Automotive Glass Chip Repairs $ 00 Tinting 10off Farm Equipment 204-325-8387 Auto Accessories per gallon 600 Centennial St., Winkler, MB 150C Foxfi re Trail Winkler, MB (204)325-4012 Sale ends Aug. 5/17 Winkler Morden VOLUME 8 EDITION 31 THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2017 VVLocally ownedoiceoice & operated - Dedicated to serving our communities Science in action PHOTO BY ASHLEIGH VIVEIROS/VOICE Local youth took a break from summer vacation for a week of hands-on learning at the University of Manitoba’s WISE Kid-Netic Energy day camps in Morden last week. Here, campers extract DNA from a banana as part of their Genetics Day activities. For the full story, see Pg. 4. news > sports > opinion > community > people > entertainment > events > classifi eds > careers > everything you need to know 2 The Winkler Morden Voice Thursday, August 3, 2017 Dr. Ruth “It’s complicated” Ashrafi fi elds ques- “Israel is in our DNA. Israel is just tions from Diversitas speaker part of us and what happens in the the audi- land of Israel always affects us very ence after talks Judaism, Israel, strongly,” said Ashrafi . her Diversi- In light of all the persecution Jews tas speaker and Palestine have suffered over the years all over series pre- By Ashleigh Viveiros the world, they have always held a sentation strong belief that they need a country on Judaism The Diversitas speaker series tack- of their own. and Israel led a contentious issue July 26 with a “Given the events in the Second in the 21st presentation from Dr. Ruth Ashrafi , World War, we need a state—that was century. Judaic studies advisor at the Gray really clear for me—so that we have Academy of Jewish Education. somewhere to go if they start killing Ashrafi fi ttingly titled her speech us again,” Ashrafi said in recalling her PHOTO BY on Judaism, modern Israel, and the childhood in the Netherlands, where ASHLEIGH Israeli–Palestinian confl ict: It’s com- the war loomed large in the Jewish VIVEIROS/ plicated. community even decades after it end- VOICE “Being Jewish is not only a religion. ed. There are many aspects to a Jew- The placement of Israel in the Mid- ish identity,” Ashrafi began, explain- dle East is dictated by a promise made “Now, there is a Jewish joke about this,” she said. ing it includes religion, yes, but also by God to the Jews, she explained. this. Of course there is a Jewish joke And while she doesn’t believe the language, cultural traditions, and a “We need to live in the land of Is- about this,” said Ashrafi , laughing. politicians will fi nd a solution, per- uniquely shared history. rael because that is what God wants,” “Why did God have to promise the haps peace can be forged when regu- “People can convert to Judaism, of Ashrafi said, pointing to passages in land of Israel to the Jewish people? lar people stand up for it. course, but it’s also not only the re- Genesis in which God tells Abraham Couldn’t he have given us the land “There are all sorts of grassroots ligion that you’re converting to—you to leave his homeland, promising him of Hawaii in the middle of the ocean? movements where Israelis and Pales- become also part of a people.” a new home in the land of Canaan. Wouldn’t that have been much more tinians are starting to work together A big part of it as well is the Jewish “Eventually that turns out to be the peaceful?” and establish businesses together or people’s relationship to Israel. land of Israel. Instead, the creation of the state of to establish organizations together Israel in 1948 has led to decades of in order to foster relationships be- violence in the area, including the tween themselves and to show their ongoing Israeli–Palestinian confl ict. Israeli neighbours and their Palestin- Ashrafi has lived in Israel on and off ian neighbours that this can be a way over the years and has seen some of forward,” said Ashrafi , stressing that that violence fi rsthand, including af- open communication is the key. ter the assassination of “The moment that Israeli prime minister you stop talking, Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. the whole thing falls “There was a lot of ha- apart,” she said. “But tred,” she said. “People “THE MOMENT talking alone is not that you know, their enough. You also parents were being shot, THAT YOU STOP need to listen to the their children were be- TALKING THE other, and you also ing murdered, killed. need to understand Arab-Israelis were be- WHOLE THING that the other is ing killed just as much coming from a