FALL/WINTER 2019
LEGACIES
The Gift of Language Skills a
“We recognized the Jewish community was growing, and that many kids were coming without English,” says Walder Morantz, whose children all attended Gray. “It was very important to us to do what we could to help them thrive.”
tz
oran
er M
While Gray’s dedicated team of EAL professionals made teaching English to new students their focus, Sheree Walder Morantz and Richard Morantz took it one step further and made it their mission to provide the school and its newcomers with the EAL resources they needed to succeed.
This commitment leads to student success. Just ask Ariel: in high school, he became a world-class debater and public speaker, an engaging orator with a masterful understanding of language and communication. He even competed in the World Individual Debating & Public Speaking Championships in Australia. Then, he completed a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics at the University of Winnipeg and a master’s in philosophy at the University of Toronto. Now, z nt ora he’s pursuing his PhD in philosophy as a M ard h McCracken Fellow at New York University, c i R where he has a full scholarship. eW a ld
Around the same time Ariel arrived, other Jewish students from South America, Israel, and the former Soviet Union did too. Soon, Spanish and Russian joined the cacophony of English and Hebrew already being spoken at Gray. These new students gained command of an entirely new vocabulary through the English as an Additional Language (EAL) program.
Sh ere
It was understandable: the nine-year-old had just arrived with his family from Argentina and was thrust into a new learning environment. “I didn’t know what was going on,” he says. It’s a feeling that many newcomers experience.
Years later, the program has expanded its student support services thanks in large part to the Morantz/Walder family’s commitment to EAL: new materials have been purchased, including visual-graphic dictionaries, textbooks, and classroom materials. New student assessment procedures have been implemented, and all teachers have received EAL training from a specialized consultant.
&
riel Melamedoff (’12) barely spoke English when he joined Gray Academy in May 2003.
“I’m extremely happy so many people use their time and energy to making the EAL program work,” says Ariel. “It is definitely one of the main reasons why I was able to find success at Gray and beyond.”•
Legacies is published bi-annually by Gray Academy of Jewish Education. Digital and printed copies are distributed to parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends of the school. To learn about the many ways you can support Gray Academy, please contact us at 204.477.7425 or info@grayacademy.ca. Head of School and CEO
LORI BINDER (’91)
lbinder@grayacademy.ca Director of Admissions
JUDI PRICE-ROSEN
jrosen@grayacademy.ca Director of Marketing and Communications
ANDREA RITTER
Sean Shore
President, Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education
Lori Binder
aritter@grayacademy.ca
Head of School and CEO
Notes from Our Leadership s Rosh Hashanah nears, we are thrilled to share the third issue of Legacies with you. The Jewish New Year is a time to celebrate new beginnings and to reflect on the past. In this edition of the magazine, we showcase some of our traditions, as well as the impact a Gray Academy education has on our graduates.
a
As a school with a focus on 21st-century education, we are keenly aware that we are preparing our students today for the jobs of tomorrow. We are so proud of the many innovations that have been ignited by our alumni and the impact they are having in their fields of work today. “Innovators and Entrepreneurs” highlights a few of these amazing alumni.
Our cover story, "The Gift of Language Skills," brings to light a vital program that supports students new to Canada as they begin their journey at Gray Academy. The Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education is grateful to Sheree Walder Morantz and Richard Morantz for the vision they had, over a decade ago, to support the school’s growing demographic of students learning English as an additional language. Their gift, designated through the Combined Jewish Appeal (CJA), has helped hundreds of students as they begin school in a new community with a new language. As we begin a new school year, we invite you to come for a visit to experience our Gray Academy community today. Contact us to arrange a personal tour and follow us on social media to stay up to date with the goings-on at Gray.
facebook.com/grayacademy @grayacademy
@mygrayacademy
linkedin.com/company/grayacademy WBJE Directors Sean Shore, President Diane Shindleman, Treasurer Bruce Caplan, Secretary Tracy Kasner Greaves (’94), Past President Jen Dimerman, Evgeny Gotfrid (’13), Richard Hechter, Tara Kozlowich (’94), Laura Kravetsky-Chisick (’99), Cindy Lazar (’87), Rabbi Matthew Leibl (’03), Marla Levene (’93), Josh Weinstein (’89) Editor-In-Chief
DAVID BORZYKOWSKI (’01) Writer
BEN WALDMAN (’13)
The Ultimate Sport There’s no question which sport has gained the most popularity at Gray Academy in recent years: it's Ultimate.
has been a provincial finalist, and earned a bronze medal at last year’s national championships in Ottawa.
