That is beautiful, Rhonda (Prepes)!! Thank you for writing this, I hope that everyone takes the time to read this article and takes the time to do exactly what some of our friends have lost...passing away at such an early age!! Enjoy life, you never know the future may hold!!

- Fayanne Abrams Charach
  Winnipeg

That article is so true. We have to live each day to the fullest, thanks for that, Rhonda (Prepes).

- Cheryl Kives
  Winnipeg

A beautifully written article about what truly is important in life. Thanks Rhonda (Prepes).

-Patrice Cooper
  Winnipeg

November 12, 2010

To the Editor,

How wonderful it would be if the president of the United States would utter these words. Unfortunately, he seems much too comfortable with "anti-Semitic, anti-American and anti-Western ideologies" and has not learned that these ideologies are a threat to all free people. Because the U.S. president is more concerned with being liked than being right, he is not willing to endure the "bruises" PM Harper experienced for taking a stand against evil.

Peggy

Dear  Editor:

I recommend that you consider republishing Harry Shannon's excellent article on the CPCCA which appeared in  the Nov. 8 issue of Rabble.ca  http://www.rabble.ca/news/2010/11/cpcca-should-be-reconfigured-combat-racism-against-all-peoples.

Diana Ralph ,
Independent Jewish Vocies

November 5, 2010

To the Editor,
 
Rhonda, I really enjoy every issue and share some of your articles with american friends.

Your interview with Justin Trudeau prompted my sending you this.  Not sure if you watched the 60 Minutes interview with the developer of the Manhattan muslim project, but the architectural model/drawings struck some of us instantly as being constructed of broken/distorted magen davids. 

What's your opinion?

Anne (Lerner), former Winnipegger
Vancouver

Only look at the first few photos. Do you see the whole facade appears composed of distorted magen davids (and crosses, but mostly magen davids)? 
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Ground-Zero-Mosque-Plan/ss/events/us/072210mosquewtc

On the 60 Minute episode (below), the model shown by the developer had an image of the floor inside that led to the mosque area of the development.  The floor in this area appeared to have a design of a large magen david and the shadow of one cast through the exterior wall.... therefore symbolically it is constructed of destroyed jewish symbols and people walk on a jewish symbol on their way to pray? How can this be allowed.... it's like permanent hate graffiti.
http://www.dnainfo.com/20100927/downtown/park51-imam-defends-mosque-project-on-60-minutes
 
Editor: I believe that I learned from my archeologist friends Haskel and Tina Greenfield ( who live in Winnipeg but conduct archeological digs in Israel, and elsewhere) that the Magen David was also a symbol in Moslem culture and can be found not only on  Jewish buildings. I will re-check with them. There is also a Magen David on a Toronto municipality building, because historically the Magen David was used not only as a Jewish symbol.

November 4, 2010

To the Editor,

You say that the MP for Mount Royal prior to Irwin Cotler was Pierre Trudeau. There was, in fact, a 15 year gap between Trudeau and Cotler. The MP prior to Irwin Cotler was the late Sheila Finestone.

Helen Shapiro
Montreal

Editor's response: Thank you for pointing that out. I have changed the article to reflect your point.

To the Editor, November 2

I see you made it to the pages of Israpundit. Good for you!

M Peters, Winnipeg

Editors Response:   Thank you for your letter. Up until receiving it, I did not realize that our Feature Article  Canada’s Minister Peter Kent Protested to PA Foreign  Minister About  Incitement was picked up by the IsraPundit website   

It has also been picked up by Israel Behind The News Website  

It was also picked up by Honest Reporting’s Daily New October 25

It was also picked up by Liquida.com 

and  also by the  Politifi website

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JGAna59HVvQJ:politifi.com/news/Good-Old-New-Israel-1244864.html+arafat+rhonda+spivak&cd=25&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

and facebook.com,-Oslo Accords

and by Brittania Radio Blogspot

Rhonda Spivak’s photo of  a mural on an UN school  at Deheishe refugee camp  which was contained in the article  Canada’s Minister Peter Kent Protested to PA Foreign  Minister About  Incitement   has also been picked up by other sites. The photo is of Ayat al-Akhras, a suicide bomber who blew herself up at a Jerusalem supermarket, murdering two Israelis The photo was  picked  up in an article by Brian Henry and
http://brians-op-eds.blogspot.com/2010/10/peace-proposal.html#links.

And Silobreaker.com
 

November 1, 2010

To the Editor,

As Canada will be hosting the 'Ottawa Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism' on November 7-9, 2010, it is with great concern that we inform you about a recent act of desecration of the monument to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. The memorial, built in 2006, was spray-painted with a swastika along with the words in Armenian “Death to Jews”.

The Assembly of Azerbaijani Canadian Organizations (AACO) believes that this is not an accidental outbreak of hatred against Jews in Armenia. The growing number of anti-semitic incidents in Armenia was reflected in relevant reports of the US Department of State as well as other international organizations. The policy of current and previous governments of Armenia is replete with hatred and racism not only with regard to Jews but also other ethnic groups. On October 19, 2010 AACO expressed its concerns over recent remarks of the president of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, on "supremacy of the Armenian people" over Azerbaijanis and others in the region.

Such acts stem from the policy of annexation and aggression conducted by Armenia’s leadership. It is very regrettable that Armenia has turned into an almost mono-ethnic state where the spirit of tolerance and coexistence is reduced to zero.

We call on international community to condemn the conduct of the government of Armenia and this particular act of vandalism.

Sincerely,
Assembly of Azerbaijani Canadian Organizations (AACO)

October 31, 2010

To the Editor,

The paper looks fantastic. You must be working very hard!

