I have nothing but fond memories of Talmud Torah, despite receiving the strap (in what seems to me) on average once a week during grades one and two. I am sure I deserved it, for I also recall being something of an unruly scamp in those early, rambunctious years. Nevertheless, Talmud Torah laid the foundation for my understanding and appreciation of Hebrew, Judaism in general, and in particular Israel and Zionism, during my formative years from kindergarten and grade one through junior high. I graduated grade six in 1959 when Israel was not yet a teenager but already a heroic and historical entity. In those days we used to exalt that in Israel if you threw a stone at someone, they Samuel Koplowicz Samuel Koplowicz Class of ’59 Class of ’59 would use it to start building a house.
My earliest memory is of the original school on 103rd Street, where I attended kindergarten. Then the “new” school opened in Glenora at 106th Avenue and 133rd Street opposite the old traffic circle on 107th Avenue and Groat Road. I went to Oliver Junior High for grades 7 and 8, and continued the afterschool program at TT for two years while also studying for my Bar Mitzvah with Mr. Yedlin and Mr. Chetner. For grade nine I was sent to yeshiva at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, after which I returned to Edmonton to complete high school at Ross Sheppard, class of 1965. I then attended the University of Alberta, majoring in English with a minor in Philosophy, class of 1968. In 1969, I attended the University of California, Los Angeles, in the MFA program for Motion Picture Direction & Production. I returned to Edmonton in 1970, where I eventually worked with Film West Associates Ltd, a local independent film production company, and also ran the Cinematheque 16 at the Edmonton Art Gallery for several years. I then worked for the City of Edmonton Parks & Recreation Department out of the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium, writing, directing and producing audio/visual programs for a number of city departments.
In 1982, I accepted a job in Victoria, working first for the Ministry of Social Services in a staff training capacity, then for Government Information Services for a number of years. In 1987-88, I moved to northern California and worked for twenty years as an audio/visual and multimedia producer at San Jose State University in the Academic Technology Department. In 2007, after my Dad passed away, I took early retirement and moved back to Edmonton to look after my elderly mom and quickly became involved with the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival, which continues to this day.
I remember most, but not all, of my TT teachers. They included Mrs. Gershon and Mr. Bar-El, Mrs. McLeod, Mrs. Yedlin, Mr. Yedlin, and Mr. Chetner, who was also the principal and ran Junior Congregation, where we learned to daven the Shabbat service. I think I also had a Mrs. Flint at some point, who made us sing “Santa Lucia” over and over again. My favorites were Mrs. McLeod and Mrs. Yedlin. Mrs. Yedlin in particular encouraged my interest and skill in Hebrew calligraphy by having me fill the chalkboards that ran along the upper edge of the classroom with Hebrew sayings in upper case lettering. I am sure it was her way of keeping me busy by channeling my youthful exuberance into something productive. I also remember most of my classmates from elementary school at Talmud Torah. They include (on the male side) my cousin Sam Winter. I was Shmuel alef, he was Shmuel bet. Other members of my cohort were Mike Mishna, Ben Zalmanovich, Joe Shafir, Sid Shugarman, Irving Kusin, Nathan Feldman, Jack Lisker, Stan Wiseman, Jack Epstein, David Milner, Sid Antflick, Cliff Goldstein, Saul Markovich and Selig Sacks. On the female side, my cohort included Lynn Weinlos, Anita Satanove, Janet Rosen, Bonnie Koliger, Maxine Frolich, Beth Rudolph, Evelyn Eaman and Evelyn Hardin. I was also friends with certain students who were one year older as well as one year younger than I. In particular I recall Benny Landa, Wayne Shur, Jeff Dvorkin, Ralph Shapiro, Frank Phillet, Sheldon Schloss, Bruce Mintz, Milton Bogoch and Barry Slawsky. From the younger class I remember Mitch Wise, Earl Bogoch, Sid Estrin, Bobby Landa and Arnie Landa.
I was very active in Young Judaea in those days, and went on to hold some local, regional and national offices, as well as conducting drama programs at senior YJ camps in Ontario and British Columbia through the 1960s. Perhaps my most vivid memory of my Talmud Torah years is riding my 3-speed bicycle to school, both summer and winter, down Stony Plain Road from my home on 116th Street, and through Glenora and Capitol Hill after school to the Weinlos house to hang out with my lifelong friend, Lynn Weinlos, then riding home later down 102nd Avenue.
