$1 Candle lighting time Friday is 6:06 p.m. Vol. 19 No. 26 WINNIPEG, WEDNESDAY, March 7, 2007 17 Days in Adar, 5767 Shabbat ends at 7:04 p.m. Please pay ‘Canadian Idol’ judge Zack Israel’s Eurovision entry cashier Werner national spokesperson for stirs pop contest controversy By DAN ‘ALS Walks for Canada’ BARON Jewish former Winnipegger has fond JERUSALEM memories of River Heights youth (JTA) – It may be the ultimate in By MATT BELLAN ease,” Werner forgettable mass- Inside Jewish former explained. “The nerve communications Winnipegger Zack endings stop commu- kitsch, but the Werner had a differ- nicating with mus- Eurovision Song ent career path than cles. It causes mus- Contest has spe- his late father, cles to twitch uncon- cial resonance for Leonard. trollably sometimes, many Israelis. But in some ways, and other symp- Founded just a People: he’s following in his toms.” few years after Longtime Winnipeg dad’s footsteps. The disease, which World War II, the lawyers Rocky Leonard Werner ran leads to death “three to annual competi- Pollack, Lawrie the family five years, at best” tion is an oppor- KOBI OZ, lead vocalist Cherniack pursue business, after it starts, tunity for for the Israeli band different careers …page 6 Dominion causes “gen- Europeans to Teapacks: His song, Soudak eral weak- flaunt an ever- which seems to touch on Fur ness in changing array of Iran’s nuclear program, Auction hands or pop songs that triggered controversy. Sales. legs, seem to serve as Credit: Brian Hendler/JTA In the numbness, alternative mid- and affects national anthems — devoid of any overt nation- Arts & 1990s, your ability alism — and then choose a winner through an ZACK WERNER, national spokesperson and entertainment: he was to swallow. elaborate phone-in vote. honorary chair of ALS Walks for Canada: He 170 attend launch of one of felt an “obligation” to get involved because his Eventually That sense of dizzy continental togetherness is your former Winnipegger the peo- dad, Leonard, died of ALS 10 years ago. catnip for Israel, which was allowed into Sidura Ludwig’s ple breathing Eurovision in 1973 and treats the event as part of first novel responsible for securing the sup- goes. It’s a terrible disease.” a perennial campaign for acceptance abroad. …page 12 port of the federal government to The odds are five in 100,000 for But Israel’s entry for the 2007 songfest has trig- overcome the European wild fur people to come down with ALS. gered controversy for lyrics that seem to touch import ban. The Canadian govern- And drugs don’t cure or even on the most combustible of current crises — ment’s support made possible the treat it. There’s just palliative care, Iran’s nuclear program. first international animal welfare to ease the suffering. Titled “Push the Button”, the song speaks of agreement on trapping – the Werner spent some time during “crazy leaders in the world who are trying to Agreement on International his visit here at the Brummitt- trick us” and “rockets flying and landing on Feasby ALS House, “the only ALS me.” A line from the chorus becomes even more Humane Trapping Standards – and Miryom and helped preserve the livelihoods of hospice in North America.” specific: “I wanna have a lot of fun, just sitting The facility gets ALS patients out in the sun, but nevertheless, he’s gonna push the Max – a love many Canadian natives. of hospitals, offers 24-hour care to story: Zack Werner, a successful button.” up to five, and lets residents be Contributors to a BBC chat room were quick How a Winnipeg Toronto entertainment lawyer and a “more community oriented”. Jewish senior and judge on “Canadian Idol”, the to discern a reference to Iranian President friend since their “CANADIAN IDOL” Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose calls for Israel national CTV talent show, is show- JUDGE teenage years final- ing his idealism in another way. to be “wiped off the map” and Holocaust denial ly sealed the knot SINCE 2003 have stirred international concern that there He’s national spokesperson and …page 19 Werner was also here as one of could be a cataclysmic war if his country attains honorary chair of ALS Walks for four judges for “Canadian Idol”, the means to produce nuclear weapons. In Index Canada. the national CTV talent show - a Finland, where this year’s Eurovision takes “I started last summer,” Werner role he’s had since 2003. “We hope place in May, objections were directed at Israel Community news said in an interview February 25, to find some great singers here.” and its band of choice, hip-hop cum urban-pop … pages 1-3, 9, “I always wanted to do some- during a visit to Winnipeg. group Teapacks. 