As we approach our centennial in 2013-2014, JPPS-Bialik, made up of the CPE, JPPS Elementary School and Bialik High School, is more united than ever. While each entity continues to function somewhat independently, today we are all rowing in the same direction more than ever before, to each other’s benefit. This is to the great credit of our Head of School, our CPE director and principals, our Boards, and of course, our parents and many friends and supporters.
This couldn’t be more evident than when it comes to the annual Concert Gala. Co-chairs Lianne Routtenberg, a Bialik parent whose daughter is a Solomon Schechter Academy graduate, and Andrea Sochaczevski, a JPPS parent, have worked hard to ensure that Concert is for all supporters of our schools, in addition to ensuring that we generate a record profit. They are well on their way, and if you don’t have your tickets by March 24th, I strongly suggest that you get yours now!
We also see it when it comes to sports. The GEN J invitation basketball tournament held over the last two Sundays at Bialik had our JPPS Pugs take on other Jewish elementary schools, including Hebrew Foundation School and Solomon Schechter (the icing on the cake is that the Pugs are winning, but this is clearly beside the point!).
This is also happening at the governance level with the pending inauguration of a new, unified, and strategically oriented JPPS-Bialik Board and the new Parent Council (having co-presidents from each of JPPS and Bialik) allowing for greater parent involvement and input in the operations of the schools.
Most importantly, our students reap the great benefit of our continuing to act as one school family from CPE/Pre-K to Secondary V. Our CPE does an excellent job at promoting JPPS as the next step in each child’s education, and when students enter JPPS, they expect to continue to Bialik. Our principals and administration also work hard at meeting the needs of the students, particularly as they transition from elementary to high school, which can be a stressful time for both students and their parents. Two noteworthy examples of such administrators, among many, are the Directors of Athletics and IT, Emerson Thomas and Brenda Fayerman, respectively.
On your behalf, I once again thank all those staff and volunteers who work so tirelessly behind the scenes, often without the thanks they so richly deserve, who contribute to perpetuating the unique haimishkeit of the JPPS-Bialik mishpuche, which we all so treasure and appreciate.
Arnold Cohen ‘82
As President, I often have parents sharing with me their concerns and desires for improvements; rarely, or not as often as I would wish, do I get to hear the good. I suppose this is natural, given my position, but it is equally important as we work towards continuous improvement that we remind ourselves, me included, that our students are truly exemplary. Without naming names, I recently had a parent shared with me her son’s comments about Bialik students at Dawson (where they go in great numbers) and how they stand out there. “They are always among the top performers academically!” I hope Bialik teachers read this and feel proud. After all, they are delivering in the classroom on a daily basis, inspiring and challenging our children to do their best. They don’t get enough credit, especially when we tend to focus on addressing any weaknesses. They deserve our thanks and recognition for a job well done.
As tangible evidence, we should all take the time to visit the Bialik Stock Exchange this week, led by Mordechai Antal, a stellar example of an inspirational teacher. The transformation of Bialik’s cafeteria is remarkable and represents the culmination of much hard work on the part of students, with support from many dedicated parents.
In terms of transformation, you should also not miss out on the annual Concert Gala on March 24th. The cocktail reception takes place in one gymnasium, transformed so that you will not recognize it at all, while our students transform themselves into Broadway stars on our new stage with a performance of Hello Dolly! in the Helen and Sam Steinberg Gymnasium. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Michael Eliesen
The search for a principal for Bialik continues. I must express my gratitude to the volunteers and professionals on the search committee who have spent many hours honing our list of desirable attributes as well as interviewing candidates. It is a lengthy process, not undertaken lightly; on the contrary, the sense of responsibility is at times overwhelming. I am pleased to say, however, that we have had many candidates to choose from, and Bialik doesn’t need “selling” at all.We should have news soon after Passover.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Raffle Campaign Committee, co-chaired by parents Marcy Blitt and Leslie Ornstein. They and their committee volunteers have been selling raffle tickets like there is no tomorrow. They believe that we should do all that we can to ensure that JPPS-Bialik remains accessible to all, and I cannot express my gratitude more. This is an important source of revenue to balance our operating budget, and I am more aware than ever about the needs of our parents, many who are not yet out of the woods from the economic downturn that has affected us all in one way or another. Tickets remain available (contact Amy Finkelstein at 514-731-2944, ext. 263 or by email at amy.f@jppsbialik.ca). The lucky winners, who stand to win big, will be drawn at the Gala on March 24th, another reason to attend.