I went to Jasper Place High School and U of A for my Education degree and have always lived in Edmonton. I’ve been to Israel a few times, a variety of places in the States, Aruba, Mexico. Most of our travels now, (once COVID is over) will be to see our children and granddaughter in Toronto and Vancouver. My husband, David and I have two children; Max who is married to Eliana and lives in Toronto, and Annie who is married to Corey Sobel and live in Vancouver. Annie and Corey have recently “given” us our first grandchild, Rayna Ava. Both of our kids attended TT.
Memories of TT:
I have never left our school – I’ve now been teaching at Talmud Torah for more than 25 years — both English and Hebrew subjects in Kindergarten, and more recently in grade 1. (Robin officially retired after the 2023-24 school year, but has been seen in the hallways since then as a substitute teacher.)
Robin attended the class of ’72 virtual reunion in July 2021.
Hello, I am Melissa Benjamin and I am a TT alumna. I attended Talmud Torah from Kindergarten to Grade 9. From there I graduated from Ross Sheppard High school and received my Bachelor of Management Degree-Major in Finance from University of Lethbridge. I worked many years at RBC in the financial industry and was now able to move over to Sun Life and work side by side with my parents as a Financial Advisor. I met my husband in Edmonton-Leor Benjamin (Class of ’96) and we have 2 children-Zoe and Jamie and we are lucky that they are both able to attend Talmud Torah. Having both the Early Learning Centre and the School all in the same building is a dream come true. All the staff and students know each other, and it builds a wonderful atmosphere for the children.
The weekly Shabbat songs that my children come home singing, saying the prayer on the candles, wine and bread makes my husband, family and I so happy to hear. This school played an integral part in my childhood and growing up. The friendships you build are your friends that you have for life. They are the ones that will be there for you and the ones I speak to daily and spend the most time with. We are all in touch today and some of us see each other at the school and can say a quick hi while dropping or picking up our kids.
There are so many wonderful memories from being at TT-the Grade 9 class trip to Israel, the annual sock-hops, Purim carnivals and all the teachers that made every year so special. I am excited that my children get to attend TT and will be able to experience similar opportunities. grow their Jewish identity, learn Hebrew and the history as well as building friends for life.
My time at TT undoubtedly shaped the rest of my life, especially professionally. I developed an interest in video production sometime around grade 2, and played around with the camera at home. I started borrowing that big VHS shoulder mount camera, bringing it to school to use for my projects around grade 4. Up until I graduated in grade 9, there wasn’t a project that didn’t involve me making a video. I used to hire myself out to classmates to make their videos for their projects… Mostly for favors or candy. We shot many movies for fun in the halls and classrooms of the schools in both Glenora and then Callingwood, and even had teachers and custodians playing characters. I still have some of these movies, and now I’m older than the teachers who were playing around with us. We felt so at home in school, and had such special connections with the staff. In grade 7, I failed the report portion of a project, but got 100% on the video portion, and my teacher Leslie Heppleston said, “Don’t worry, one day you can make videos for a living, and won’t have to write reports”.
So, fast-forward to 2021. I have a video production studio in Edmonton called Reel Mensch Studio. We produce TV commercials, documentaries, event videos and the likes. We are also the place where you take your old VHS tapes and film reels to digitize to watch them on a computer. So to bring you up to speed on what I’m up to now… It’s the same thing I was up to when I attended TT as a student, except now we charge money for our video productions, and I don’t write reports… And I’m bald with a beard. My circle of friends is still the same cohort that grew up together at TT. I drop my daughter Ella off every morning at the same school we went to, and I always run into one, if not several of my classmates in the layby, dropping their kids off too. (Jan. 2021)
Jamie graduated from Ross Sheppard High School and then on to Alberta College. In 1978 she moved to Vancouver for a couple of years, and then set her sights on Amsterdam where she attended Rietveld Academie for Fine Arts, from 1980 to 1988. Jamie graduated from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto in 1990, and then moved to New York (1990-1997) where she earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts. She has been living in Vancouver ever since.
“I am currently sub-letting 18 fine art studios to local artists, designers, and a couple of tattooists!
I have raised 2 Lhasa Apsos, Lazlo and Izzy, and see dog rescue in retirement as well as travel if we ever get the shot in BC.” Jamie is “single, free as a bird and loving it”.
Fond memories of TT:
Jamie is still in touch with Jonathan Miller, Rob Edelmann, Marcia K., several folks on Facebook, and bumped into Howie Cooper on the streets of New York City, on “8th Avenue I believe, that was a shocker!”.