18, 19 The walks are generally over the thing in front of the cameras,” said Editorial Werner. “It’s absolutely clear that this kind of message summer and fall. They’re like any is not appropriate for the competition,” said page 4 such fundraising project, where The “Canadian Idol” experience Comment has been “fantastic,” he exclaimed. Kjell Ekholm, a Eurovision organizer, adding …pages 4-5, 9 people pledge money for friends that contest officials would convene to discuss and relatives to walk kilometres. “We travel from one coast to the Recipes next, hold discussions with parents, whether to disqualify “Push the Red Button.” …page 7 “In Manitoba, 600 people who Israelis remained defiant. The Israel Broadcast Letters walked raised over $100,000 for grandparents, kids,” audition and choose contestants for the show, Authority, which selected the song last week, …page 8 ALS. In Toronto, a couple of thou- said it had submitted the lyrics to the European Torah comment sand people took part.” and comment on the show about contestants’ performances; viewers Broadcasting Association and encountered no …page 10 And similar ALS walks are start- problems. Teapacks’ lead vocalist Kobi Oz, National Jewish ing up in towns and cities “all over phone in, to vote for the winners. news Werner admits that he, himself, meanwhile, argued that “Push the Red Button,” Canada”. which also contains lyrics about crime, should …page 11 Werner agreed to serve as nation- tried to make it in the entertainment U.S. Jewish news business. be appreciated for capturing the Israeli national al spokesperson because his dad mood. …pages 14-15 died of ALS a decade ago. A member of amateur bands World Jewish news since his youth, he studied English “The song has a line that talks about ‘several …pages 16-17 “Like so many families with peo- crazy leaders.’ If and when the British read the ple who’ve died of it, I took it as an and theatre at the University of Obituaries Minnesota. He then studied law; song, they decided to draw the conclusion that it …pages 21-22 obligation to get involved. I’m in aimed at Iran,” Oz told Ma’ariv. “It turns out his dad suggested that as a fallback, Israeli news the public eye, and tsedakah (char- that the BBC thinks that Ahmadinejad is crazy. if he didn’t make it as an entertain- …pages 20, 22-24 ity) is a very important part of my We didn’t mention names. “The State of Israel life.” er. Canada Post Publication (Cont. on page 23. See “Israeli song triggers Agreement #40047412 ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral (Cont. on page 9. See “Zack Eurovision controversy”.) Publication Mail Sclerosis) is “a neuromuscular dis- Werner”.) Registration #10986 Wednesday, March 7, 2007, THE JEWISH POST & NEWS 9 People/community news Memories of Gaza impossible to earning far less than they had previously. Zack Werner Werner moved “blame” them A couple of months ago, the leadership of the to Toronto, joined (Cont. from page 5.) for having set- UJA-Federation of New York and North (Cont. from page 1.) a professional tled in Gaza, because, after all, successive govern- America’s United Jewish Communities (UJC) rock band, and then formed his own heavy metal ments of Israel allowed them to live there. made a commitment to lead a study group to Israel band, Thick as Thieves, which released a CD It’s also hard not to be sympathetic to the evac- to assess the needs of the Gaza evacuees with an and two music videos played on MuchMusic. uees’ criticism of the Olmert government’s foot- eye to providing financial assistance. This came in The band relocated to L.A., but eventually dragging in building permanent housing for them. the aftermath of several Orthodox rabbis in broke up, and Werner returned to Toronto. “I got As The Jerusalem Post reported on January 23, Queens having ceased promoting the UJA tired of auditioning time after time,” he’s quoted 2007, Prime Minister Olmert has pledged to begin Federation annual campaign, and having their con- as saying on “The Official Zack Werner building new homes for 400 Gaza evacuee fami- gregations raise funds for the Jews who were evac- Fansite”. Instead, he pursued a career as an lies in the Lachish region, between Jerusalem and uated from Gush Katif. The UJC is now raising entertainment lawyer, using his connections and Be’er Sheva within six months. $2.5 million dollars for the evacuees. In my view, the more that the UJC can be knowledge of the music business to his advan- The evacuees’ sense of abandonment by the tage, before joining “Canadian Idol”. Jewish world was heightened after Israel’s war involved in lessening the despair of the Jewish evacuees from Gaza, the better. It has become very Werner has fond memories of his childhood with the Hizbollah when North American Jewish clear that the government of Israel has been and teenage years in River Heights.