Taking care of those less fortunate is something learned well from the youngest ages, particularly at JPPS this past month. You will read about their Purim activity with the JEM Workshop, where they were sensitized to the intellectually disabled and affirmed their Jewish identity in the process. They are wonderful examples to follow!
Laurence Fhima
A glance at the Bialik calendar of events shows a schedule packed with a variety of programs and activities. From competitions to sports, theatre to trips, our students have the opportunity to participate in many areas of interest and develop a diversity of talents.
The excitement is building in anticipation of our Secondary 5 Bialik Stock Exchange product selling days on March 16-18. There will be an impressive array of items available, and stockholders who have purchased shares in any of these "companies" can look forward to reaping the benefits.
Our Senior, Junior and Intermediate public speaking competitions took place a few weeks ago, and we are proud to report that Secondary 3 student Danielle Amir went on to take 2nd place in the QAIS (Quebec Association of Independent Schools) Intermediate Public Speaking Competition. Five of our Secondary 5 students participated in the Shalheveth Freier Physics Tournament recently held at St. George's School. At the regional Bible Contest, which took place on March 4th, the performance of Secondary III students Ben Neubarth and Jacob Shapiro qualified them to represent Montreal in the national Chidon haTanach in Toronto.
Several senior students took part in the Jewish-Canadian Youth Model United Nations sponsored by Hillel. The conference allows participants to learn about the countries they are assigned to represent in addition to gaining an understanding of international relations.
The Junior school had the opportunity to see a performance of "No More Raisins, No More Almonds" at the Segal Centre, which featured some current and past Bialik students in the cast. The Secondary 5 Yiddish Choir entertained at the Cummings Senior Centre as well as at the Jewish Eldercare Centre. A group of students and I paid a visit to Cote Saint Luc City Hall where they met with Councillor Mike Cohen to discuss safety issues.
In sports, I am pleased to report that the Midget Girls Division 1 Basketball team captured Silver in the GMAA Finals. Our Juvi Boys Basketball team has just returned from a competition at Yeshiva University in New York City.
Finally, the Bialik Theatre production of Hello Dolly takes place on March 23rd and 25th, with the Concert Gala on March 24th. Tickets are now available online, and I urge you to order without delay. It promises to be a spectacular performance.
On behalf of all of us at Bialik High School, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a healthy and happy Passover.
Andrew Trager
February was a busy month for the Home and School here at Bialik. We made beautiful Tu bishvat sedar plates full of a great selection of food for the children to try. We then moved on to Teacher Appreciation with a dinner served to our wonderful teachers. It was a great way to show them how much we admire them, and show our gratitude. During a fun day of Purim celebrations, the students and staff were given humentashen to complete the day. A huge thank you to all the volunteers.
A happy and kosher Passover!
Maura Hoppenheim Wajcman ‘82
President
This has been an amazing period for JPPS-Bialik in the media. I’ll get straight to the highlights. First and foremost, I was fortunate to have facilitated the television coverage of the JPPS and JEM Purim baskets initiative. This was undoubtedly a wonderful experience for all who participated. If you do not know what I’m referring to, you are invited to watch the CTV report on the JPPS website anytime you want.
Over the period of the mid-winter break, I trust many of you noticed that Bialik High School was featured very prominently in a five-part feature story on the English language in Montreal. As communications officer, I was privileged to work with the journalist Marian Scott as she went about writing this lengthy and informative piece. Permit me to reprint some of her comments about Bialik that she relayed to me via email:
“…these articles would not have been half as good without all the great interviews you set up with staff and students at Bialik! Everybody there was a goldmine — so thoughtful, observant and reflective! Thanks so much for everything!”
To read Marian’s five-part series, click here: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Montrealers+borrowed+lingo/2562661/story.html
Other media notes in brief:
David Smajovits ‘00
A reconstituted Student Traffic Committee from Bialik High School will soon begin formulating recommendations to their own administration and Côte Saint-Luc City Hall to make the area around their facility safer and to ensure that motorists abide by existing traffic regulations.