“At 85, my memories of TT are a bit dim. I remember taxis to 103 Street where the first building was. I did love school, and with one exception, the teachers. There was one chap who could not abide anything but the strictest self discipline from us. It was some years later that I connected his strictness with the Holocaust. [During recesses] we used to etch a marble course into the sand so we could play marbles. It was quite extensive, like a miniature golf course. I was privileged from time to time to walk the two blocks to the Edmonton Journal printers to get tail end rolls of newsprint for the school. I was allowed to use the gelatine hectograph (old copy machine) which my mother disliked because I sometimes came home with ink on my clothes. When the school moved to just south of Stony Plain Road, it was close enough to our house that I could bike to it, or walk in the winter. When I graduated and went to junior high school I found it strange that it was all in English.”
“I studied Electronic Engineering at the U of A and did well my first two years. Summer times were taken up being in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as an officer cadet. I got to do stuff like jumping out of an airplane. Most of the work was electronic and radar. In my third year I did so badly that I was told never to darken their door again. I spent the next year in the Yukon working for Canadian National Telecommunications (CNT). I begged my way back into the university and did well in my repeated third year.”
“The beginning of my fourth year was great, but not for academic reasons. I found myself with a girlfriend, Roberta Sheps, from Calgary. We married after graduation and, 62 years later, we still are. I developed hardware and software skills by working on the first mini computer (DEC PDP8), and then worked at the brand new Bell Canada Research Institute in the computer section. Then there was a three year appointment to the Atomic Energy Research Station (non-military) in the UK.”
Dave and Roberta were blessed with two children; Vivenne was born in 1969 just before they moved from Berkshire to Essex, England. Dave taught the first computer sicence course for undergraduates in the UK. They then adopted their son Tony (after an 18 month search). Dave writes that, as a baby, Tony was considered in those days to be “borderline unadoptable” (being black and having club feet). “He is one terrific kid”, Dave writes, and is an accountant, helping Dave with all the DIY stuff and other things he cannot do, and taking care of Roberta while Dave was in the hospital (having lost his leg). After teaching computer science for 40 years, Dave became heavily involved in theatre doing admin and lighting, while Roberta acted and directed. He became very interested in students with disabilities and became the university’s disability officer. Of course, the disability field became very personal once Vivienne was diagnosed with MS at the age of fifteen. “She was quite a gal; physics PhD, a senior scientific officer, sky diver and rock headbanger.” Tragically, Vivienne passed away in 2021.
At age 60, Dave “became chair of the charity Opportunities through Technology, which operated under the social model of disability: client driven”. For 12 years that the charity existed, Dave writes proudly that they had about 1,500 clients with a 95% success rate. When he retired at age 65, the university made him an honourary fellow and keeps in contact with the department to this day. Of course, Dave cannot be idle, and keeps busy running a small jazz club (Fleece Jazz) in the UK, where he is the “sound guy”. He’s also on the committee of the Suffolk Villages Festival, which “holds concerts of early music, with a professional orchestra, a great choir and world class soloists. The jazz club gets top musicians from the UK, Europe and sometimes the US”.
Thank you, Dave Lyons, for sharing your story with us. Interested in re-connecting with Dave? You are welcome to reach out to Natalie at nataliesoroka@talmudtorahsociety.com. (Jan. 2024)
To say that my Jewish upbringing and my time at Talmud Torah had a profound impact on my life is an understatement. Professionally, Judaism is part of my every day as the current Editor of Alberta Jewish News, formally Edmonton Jewish News, the newspaper that has been in my family for over 30 years. In addition to my work with Alberta Jewish News, I am also the Advertising Lead with Alberta Native News, and a Statistical Research Consultant with Raze Sports, an NHLPA Certified Player Agency. Personally speaking, my best friends from my earliest years at Talmud Torah continue to be my best friends to this day.
As Editor of the province’s only Jewish newspaper, I do my best to stay up to date on current events in the Edmonton and Calgary communities and beyond. That means checking in with organizations, attending events, keeping my fingers on the pulse of the community, and making sure that every month we produce a newspaper that the Alberta Jewish community can be proud of. The Judaic knowledge base, including my study of Hebrew, Judaic culture, religion, and history (both biblical and current), is integral to producing content that I know Jewish Alberta will enjoy. To this day I’m still using techniques that Rob Petrovic taught me in our computing classes in Junior high. HTML to work on our websites, photo-editing and graphic design techniques to build ads and graphics for the newspapers, websites, and NHL player strategy presentations. If you’d ever like to see my humble beginnings working with graphics, find a copy of our Grade 9 yearbook which features 18 photo edits, one for each of my classmates (shout out DEL, the computing company we started in grade 9…..we maybe should have kept that going ha!).
If you’re not already a subscriber, I encourage you to visit us online or on Facebook or pick up a free copy of Alberta Jewish News at your nearest Jewish organization. If you’re reading this newsletter, I have a feeling you’re going to love Alberta Jewish News.