The sport — which you might know as Ultimate Frisbee — was first introduced as a club sport in 2012 by Graham Neyedley, one of the school’s physical education teachers and coaches.
“It was our first year going to nationals, and we exceeded all expectations to place third,” Neyedley said. “And at provincials, we lost to Kelvin High School, the eventual national champions.”
“We started out with eight people,” he says. “The following year, it exploded.”
Gray has also had standout players — namely Sarah Jacobsohn (’18), Dylan Kagan (’19) and Devin Cohen (’18) — as well as alums Gil Binnun (’13) and Josh Kerr (’12). But Ultimate truly isn’t about individual success; it’s about teamwork, camaraderie, and creating positive relationships with each other and opponents.
Now, students are first introduced to the game as early as Grade 3, when they learn the fundamentals by using a ball. In Grade 4, they learn to throw a disc, and by Grade 6, they begin competing against other schools. Today, Gray fields five co-ed Ultimate teams each season, with Grades 6, 7, and 8, and 9-12 each contributing players to the mix and alumni helping on the coaching side. The school not only has a lot of participants, but the players are also good — really good. The middle school team is a three-time provincial finalist. At the high school level, Gray has won the provincial indoor tournament,
The 2018–2019 Gray Academy Raiders Ultimate team
“Of course I would love to be provincial or national champions next year, but I really want to see kids enjoying themselves, learning to love the game, building confidence, and understanding the importance of working together,” says Neyedley. •
INNOVATORS AND ENTREPRENEURS Featured Alumni
Josh Glow (’14) Josh Glow truly has the entrepreneurial spirit — he worked his way up from operating the projector in high school to running a media conversion and marketing company at 23. He is currently the Director of Operations at one of Manitoba’s fastest growing real-estate tech start-ups: Gryd. Gryd has a team of four full-time employees in Winnipeg and a network of more than 40+ independent partners operating in every major Canadian city. Working with property managers, owners, and real-estate investment trusts, Gryd provides a modern marketing approach that includes 3D virtual tours of apartments and has the ability to virtually stage empty apartments. This is done by loading virtual furniture into the 3D space, showing potential buyers a more appealing depiction of the apartment. The company is working on more innovative multi-family realestate solutions launching in 2020. “I always had close relationships with many teachers in school” says Josh. “Gray provided the foundation necessary to work on my connections and communication skills that have been helpful in my career.”
Ilana Ben-Ari (’01) Ilana Ben-Ari is “shaping the classrooms of the future.” At least, that’s how Time Magazine put it. As founder and CEO of Twenty One Toys, a learning development company, Ben-Ari has created toys that teach skills like empathy, collaboration, and dealing with failure. “We use toys to teach what textbooks can’t,” she says. Ben-Ari started the company in 2012, a few years after inventing the Empathy Toy, a blindfolded puzzle game that encourages listening and understanding. She came up with the idea while studying industrial design at Carleton University. Now the toy is in 49 countries, used by elementary schools, universities and colleges, banks,
and corporations. Her staff conducts workshops around the world on creative education. But perhaps most special to Ben-Ari is that the toy can be found in the Gray Academy classroom of Sherry Wolfe, her Grade 2 teacher, who loves the product. “I think the moment I felt proudest was when I bumped into Sherry and caught up,” Ben-Ari says. “It was a crazy, full-circle experience. Even if I’m not in Winnipeg, I still feel very connected.” Next, Ben-Ari launches the Failure Toy, which teaches how to manage real-life scenarios and gathers insight into how teammates handle risk and competition. •
Brayden Bernstein (’10) Brayden Bernstein is COO of EveryStudio, a tech design company that has produced geofilters and augmented reality products for companies like Amazon and Coca-Cola. In 2018, the company was acquired by Winnipeg-based marketing firm Exchange Agency.