The committee of 10 students, accompanied by Principal Andrew Trager, Head of Building Facilities Maintenance and Security Florian Gaudreault, Communications Officer David Smajovits and crossing guard Larry B. Rosario, came to Côte Saint-Luc City Hall recently for a meeting which touched upon a number of traffic issues. They were hosted by City Councillor Mike Cohen, whose District 2 encompasses Bialik City. Traffic Engineer Charles Senekal and Director of Public Safety Jordy Reichson joined Councillor Cohen in providing students with some background about the traffic dossier.
After Councillor Cohen was elected to office in November 2005 one of the first issues he tackled was the traffic situation at Bialik. “I have received nothing but cooperation from the Bialik administration,” he remarked. “I believe we have seen a lot of improvements. At the same time we recognize the fact that with more than 700 students in this building and most of them being dropped off and picked up at the same time, it is not an easy situation to manage.”
Local Police Station 9 and Côte Saint-Luc Public Security have been paying closer attention to the area, enforcing existing traffic regulations. Previous Bialik Student Traffic Committees have conducted studies and submitted recommendations to Mr Senekal, which have been implemented. This includes using traffic plates to monitor speeding, adding new signage and street lines where merited and introducing a drop zone on Marc Chagall Avenue. Attention has also been given to student pedestrians and whether they are abiding by the laws correctly, especially when crossing the street. The Bialik administration, meanwhile, enacted some new rules as well this year. Prior to the start of classes, the license plate numbers of each parent had been recorded. Special “Bialik traffic tickets” have been issued to any family member associated with the school recorded as breaking a traffic rule.

Councillor Cohen told the students that major construction work to replace the underground piping is expected to commence on Kildare Road, between Cavendish and Merrimac leading to the school, soon after classes conclude at the event of June. In recent years there have been several breaks of the aqueduct. Plans call for the replacement of 200 meters of eight inch pipe at a substantial cost. “We have planned this specifically to coincide with the Bialik summer holiday,” said Councillor Cohen.
Mr. Senekal explained to the students how decisions are made to repair streets and sidewalks. He even brought some corroded pipes to show them. In addition, he provided background on other matters such as the annual repair program for fire hydrants, the Cavendish pump station , the use of traffic calming measures like bollards and speed humps and the change of speed limits from 50 to 40 km per hour. He took questions from students on a number of traffic issues which affect them. One dealt with the synchronization of lights on Cavendish Boulevard and the long lineup of cars trying to turn right in the morning. In order to avoid that turn, some parents are going straight on Cavendish, turning on to Mackle and then Marc Chagall. Mr. Senekal said adjustments will be made to the system, especially for the key drop off and pickup times.
Mr. Reichson, who oversees Public Security, Emergency Medical Services, Volunteer Citizens on Patrol, the city’s dispatch centre and disaster planning, agreed that traffic problems emanate from Bialik mainly because of its location at the end of a dead end street (Kildare Road) and situated within a residential area. Soon, he warned, the Beth Chabad Community Centre and Synagogue, will be operating across the street. This will, at times, exacerbate the situation. He said that his Public Security Department will continue to keep a close eye on the Bialik area.
Members of the Student Traffic Committee are Grade 10 students Joshua Laxer, Tyler Gerstein, Kaylee Novack, Jennifer Silver, Ariel Sterlin, Kyle Tanzer, Jesse Kligman, Rebecca Lasry-Legault, Noam Brem and Raquel Herscovici.
Reprinted from Mike Cohen's press release.
It was an exciting winter season for JPPS-Bialik Athletics. The JPPS Pugs and Lady Pugs have been dominant on the basketball court all season long as they both continue to march towards the playoffs. Both teams currently sit in 1st place in the league. The two teams were also fortunate enough to not only compete in a couple of exhibition matches, but they also won them both against Solomon Schechter and Royal Vale. Those games were hosted by Bialik in the Helen and Sam Steinberg Gymnasium. Finally, the Lady Pugs were victorious in the first ever Gen J Invitational held on March 7th, 2010, at Bialik. They took home the gold medal against a very tough Solomon Schechter team. UTT Snowdon and UTT St Laurent comprised the rest of the field.
Just one week later, JPPS-Bialik had the pleasure of hosting the boys division of the Gen J 2010 Invitational. The boys division featured 8 Jewish day schools from around the area. Included in the field of 8 were, Akiva, Hebrew Foundation School, Hebrew Academy, JPPS, Solomon Schechter, UTT Snowdon, UTT St Laurent and Yavne. By all accounts it was a huge success as the gold medal winning team Solomon Schechter defeated JPPS. Yavne was able to come away with the Bronze medal for the tournament.