The personal relationships I made at Talmud Torah were just as important as the lessons I learned in the classroom. From the very start, there was a core group of us and we were inseparable, and it’s just as true today. Even though decades have passed, both in terms of time, and life events, we are all still best friends, and it’s those relationships that I value most from my time at Talmud Torah, K-9.
“I was born in Edmonton in 1932 and we lived on 112 St and 99 Ave. I attended the Edmonton Talmud Torah school located at 103 St., just south of Jasper Ave. I remember being taught half-day of the English curriculum and half-day of Hebrew, which is something that I never questioned – it was just the way it was. My experience at Talmud Torah was positive in all aspects. It was an integral part of my professional and family life. However, I did not stay connected in a meaningful way with any of my classmates, although Mel Hurtig z”l was the exception, as we were also neighbours growing up. I have lived in Toronto since the late 1950s, although my parents remained in Edmonton for the rest of their lives. I have two daughters who were born and raised in Toronto (Natalie and Rona). My eldest daughter, Natalie (in picture), moved to Edmonton right after getting married to her husband, Ken, who had been living in Toronto for almost three years. Her husband, Ken, is a Class of 1969 Grade 6 graduate of Talmud Torah at the Glenora location. It does my heart good that not only did I benefit from a fine education at Talmud Torah, but both my Edmonton granddaughters, Marlee Soroka (Class of 2010) and Jenna Soroka (Class of 2012) attended there from pre-school to Grade 9. In fact, my first-born granddaughter, Marlee, just finished her second year of teaching at Talmud Torah.
I attended the University of Alberta earning a BSc in Electrical Engineering in 1954. One of my former Engineering Professors was David Panar z”l, who years earlier had taken a sabbatical to actively participate in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. After graduation, I was accepted for a fellowship to train in England from 1954-1956.
Upon returning to Canada, I moved to Toronto and spent most of my career as a partner with the Toronto mechanical and electrical consulting engineering firm, ECE Group (originally formed in 1955), whose founding principals were Jewish. I was the President of the firm until my retirement at age 65. My biggest accomplishment as President was to make the firm 100% employee owned. ECE acquired a considerable reputation for award-winning work. Notable projects include landmarks such as the National Art Gallery of Canada, the National Archives of Canada, and the Toronto Eaton Centre.
I have been retired for 25 years and enjoy living in in Toronto with my beautiful wife, Hyla. We enjoy it when our daughter, Natalie, visits us (sometimes with Marlee and Jenna) and gives us updates on what’s happening at Talmud Torah School. I’m always interested in hearing how Talmud Torah is doing, and pleased that it is strong and viable, 111 years after it was first established in 1912. Living in Toronto it was very expensive, even back then, to send your child to private Hebrew schools. This was one of the reasons my daughters only attended a Sunday Hebrew school. Today, it is over-the-top expensive at any of the private Hebrew day schools in Toronto. When I learned that my granddaughters were going to be attending Talmud Torah School, I was thrilled knowing they would be getting an exceptional Judaic and Hebrew education, along with an equally wonderful education through Edmonton Public Schools. Jewish families in Edmonton are very lucky that they can send their children to a Jewish public school at such a low cost.”
*David passed away August 2024, one month shy of his 92nd birthday.
When we moved into our house, my wife started picking through my box of Talmud Torah documents. On my “About Me” profile from the first day of kindergarten was written “When I grow up I want to be a… teacher.” After kindergarten, I went on to write Jewish songs, make Jewish board games- all
the classic Jewish TT experiences, including going to Israel with my classmates at the end of grade 9. That Israel experience left me wanting more, and thirty years after that day in kindergarten, I am in my 13th year teaching at TT.
Earlier this year, the kindergarten assistant who wrote that down for me was teaching in the classroom next to mine. I take pride in this community offering Jewish experiences from Cradle to Grave and I
teach my students about them. I’m also lucky to have had many of these experiences and to continue sharing them with my family and Jewish network.
For example, my two-year-old son enjoys PJ Library books and programs, and he is named after my Dad’s best friend, whom he met in BBYO. He’s also named after my grandmother, who volunteered with my grandfather at the JCC in the ’80s when he was the director there. Noam is currently distracting me by showing off a craft he made with his teacher at Talmud Torah’s Early Learning Centre, whose three children were my students over the last seven years. No less than six of Noam’s classmates’ parents were in TT or BBYO with me. I have taken up residence in Toronto and Tel Aviv along the way, but my roots are deep in Edmonton’s Jewish community, giving me great cause to work every day, trying to help the next generation grow deep roots as well. So where am I now? Not far from where I was then! Just instead of seeing Shabbat Shalom on the chalkboard, I’m writing it on the Smartboard.
