Former Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Artistic Director Michael Nathanson
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Candle lighting time Friday is 7:46 p.m. Vol. 28 No. 14 WINNIPEG, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 12 Days in Nissan, 5775 Shabbat ends at 8:44 p.m. Inside this issue of Mysterious B’nai Brith plaque surfaces after 63 years - mystery The Jewish Post & solved thanks to Stan Carbone…and a Jewish Post from 1952 News: By BERNIE BELLAN Belle It began with an e-mail I received from Earl Jarniewski Barish on March 21. In the e-mail Barish working explained that Brenda Tessler-Donen, indefatiga- Executive Director of B’nai Brith Camp, had bly to keep memories of the received a fascinating phone call from an Holocaust alive architectural firm in Kenora earlier in March. ............page 6 Here is what Brenda Tessler-Donen had writ- ten both to Earl Barish and Yude Henteleff: Hi Earl and Yude, 8 pages of reviews of various I received a call from Nelson Architect firm Limmud presenters, starting on in Kenora (they are working on the design for ...............page 8 the new Katan, that was destroyed last spring This plaque was found on the shore of Lake from the snow overload). They had told me of the Woods last August. It might have that in early September, an item had floated been submerged for over 60 years. up to their shoreline that they recognized Former Winnipegger Al Smiley belonging to BB Camp. They sent me a pho- Nelson at Nelson Architecture: was Bugsy Siegel’s right-hand tograph of it. What is interesting is that the Here is Nelson’s e-mail: man plaque is noted in 1952 and as you may recall, BB Camp did not start on Town Island Hi Brenda - here’s a photo of the plaque. ..........page 25 until 1954. Quite interesting that it is dated before the I had never seen this before – thought you camp officially began. It measures 3.25” x Dr. Neil Pollock pioneering new both might find this interesting. Yude, do you 2”, and was originally attached to a piece of have any recollection what this plaque was in pain-free circumcision tech- old wood, which we removed because it nique in 3rd world reference to? was rotten and waterlogged. Might have Regards, taken over 50 years to get from Town Island ............page 27 Brenda to our beach! Attached to Tessler-Donen’s e-mail was a Patty Bill Marantz’s 1960 law picture of the plaque, along with a descrip- In response to Tessler-Donen’s query sent faculty graduating class tion of what the plaque looked like when it straight out of “Animal surfaced, from someone named Patrice Continued on next page. House” ...............page 33 Former Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Artistic Director Canada Post Publication Agreement #40047412 Michael Nathanson arrested at Manitoba border Was the WJT board asleep at the switch? Camp Massad holds fund-raising Why did it take the police so long to act? floor hockey tournament By BERNIE BELLAN those questions. in memory of Richard Tapper By the time you read this Meanwhile, rumours By BERNIE BELLAN there may have been more began swirling as to what When Richard information disclosed about had been going on at the Tapper passed circumstances surrounding WJT. It was alleged to us away three years the arrest of former WJT artis- that Nathanson’s embez- ago at the young tic director and general man- zlement had been brought age of 35, he left a ager Michael Nathanson, but to the board’s attention by void, not just in with the information that has the WJT’s associate artistic the Winnipeg been made publicly avail- director, Ivan Henwood Jewish communi- able, many questions remain (who, also, is no longer ty, but the entire to be answered. employed by the WJT). community, that According to news reports Further, it was alleged to can likely never that were disseminated by us that Nathanson had fled be filled. various media on Sunday, Winnipeg and was living In his short life, March 29 and Monday, Former WJT with a sister in Houston. Tapper touched The late Richard Tapper March 30, Nathanson was artistic director Henwood would likely the lives of so signing the Jewish arrested March 28 as he tried MICHAEL NATHANSON have been in a key position many. I, myself, Foundation’s Book of to enter into Manitoba at the Alleged to have embezzled to uncover Nathanson’s didn’t know Life in 2012. Emerson border crossing. $85,000 alleged embezzlement. I Richard well, but Nathanson, who had been recall speaking with him in looking back at articles that mentioned him fired by the board of the on several occasions when in past issues of The Jewish Post & News, I can Winnipeg Jewish Theatre in February, 2014, we had trouble obtaining payment from the see that he was one of those rare individuals (although the board has never publicly stated WJT for unpaid invoices. Henwood would who combined energy, intelligence, and a ded- that he was “fired”) has been charged with say to us that we would be paid - and we ication to serve the community, with a tremen- theft over $5,000 and forgery. Again, accord- would be paid. He certainly seemed to be dous professional skill as a chiropractor. ing to reports, Nathanson is alleged to have in a position where he would have been (Interestingly, one of the first articles to mention embezzled $85,000 from the theatre. aware of the WJT’s true financial situation. Richard was written by well-known actor and When the story of the WJT’s troubles first filmmaker Jonas Chernick, who covered the broke in February last year, we attempted to According to news sources, a warrant floor hockey beat for us circa 1995. Harvey ascertain from a board spokesman what was was issued for Nathanson’s arrest in Rosen also wrote about Richard’s prowess on going on. Was Nathanson fired, we asked? January of this year. Why did it take 11 the basketball court.) Was the theatre in dire financial straits due to months for a warrant to be issued? Those first articles that mention Richard have declining attendance over the years? Why In an e-mail sent to the Winnipeg Police to do with his student years at Joseph Wolinsky was the final show of the 2014 season, Force Monday morning, March 30, I asked: Collegiate, when he was a star basketball play- “Shiksa”, cancelled without any prior notice “While I realize that you probably can’t er with the team, the Raiders (wearing number given to the playwright, the actors, or anyone comment on any specific aspect of the 00), as well as a very talented floor hockey else involved in that show? investigation, I have to wonder: It was only Continued on page 3. See “Richard Tapper”. We never did receive answers to any of Continued on next page. 2 THE JEWISH POST & NEWS, Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Community news Continued from previous page. provide effective oversight is limited by the accuracy of the informa- tion that they are given by administrators. But, if members of the board $85,000. We’re not talking about don’t ask tough questions of those administrators, then it’s not all that Enron here, yet it seems to have difficult to keep board members in the dark. taken 10 months for the WPS to Yet, the fact that the board of the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre has been issue a warrant for Michael’s so consistently close-mouthed as to what had been going on there has arrest. I wonder whether Ivan inevitably led to a severe lack of confidence in that board’s ability to Henwood couldn’t have been function adequately. Now we are told by a spokesperson for the board able to piece it all together for that no comment regarding Nathanson’s arrest will be forthcoming as you in a couple of days.” the matter is “before the courts”. Well, since no one on the board has I received the following issued any public comment lo these past 13 months, what difference response from Jason does it make that it’s now “before the courts”? Michalyshen of the WPS: “I can We certainly wish the WJT well as it attempts to pull itself out of this tell you that the WPS first quagmire, but one wonders whether the continued refusal by the board became involved in this investi- or anyone else associated with the WJT to discuss the exact nature of its gation in May 2014. Over the IVAN HENWOOD former asso- financial predicament will serve the WJT well in the long run. Perhaps next several months documenta- ciate artistic director of the WJT. now is the time to come clean about what the WJT board knew, when tion was provided to investiga- Is he the one who blew the it knew it, and what exactly is the financial situation of the WJT? tors by the theatre. Mr. whistle on Michael Nathanson? Nathanson was arrestable some- time in the fall based on a lengthy, time consuming investigation, however he could not be located and was believed to have fled to One of a kind Kaufman Silverberg Library Texas. receives international accreditation “Investigators were optimistic that he would return to Winnipeg at By MYRON LOVE some point due to family connections and a warrant was eventually The Kaufman submitted. Silverberg Library at the “If you have questions as to why it took so long to provide investi- Asper Campus has just gators with the required information, I suggest you contact the theatre.