Both events were fantastic. It was great to see all of the student-athletes coming together. Not only did they compete hard against one another, but they also displayed great sportsmanship as they cheered each other on throughout the games and during the skills competitions.
A special thank you goes out to Gen J for supplying us with a generous grant that enabled us to organize this tournament. We look forward to working with them in the future as we hope to make this an annual event. Finally, a special thank you goes out to Action Sport Physio, as they were at Bialik throughout both weekends, providing first-aid support. We appreciate their assistance as well.
Matt Starr ‘95
The journey from Bialik to Paralympic torch bearer has not been a simple one for Alison Levine ’08. Born a perfectly healthy girl, Alison developed a neuro-muscular disorder when she was just 13 years old. Put simply, Alison’s brain ceased communicating properly with her own legs. Throughout her entire Bialik academic career, Alison used special crutches to motor around the school.
“It wasn’t that easy.” Alison explained, “I had braces on my legs, and crutches on my forearms.” Her morning routine was also quite different from the other students'. Each day, upon arrival to Bialik, Alison would call the office and a helpful person would come down to assist her. Bialik also helped Alison out by warning her about a fire drill, prior to the actual date. Speaking of fire drills, Alison recounted a humorous story where the fire bell went off without any warning. There was, in fact, a good reason for the lack of advance warning, as it was not a drill. This event caught people quite by surprise, so much so that Alison’s teacher (name withheld for many reasons) panicked, forgot that Alison was on crutches, and left her in the classroom! Do not worry, folks, for everything turned out just fine.
As her torch-bearing experience clearly showed, Alison is not one to allow a disability act as a roadblock in her life. Playing in competitive leagues in two different sports, Alison is a star athlete. Through a league organized by CIVA (Centre d’intégration à la vie active), she scores baskets as a wheelchair basketball player, while also dominating the competition as a sledge-hockey player (league not organized by CIVA). Moreover, Alison currently attends Vanier College and is enrolled in the Special Care Council Program, where she intends to work with individuals with physical disabilities. Naturally, Alison’s personal life experiences have guided her to this career.
“People may not realize how much I have had to adapt with my disability. But nothing is impossible. There is always a way to get past something,” Alison told me when I asked her what she has learned so far, growing up with this disability. Furthermore, “it’s easy to feel sorry for yourself, but no matter what people have told you, you need to get out there!” How inspiring!
The torch-bearing experience was one of those times that Alison will never forget. Listening to her describe the moment when her torch caught fire made me feel as if I were right there with her. The emotion that day was only heightened by the fact that Alison had many thoughts of her grandmother, who recently had passed away. She even wore her grandmother’s pendants for the occasion. Alison explained that her grandmother taught her about courage, strength, and determination.
“I was did this for her.” Well, Alison, you may have done that for her, but you also inspired us all.
It started off as one simple idea. Four students brought forth the idea of going to San Diego with a mission of re-building homes that were destroyed in forest fires. After five long months of fundraising, organising and planning, our dream turned into a reality.
The main purpose of our trip was to work for Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, faith-based organisation. The goal of the organization is to attract volunteers and community workers to build low-cost housing and advertising homeownership as a means of breaking the cycle of poverty. Its main purpose is to provide a world where every human has a decent and secure place to live.
Throughout our stay in San Diego, we volunteered our services at Habitat for Humanity for three days. The first time we got to the site, Mike and Greg, who were two amazing volunteers in charge of the site, explained everything we would need to know about the mission we were about to partake in. There were three plots of land where houses were to be built. The outside of one of the houses had already been completed. The second house had its walls built, and the third was just a plot of land temporarily being used as a junkyard. The first day, we split up into small groups where everyone was provided with a task. We all had the opportunity to take part in each assignment. While some of us began installing a wood floor in the first house, others shovelled electrical panels into the muddy soil. In the backyard, we built a wooden fence surrounding the house to provide privacy and security for the new family. Mr. Methot found his true calling as a Californian gardener as he dug up some dirt in the front yard. Our biggest and most popular project was working on the roof. After a long day of work, we would all find ourselves up there, hammering in the finishing boards while singing songs. When we arrived at the worksite, one of the houses was composed of four wooden walls. Yet only three days later we had accomplished something truly amazing. We provided a roof for the family that would be living in that house. Most of us came into the Habitat for Humanity worksite not even knowing how to hold a hammer, but we left as true architects, with dirt on our shirts and sweat on our foreheads.