Noah Palansky (’14) & Avi Stoller (’11) Noah Palansky was watching hockey at a local sports bar when a commercial for a competing restaurant chain came on. “I chatted with the manager, and he said it was a big problem,” says Palansky. “Through commercials, the sports bar was forced to advertise for its competitors.” Other industries such as car dealerships, hotels, and cafés all had the same issue. Palansky, along with fellow Gray alum Avi Stoller, then co-founded TaiV, a service that automatically replaces commercials with business-generated ads, videos, or games. The company launched this past June. By December 2019, they hope to expand nationwide, and into the U.S. soon after.
Palansky and Stoller didn’t know each other in high school, but through networking — a skill they both learned at Gray — they were able to connect and start a burgeoning business partnership. “Gray taught me not to be afraid to ask questions,” says Stoller. Plansky adds, “We’re challenging the norm, and that’s something that was always encouraged at Gray.” TaiV has won several innovation competitions over its short lifespan. The company employs six people and is looking to grow even more. •
(L to R) Noah Palansky (’14), Jordan Davis, and Avi Stoller ('11)
Bernstein’s five tips for Gray students hoping to work in technology or business 1. Put yourself out there: Most people don’t know exactly what they want to do. To figure it out, open your mind to new ideas and concepts. 2. Work hard: There’s no excuse for being outworked by the person next to you. A great work ethic will take you far. 3. Self-belief: You’ll get nowhere fast if you don’t believe in your abilities. 4. Keep learning: There’s always more to know; continue expanding your knowledge and use readily available tools to do it outside of school as well. 5. Network: Reach out to older, experienced business people. You’d be surprised how many of them will give the advice you’re seeking. •
Reach for the Championship
Ron Ulitsky
Ro sen stock , and
Since the 1960s, Reach has tested high school students’ general knowledge and their buzzer speed: players must quickly recall facts like Canada’s longest river (the Fraser), the discoverer of the polio vaccine ( Jonas Salk), or how many hearts an octopus has (three…duh). And Gray has proven to be a true powerhouse.
am
“Trivia competitions might not draw cheering sections, but when you watch, your heart races,” says Tennenhouse (’06), who’s coached the team since 2012.
Last year, the intermediate team — led by Sam Segal, Sam Rosenstock, Isaac Gall, and Ron Ulitsky — won the provincial title, the school’s third in 10 years, while the senior team qualified for the provincial tournament. The teams practise hard — three times a week — and unlike other teams, Reach has no off-season; Gray competes from September to June.
ll
,S
Question: What’s Gray Academy’s most underrated sports team? According to Gray teacher Lauren Tennenhouse, the answer is the Reach for the Top trivia team.
al, I (L to R) Sam Seg
c s aa
Ga
“I love Reach because it forces you to keep up with the world and gives some added incentive to pay attention in class,” says Segal, a Grade 11 student. “It’s not for everyone, but I always encourage my friends and classmates to try it out.” •
Consider a Gift Gray Academy is committed to providing students with exceptional opportunities to learn, grow, and excel in a warm Jewish community environment. Your gift goes a long way to helping our students succeed — now and in the future. Whether you choose a monthly, annual, or one-time direct contribution, you will receive a tax receipt and the satisfaction of knowing you have made a difference. You can make your gift in your own name, in honour of a special individual or occasion, or anonymously. We also offer tribute cards for holidays, celebrations, or anytime you want to honour someone you care about. Consider a gift to enhance a current program or to spark a new initiative. For more information and to discuss possibilities of supporting Gray Academy, please contact Lori Binder, Head of School and CEO, at 204.477.7425 or lbinder@grayacademy.ca.
GRAY ACADEMY
CONTACT US
A100-123 Doncaster St. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3N 2B4
Phone: 204.477.7410 Fax: 204.477.7474 info@grayacademy.ca