife, Lexie Yurman, and their staff, it has been a satisfying summer at the Lake of the Woods campsite.
“We are happy to be able to report that we had full registration this year,” says Brodovsky whose relationship with BB Camp as camper, counsellor and executive director (since January 1, 2021) goes back 20 years. “Our numbers were back to 2017 and 2018 levels.”
By BERNIE BELLAN I’m not much for reading autobiographies; I prefer to read someone else’s account of a person’s life because I figure you’re much more likely to find out what someone’s life was truly like when it was written by someone else - warts and all.
However, when I was asked whether I might like to receive an advance copy of the memoir of Rosalie Sharp whose name, to be honest, was unfamiliar to me - but who, I was informed, was the wife of Four Seasons Hotel founder Isadore Sharp - I thought: Sure, it’s always interesting to read of the lives of the rich and famous – and when they’re Jewish and Canadian to boot, let’s go for it.
Introduction: The following story is an excerpt from a longer story in Zev Cohen’s new novel titled “Are You Still Alive?”
As Zev wrote to us recently, “this is Chapter One of my novel, "Are You Still Alive?" It is partially based on events recounted to me by my late father Moshe. The story, beyond being one of the countless tales of Jewish survival against all odds during the Holocaust, is also an allegory for the indomitable human spirit intertwined with Rabbi Akiva's maxim ‘V’havta l’raecha kamocha’. I hope to have the complete novel published soon.
Zev’s writing has appeared several times in the past in this paper. His collection of short stories, titled “Twilight in Saigon,” was published in 2021.
Born in Israel, Zev lived in Winnipeg until he was 17, when he returned to Israel with his parents. He now spends half the year in Israel and half the year in Calgary, where his two sons live.
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 Champions. Click here to watch a short video about those teams and the induction ceremony: JWC Raiders
American sports are some of the biggest and best-loved on the planet. And while the sports are huge, it’s often the players who generate the interest and passion from fans. At present, and over the years, there have been some megastars gracing the scene, and many of them have gone on to become global icons.
By BERNIE BELLAN It was in May of this year when I read an article in the Winnipeg Free Press by business reporter Martin Cash which told of a new venture that was going to provide an entirely new way for people who needed to see a doctor for urgent care. The venture was known as QDoc and it was the brainchild of two members of our local Jewish community: Dave Berkowits and Dr. Norm Silver.
By BERNIE BELLAN We were recently contacted by Allan Novak, who is the son of Anne Novak. Anne is one of four Fink siblings – the others being sisters Sally Singer and Ruth Zimmer, while their lone brother is Sol Fink.
Elsewhere on this website (Aron Katz story) you can read a lengthy story about the tragic death of 21-year-old Aron Katz, who died heroically while saving his own sister from drowning one summer day in 1973 in the Big Whiteshell.
On August 16, seven of Aron’s former classmates from the 1969 graduating class from St. John’s - along with others who had or now have a connection to the school, gathered to unveil a plaque dedicated to Aron’s memory. Click on "Read More" to read the wording on the plaque:
On Sunday, August 14th, B’nai Brith Canada in Winnipeg held its 14th annual “Afternoon with the Winnipeg Goldeyes” event, bringing out the city’s most vulnerable to spend a fun day at the ball park.
Since 2008, B’nai Brith has played host to the event, providing a valuable service to the community by inviting clients of Winnipeg’s service agencies to come out to the Goldeyes ball park.
Approximately 60 individuals, including Holocaust survivors, family members, and friends turned out Thursday, August 19, at the Gwen Secter Centre for a luncheon that was sponsored by Saul and Ida Alpern. Prior to the luncheon Saul and Ida unveiled the new name of the Gwen Secter Auditorium, now to be known as the Isaac and Rosa Alpern Auditorium - in honour of Saul’s parents, who perished during the Holocaust (along with a sister and brother). Following the lunch, guests were entertained by violinist Sonia Lazar of the WSO.
Ultimate is a sport that has become extremely popular among both young men and women in recent years. We’ve written before about the accomplishments of the Binun brothers, Gil and Oren, who have both been playing competively for years. As well, 2019 Jewish Athlete of the Year Sarah Jacobsohn has continued playing for Canada’s national Ultimate team.