Throughout the three full days of hard work, there was not one moment in which we complained. It’s not until an experience like this that you realize how lucky and fortunate you really are. Working at Habitat for Humanity was an unbelievable and eye-opening experience. It made us think about the less fortunate and what goes on in the world around us. It was also a pleasure making connections with the volunteers in charge of the worksite.
The most amazing part of our experience at the worksite was when we got to meet the lady that will be living in the house that we ourselves put together. This encounter made the experience that much more special and real. The lady was a refugee from Somalia who was escaping war crime. Meeting the owner kept us motivated to complete our task of providing her with a safe and decent new home. We truly felt as if all of our hard work had finally paid off. No words could describe the smile on her face after seeing 20 children and some staff working tirelessly on a house that she could soon call her own.
We visited San Diego Jewish Academy, which is a school very much like our own. We had the opportunity of helping out with a project that has a very meaningful connection to each of us. The Zicharon b’Tikvah project is a project where students are trying to paint 1,500,000 ceramic butterflies. Each butterfly represents a child who perished in the Holocaust. As of last month, the total count came to 22,000 butterflies. We were the first Canadians to be involved in this project. There is one wall of butterflies which are painted by Holocaust survivors. The butterflies are displayed all around their school, reminding the students daily of the importance of their lives and to never forget the Holocaust. We also made tight bonds with the grade 11 students of SDJA, and they were kind enough to host us for Shabbat. We got to spend a night with them and experience how they live in San Diego. Most of us had traditional family Shabbat dinners. We also got to attend their school “Winter Wonderland” dance. This added a great aspect to our trip.
In return for our hard work, we got to spend the day at Disneyland for free. The park was very quiet and we got to ride any rollercoaster without waiting in lines. During our free time, we also got to experience California shopping in the outdoor malls. We also went to the famous San Diego Zoo and took a tour bus around. We concluded our trip by spending a day taking a scenic bike tour around San Diego and kayaking in the turquoise water. Our leaders were amazing, and the trip would definitely not have been possible without them.
This trip was an opportunity of a lifetime. On the last night, we sat together as a group. We all went around in a circle and reflected back on our most memorable moment of the trip. Avi concluded with a heartfelt metaphor. He explained how we all have our own puzzle. Throughout our lives, pieces begin to fill up this puzzle with our most cherished memories. As you get older, your puzzle becomes more and more filled. For the past 17 years, we have been filling our puzzles with childhood memories of fun and games. We left San Diego adding a very big piece to our puzzle. However, not only was this a simple puzzle piece, or memory, but it was a life-changing experience that none of us will ever forget. We left San Deigo knowing we had truly made a difference.
Aly Katz & Britt Klumak
His Honourable MP for the riding of Papineau, Justin Trudeau, stopped by Bialik recently for an interactive event with the entire school. Before answering a plethora of questions related to his growing up at 24 Sussex Drive or possible future plans to run for Prime Minister, Justin passionately spoke about the need for young people to strive to be today’s leaders, as opposed to waiting for an arbitrary time when they get older.
David Smajovits '00
Marcy Blitt and Leslie Ornstein want you to know that raffle tickets remain available. Winners will be drawn at the Concert Gala on March 24th. The odds of you winning, and winning as much as $10,000, are better than the 649! So, everyone should play. Please contact Amy Finkelstein at 731-2944 ext. 263, by First Class, or via email at a.finkestein@jppsbialik.ca
They are even partially receiptable, and in the end more financial aid will be offered to families who would not otherwise be able to send their children to JPPS-Bialik. We all win!
Thank you.
Elizabeth Kennell
Every year, for one night only, a White House state dinner has nothing on JPPS-Bialik. As if done by magic fairies from a Disney movie, both Bialik gymnasia will be miraculously transformed into a venue worthy of hosting the JPPS-Bialik Concert Gala. On the evening of Wednesday, March 24, 2010, at 6:30 PM, the 53rd annual Concert gala will feature the best of Bialik Theatre as they perform the musical Hello, Dolly!, while the JPPS-Bialik family pays tribute to the Roskies Family for a lifetime of devotion not only to our schools but, in actuality, also for everything they have done to foster Jewish education.
