Category National

Examining the cosmos

photo - Prof. Victoria Kaspi, winner of the 2016 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering

Prof. Victoria Kaspi, winner of the 2016 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. (photo from McGill University) McGill University Prof. Victoria Kaspi – the first woman to win the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and…

Creating tech and jobs

photo - Governor General of Canada David Johnston, left, with Chief Scientist of the State of Israel Avi Hasson

Governor General of Canada David Johnston, left, with Chief Scientist of the State of Israel Avi Hasson. (photo by Sgt. Ronald Duchesne, Rideau Hall) On March 1, Governor General of Canada David Johnston met Chief Scientist of the State of…

From Orumieh to Winnipeg

photo - Farhad Sultanpour of the Kurdish Association of Manitoba speaks to members of the Winnipeg Jewish community and others

Farhad Sultanpour of the Kurdish Association of Manitoba speaks to members of the Winnipeg Jewish community and others. (photo by Yolanda Papini Pollock) According to Farhad Sultanpour of the Kurdish Association of Manitoba, Kurds are the largest nation of people…

Aftermath of trauma

Sometimes there are jokes about how we’re all emotionally damaged to some degree. It’s a serious problem for us, because we all lived through wars and terror attacks,” shared Canadian-Israeli Yolanda Papini Pollock of Winnipeg Friends of Israel (WFI) at…

Safety in home births

With only about five percent of Canadians giving birth at home, one might think the practice is dangerous and that is why the number is so low. On the contrary. Studies show that, as long as the mother is at…

Better ways to invest RRSPs

image - This RRSP season, you can give your portfolio a gift – the potential for better returns and reduced risk

This RRSP season, you can give your portfolio a gift – the potential for better returns and reduced risk. (photo from 401kcalculator.org via Wikimedia Commons) Many RRSP portfolios struggled in 2015 to produce returns sufficient for the goals of retirement…

The business of agriculture

photo - Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training executive director Hanni Arnon spoke to audiences across Canada as part of a Jewish National Fund nationwide tour

Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training executive director Hanni Arnon spoke to audiences across Canada as part of a Jewish National Fund nationwide tour. (photo by Rebeca Kuropatwa) As part of a nationwide tour, with stops in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta…

A fighter for human rights

photo - At a Winnipeg Jets game, Judith Heumann, U.S. special advisor on international disability rights, speaks to hockey fans and draws the winning 50/50 ticket

At a Winnipeg Jets game, Judith Heumann, U.S. special advisor on international disability rights, speaks to hockey fans and draws the winning 50/50 ticket. (photo from Judith Heumann) The journey of Judith Heumann, U.S. special advisor on international disability rights,…

Calgary sponsorship efforts

Around the time of the High Holidays last year, Rabbi Shaul Osadchey, senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Tzedec in Calgary, had lunch with a congregant. Discussing various issues, they talked about the possibility of sponsoring a Syrian family. “We decided…

Welcome to Saskatchewan

It doesn’t require a big community to make big things happen. It just takes a few good leaders. And Saskatoon’s small Jewish community is a prime example. JoAnn Jaffe is a University of Regina professor of sociology and social studies…