dif- as Jewish-Israelis. It was FALLS APART.” ferent culture. a horrible time to be liv- “Jews are smart. ing in Israel.” Muslims are smart. Atrocities have been committed by We have to fi nd a way out of this. both sides of this confl ict, and Ashrafi With God’s help, hopefully in the isn’t sure how the area will ever fi nd future things will be better. In the a path to peace. meanwhile, I have great hopes for the “What sort of a mess have we found Jews and the land of Israel in the 21st ourselves in? And what is a way of century.” getting out of this quagmire?” she Upcoming Diversitas speakers in- said. “Am I optimistic? Not so much.” clude Immigrant and Refugee Com- For peace to happen, the region munity Organization of Manitoba ex- needs to overcome the extremism, ecutive director Dorota Blumczynska bitterness, and politics that bog it on Sept. 27, The Daily Bonnet founder down today. and writer Andrew Bergman on Oct. There are people fi ghting to do just 25, and Chandananda Thero, resident that, but they have a long struggle monk of the Manitoba Buddhist Vi- ahead of them, Ashrafi said. hara and Cultural Association, pre- “There are many people on both the senting on Nov. 22. Palestinian and the Israel side who believe this confl ict ... we have to stop The Winkler Morden Voice Thursday, August 3, 2017 3 Winkler’s new handi-van hits the streets Aug. 14 By Ashleigh Viveiros The Winkler After years of making do without, the mobility impaired in Winkler fi - & District nally have access to a community Handi-van handi-van service once again. was un- Operating under the umbrella of the veiled at the Winkler Senior Centre, the Winkler Winkler Se- & District Handi-Van hits the streets nior Centre on Monday, Aug. 14. last week. It offers rides to anyone who, due to The vehicle illness, age, injury, or other perma- will be offer- nent or temporary disability, is un- ing rides to able to easily utilize other available the mobil- transportation services in the city. ity impaired The senior centre has been mulling starting over starting up a handi-van program Aug. 14. for some time now, but it was the do- nation of a vehicle by an anonymous PHOTO BY donor last year that fi nally made that ASHLEIGH dream possible, says handi-van com- VIVEIROS/ mittee chair Mike Chute. VOICE “It’s something that we’ve always wanted to do ... the donation of the van helped us to do it,” he said. get and we believe and the numbers population within the city of Winkler.” changed in the community since,” The van seats 12 passengers, includ- are such that we think we can for sure The old handi-van program that Harder said. “Number one, there’s ing spaces that can be used to strap- break even,” said Chute. operated here many years ago was more seniors and number two, I think in wheelchairs, and features a wheel- To that end, the program has already disbanded due to disuse, but things that there’s more mobility in seniors chair lift. secured several corporate sponsors, are very different in the community today then there was 15, 20 years ago. “There’s defi nitely a need for it,” a start-up grant from the provincial today. “So therefore the need is certainly of Chute said, noting that the senior government, and a commitment from “I think conditions have certainly greater importance.” centre regularly fi elds requests for the City of Winkler to cover any year- an accessible transportation service. end losses, if need be. In its absence, many Winkler area “But we’re not expecting that to hap- residents have been using Morden’s pen,” Chute stressed. program. Additional private donations and “So now it’ll cost them less because corporate sponsors are more than we have a local service,” Chute said. welcome (there’s plenty of room on “We’re very confi dent that it’s going the van for a few more business logos, to be a success.” Chute noted). Contact the senior cen- The program will serve not just Win- tre for more information. kler but also the rural municipalities The centre is also the place to call if of Stanley and Rhineland. you’d like to get involved as a volun- Rides will be available during fl ex- teer driver. ible hours by appointment, which WSC executive director Nettie Dyck must be made 24 hours in advance said the role is a fl exible one. by calling 204-362-9252 or sending “Whatever they’re able to do, we’ll an email to winklerhandivan@gmail. take what we can get,” she said, add- com. ing drivers need to be licensed to drive the van and willing to take part in a short training course.