Benjamin Roskies Z”L JPS ’44, David Roskies ‘61, Ruth Roskies Wisse JPS ‘49, and Eva Roskies Raby JPS ‘55, will all be honoured with a special tribute prior to an extraordinary Bialik Theatre performance of Hello, Dolly! And speaking of Ms. Dolly Gallager Levi, one of the most beloved characters on the musical stage, if you have not yet been astounded by the level of professionalism from the 60-member Bialik student theatre contingent, well, the hype has been well-earned.
Proceeds from the Gala will directly benefit JPPS-Bialik, to ensure that the continuity of Jewish education and its tradition of excellence through a curriculum that boasts an enriched, quadrilingual—including Yiddish—program with an emphasis on Jewish culture and traditions.
JPPS-Bialik would like to thank the 2010 Gala sponsors, Point Zero and Bench, for their support.
Tickets are available by calling 514-731-2944 ext. 263 and on our website at http://www.jppsbialik.ca/en/gala2010
David Smajovits '00
As you may have garnered from the title, the 2010 Bialik Fashion Show had its fair share of bodies moving to their own language, so to speak. A Bialik annual tradition dating back many years, the show combined head-bobbing music, dance moves that would tear ligaments on most people, and naturally, a crazy light show.
Much thanks to the producers, Adam Cola, Jillian Friedman, Franki Gralnick, Brittany Klumak, and Max Pancer, all from the class of 2010. Jess Aflalo, 00, Jon Kuczer ’96, Chanti LePessec, and Diane Dupuis-Kallos, for all their help.
The photo is courtesy of Diane Dupuis-Kallos.
David Smajovits '00
Purim festivities engulfed JPPS as one of the more joyous Jewish holidays on the calendar made its celebratory return to the school. Everyone had a ball at the annual Purim carnival, while many yummy hamenstashen disappeared from the packages in order to claim their rightful places—in the bellies of happy JPPS students!
At Bialik, Purim was wonderfully celebrated thanks in part to the laugh-filled assembly for the entire school organized by the student Jewish Life committee. Complete with a Megillah reading by Director of Jewish Studies, Rabbi Daniel Rosenberg, the assembly included karaoke sung by Bialik staff, a Purim costume contest, and a special stand-up comedic performance by eight-time Just for Laughs Festival veteran Mike Paterson! Wow! Chag Sameach, indeed.
We thank JPPS-Bialik graduates Mark Choran and Amanda Nagus ’02 from Giggles for helping to supply graggers for the school.
David Smajovits '00
We will soon be inaugurating Bialik’s new Fitness Studio made possible thanks to Mrs. Rhoda Rappaport (whose grandchildren are Bialik graduates (Lana ’07, and Rachel ’08) as well as Secondary II student Austin, Secondary IV student Michael and Secondary V student Evan) who donated – in honour of her late husband Morton – the funds to make this possible.
After Passover, the studio will be filled with equipment including an elliptical trainer donated anonymously, a treadmill donated by Alan and Kalie Silberberg, parents of Zachary in Secondary IV and weights and other equipment donated by Jon Cohen, a donation facilitated by Bialik teacher Erika Rath '99. Together with an audio system donated by Emerson Thomas, our Director of Athletics, and equipment purchased from the proceeds of last year’s bazaar (thank you to Secondary IV students Noam Blauer, Ryan Golt and Joelle Salzman), the studio will go to a new level when it comes to building core strength of our student-athletes and their introduction to a variety of fitness training equipment. Emerson is excited and very grateful to those who responded to our call for donated equipment.
Elizabeth H. Kennell
Director of Advancement
One of the great things about having the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in the heart of our community is that it provides an inspiring venue for our own performing artists and lovers of the performing arts. You'll find alumni of J.P.P.S. and Bialik involved in many of the exciting programming that takes place at the Segal Centre. In particular, J.P.P.S.-Bialik alum, Elan Kunin '89, is writing a brand new musical for the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre, The Jazz Singer, which hits the stage at the Segal Centre this June.
Many JPPS-Bialik alumni have also been part of the award winning program Young Actors for Young Audiences that most recently presented the play, No More Raisins No More Almonds. And countless others have been involved behind the scenes, whether backstage at a play, or even as part of the Centre's administration.