Cheryl Hechter

October 29, 2010
 
To the Editor,
 
I  am embarking upon the editorial and publication process of yet another volume of the Living Legacies series.
 
I am looking for 40 Canadian Jewish women that have not as yet been included in this collection. Attached please find the request for nominations.
 
I look forward to your feedback.
 
Thank you,
Liz Pearl
PK Press
http://at.yorku.ca/pk/ll.htm

October 28, 2010

To the Editor,
 
I am sending you this as a former Winnipegger.

This year the Jewish world is marking the 75th Yaartzeit of Rabbi Avraham Itzchak HaCohen Kook, the most significant sage of our epoch.

HA'OROT:The Lights of Rav Kook is a musical project dedicated to creatively sharing Rav Kook's illumination with the whole world. Our very well received performances "integrate  Rav Kook's extraordinary poetry with original music by Greg Wall's Later Prophets, and the spoken word artistry of Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein". Rabbi Greg Wall (www.gregwall.com ) is becoming widely known as the 'Jazz rabbi' and the Later Prophets featuring Shai Bachar (www.shaibachar.com) are at the forefront of the New York's NewJew scene, combining a literate Jewish aesthetic with cutting edge musical performances. My commitment to sharing Rav Kook creatively is  well known to you. Links to our critically acclaimed Tzadik Records CD and clips from our concerts in Israel in August 2009 can be found below.

This coming February HA'OROT has been invited to mount a 75th Year Rav Kook Memorial Tour throughout Israel in which ALL proceeds will be donated to the Israel Cancer Association. This tour will serve as the Israeli inauguration of a new on line tzedaka project Pioneers For A Cure (www.pioneersforacure.org). This innovative project is recording contemporary Jewish artists in North America and Israel singing the songs of the chalutzim/pioneers. These original songs are offered as downloads through the website and the money raised is donated to a cancer fighting organization of the artists choice.
The HA'OROT tour and its attendant publicity will serve as the vehicle to inform Israelis about the opening of  this innovative and important on-line tzedaka project.

Our tour between Jan. 30 and Feb. 8, 2011  is completely booked with performances all over Israel including Jerusalem, Yaffo, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tsfat, Zichron Yaakov and the Kinneret. While Pioneers For A Cure is supporting the bulk of this tour with a  generous donation, we still need to raise $6000 in order to cover the full cost of the tour and enable all ticket proceeds to be donated to the ICA. 

We are seeking 12 co-sponsors to donate $500 tax deductible each. We currently have 3 such sponsors and are seeking 9 more. I am writing you to invite you or perhaps a group of your friends to become one of the co-sponsors. If desired, your or your organization's sponsorship can be noted in our publicity material.

We have a very short time to raise this and thus we are seeking your help in manifesting this very unique tzedaka project. Joodayoh Inc, a non profit arts and education organization and the parent organization for Pioneers For a Cure has created a Rav Kook Fund to receive tax deductible donations. 97% of any monies donated will go directly to our project. The Joodayoh Rav Kook Project Fund can be found here. Please scroll to the Rav Kook Fund on the Program Designation box.  Donations are also tax deductible in Canada. Please contact me for details.

All contributions as well as enabling the raising of significant tzedaka for Israel's leading organization in the fight against cancer will help bring the healing and inclusive teachings of Rav Kook to Israel. Rav Kook died painfully and prematurely of cancer. It is our privilege to honor his immense contribution to the world by sharing his light and commitment to the good in this most unique and appropriate way. Please consider joining us.

With blessings of light from Jerusalem,
Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein
Former teacher at Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate, Winnipeg

October 26, 2010

To the Editor,

Nice article. Well written.

Irv Applebaum

October 25, 2010

To the Editor,

Canada has been far more pro-Israel since Stephen Harper became PM. Canada is also a jihadi haven, especially in Ontario, their most populous province. They are about as much use to Israel if push comes to shove as an old Grandmother would be in a knife fight.

American Eagle

To the Editor,

October 23,2010
 
RE: Iranian Threat

Ann alliance-of-convenience developing between Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia Israel against Iranian encroachments in Lebanon, Gaza, West Bank. Major realignments in the works. Stay in touch...
 
Robert Bonsignore, New York, former correspondent at the United Nations

October 21

To the Editor,

I attended Monday night's (Oct. 18) performance of the Royal Winnipeg
Ballet at the Jerusalem Theater - what a juxtaposition - to see the RWB
in Jerusalem. It was a thrilling event and wonderful to see them after
so many years. As a teenager growing up in Winnipeg in the 60's, I and
my friends (Shaynie Bressler, Frumie Selchen) used to usher at the
ballet on Saturday nights and thus saw many of their performances. They
were outstanding. Their dancing is so fluid, with ribbon-like
movements. Many former Winnipegers were in the audience and felt a deep
sense of pride.
It made me realize what a great city, culture-wise, I grew up in. We
were exposed at a young age to theater (we also ushered at the MTC),
dance and music, and this early exposure helped form our sensibilities,
tastes, and enriched and continues to enrich our lives.
I'm only sorry that we won't see more of the RWB's repetoire. They were
truly outstanding!

Best wishes,
Shani Ben David (Fenson)
Jerusalem

October, 20, 2010

Dear Rhonda,

October 15, 2010
 
To the  Editor,
 
Hello, my name is Ilana and I have lived in Canada for 3 years. I've have been living in Winnipeg ever since I moved from Israel. I am 16 years old, which means I left Israel with my parents at the age of 13. I love Israel with all my heart and I really want to go back to visit. I would like to know what it is I need to know and do before I am going there. I  need to extend my Israeli passport . What is it I need to do? Please help me.

Thank you for help,
Ilana M
 
Editor's response: We referred Ilana to  Israeli consul in Toronto.