Ben Gonshor
Director, Marketing & Exec. Producer of Online and New Media
http://www.segalcentre.org/en/yiddish_theatre
Congratulations to the winners of the Bialik Public Speaking Competition this year:
Senior
1st Place - Zachary Silberberg
2nd Place - Zachary Zoldan
3rd Place - Nicholas Frai
Honorable Mention - Danielle Sochaczevski
Junior
1st Place - Jonah Toulch
2nd Place - Julia Szwimer
3rd Place - Ilana Nyveen
Intermediate
1st Place - Danielle Amir
2nd Place - Jacob Shapiro
3rd Place - Stephanie Abugov
Honorable Mention - Zoe Shulman
An even bigger congratulations to Danielle Amir who placed second at the QAIS Public Speaking Competition!
Please read this special message from Michael Gonshor ’90 and Josh Gonshor ’98 about an important event they are co-chairing at the Segal Centre on March 27.
Hello family and friends,
I'm reaching out to you on behalf of the entire Gonshor family and the New Leadership Division of the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF NLD), a Montreal based charity dedicated to funding cancer research. As many of you already know, 2010 marks the ten year anniversary of my sister, Sarah "Suri" Gonshor's passing at the age of only 24 from a rare form of liver cancer. The Gonshor family is honored that ICRF NLD will recognize and celebrate Suri's memory at a Gala evening on Saturday, March 27, 2010 called "Suri's Soiree".
My brother Josh and I are chairing this event and have been working tirelessly over the last 6 months to make sure this is an evening to remember and one that Suri would be proud to be a part of. Two time Grammy award winner “Common” will be performing as well as DJ NV and Kuba Oms. We'll have sushi, hors d’oeuvres, open bar, vernissage, silent auction and a lot more! Your generosity in donations and/or tickets will bring us one step closer to reaching our goal of $180,000 to fund a 3 year research stage to fight a cancer that specifically targets youth as my sister was very young when she passed away. I hope to see you on March 27th and please be generous in your support to fight cancer!
Tickets and donations can purchased through me or online at http://www.icrfnewleadership.com/ - partial tax deductions available for tickets and donations
Thank you in advance and be well.
Michael "Micha" Gonshor
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=281904612489
P.S.: Out of towners, March 27th is only a couple of days before Passover so you might be in town! :)
For Norman Heimlich’s children, Michael Heimlich’80, Danny Heimlich’83 and Tamara Heimlich Mermelstein’86, paying tribute to their late mother and grandfather is very important to them. After all, it was their mother Sheila Heimlich, who passed away on August 22, 2008, who had attended Folk Shule and spoke Yiddish that led them to attend JPPS-Bialik. And, the fact that their father, Norman initiated a bursary in her name to help a student who would otherwise not be able to attend Bialik is very much appreciated by them, as is the donation of a painting by their renowned grandfather and artist Herman Heimlich. Yes, the Heimlich name was shared by their father and mother’s families! And, both grandfather and mother were artists. The painting will be included in the annual Concert Gala auction on March 24th. The lucky winning bidder will be the proud owner of a painting by an artist represented in major public and private collections from across Canada, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the McMichael Collection at Kleinberg, the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Hart House at the University of Toronto. The Jean-Pierre Valentin Gallery on Sherbrooke Street represents his work, and an exhibition produced by the Musée du Québec and now on view at the McCord Museum*: Jewish Painters of Montreal: Witnesses of Their Time, 1930-1948 includes his work. If that isn’t enough, the fact that his work was influenced by Impressionist painters such as Matisse and Cezanne which is immediately apparent, makes one salivate!
We certainly appreciate these gestures on the part of Norman Heimlich and his family, and understand their desire to ensure that eventually the bursary be given out in perpetuity. Both this and the donation of the painting are then truly a tribute to his late wife Sheila and her father as well as to the Heimlich name!
Elizabeth Kennell
Director of Advancement
* The exhibition continues until May 2nd after which time it goes to New York City.
Silent bids for this watercolour may be submitted to Amy Finkelstein in the head office in a sealed envelope indicating your maximum bid amount.
Briefly Notes Written by David Smajovits '00
Simchas
Condolences
David Smajovits '00
The following individuals and organizations have made donations to JPPS-Bialik from January 18, 2010 to March 12, 2010. These donors will also be included in a year-end listing according to their level of giving in the JPPS-Bialik annual report. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped facilitate JPPS-Bialik's role in nurturing Jewish identity and culture while continually pursuing cutting-edge competitiveness marked by academic rigor and excellence