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Richard (Rick) Ostashower, TT class of ’68. Rick provided me with a wealth of information, both informative and humorous. He lives in Calgary with his wife, Shoo, and their three dogs. Rick has 40+ years in the Canadian Military, achieving the rank of Master Warrant Officer and holding the appointment of Sergeant Major. He worked 12 years as a Firearms Officer, Inspection Officer, Investigation Officers and adjunct Armourer with the Calgary Police Service, and member of 4 Canadian Brigade Group Counter Terrorist Team. (Natalie Soroka)
“I think a Jewish education is critical. When I was at TT, starting in grade two, we had a half day of Hebrew, with ½ hour for either French or PT and a half day of English with ½ hour again for either French or PT. This was years before French was even offered at the Jr. High level. We thought this was normal. You go to school to learn. It never occurred to us that we were doing a full day’s curriculum in half a day and then doing it again in Hebrew, along with religious studies. If you’re lucky, you have an atmosphere of support that makes learning all the more enjoyable.
The absolute top of the list of staff memories, bar none, were Mike and his wife Lisa, the Caretaker and the Cook. Everyone knew and loved them, and they returned it. I treasure the memories of Lisa coming to see me on macaroni and cheese days because she knew how much I loved the crust. Others probably got it, too, but I remember her coming straight to me. And Mr. Yedlin, who by grade six came up to about my shoulders. He so terrified all of us; “I want it so quiet in here that I can hear A PIN DROP!” but come to him with a question or a concern, and you got his undivided attention. Mr. Chetner, too, was an imposing figure, but approachable.“
Rick recounted a memory of meeting up with one of his TT classmates, 50 years later, at the annual Robbie Bernstein Dinner at Beth Tzedec in Calgary. “At one point, a man approached me and, with awe, asked if he could take a picture of me because, in my regalia (Calgary Highlanders formal Mess Dress – kilt, assorted knives, etc.), I was the spitting image of a guy he had gone to school with (Dave Wilkins). I said certainly.
He came and stood beside me and mentioned Dave’s name, which took me somewhat by surprise as, to the best of my knowledge, Dave’s not Jewish (I knew him too). I said so, and this guy, much shorter than I am, I was astounded and literally at a loss for words. I asked him what his name was, and he replied, “Mike, Mike Paull”. You could have knocked me over with a feather. We had been in the same group from Kindergarten through grade six, attended all the Bar Mitzvahs together, and then went through different schools. We hadn’t seen each other in almost 50 years, with me leaving so soon after graduation. I looked at Mike and said, “I’m Rick Ostashower.” The range of emotions that went over his face, and I’m sure mine, was staggering. After a few seconds, he stepped closer and hugged me as hard as I’d ever been clutched. I returned the compliment. We spent the next few minutes being dragged around and introduced or re-introduced to people I hadn’t seen as long as or longer than Mike. We wound up being introduced to Maxine Fischbein, who I vaguely remembered as being a classmate of my sister Jane. We wound up with an invitation for a Shabbat Dinner. It was a delightful evening, and we were made to feel most welcome.”
One of my favourite memories goes all the way back to my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Rosenberg. Our relationship was very special! She often reminded me how she admired my “red” hair as she was a redhead herself and she loved my freckles. As years went by, anytime I would see Mrs. Rosenberg at a function in our community she reminded me that I was and would always remain special to her. Each visit consisted of hugs as well. I also recall enjoying Mike and Lisa’s meals in the lunchroom. My most favorite was the crunchy mac n’ cheese. I always looked forward to singing the pre and post lunch prayers in Hebrew.
Throughout my elementary years at TT, I grew to love learning the Hebrew language. Any chance that I had to practice amongst teachers, family and Jewish holidays (such as reading from the Haggadah at Pesach) was fulfilling for me. I found the language to be beautiful, and took a strong liking to songs and prayers at TT and onward. I enjoyed the Jewish traditions that I learned at school, through my parents, grandparents, great grandparents and family.
My grades were better in Hebrew and French compared to the English subjects. Upon graduating from grade 6, I felt very comfortable to read, write, understand and converse in the two languages outside of English. I kept in touch with my French teacher Mr. Bigras even up until recently. Following grade 6, I went to Crestwood Elementary Jr. High for grades 7 & 8 then onto Parkview Elementary Jr. High for grade 9. Upon graduating I went to Ross Sheppard Composite High School and graduated in 1977.
Throughout high school I worked part time at my Dad’s ladies wear store Burdines to gain work experience. Sadly, after graduating, it seemed most of my Jewish friends went onto other cities and my relationships with friends changed. Over the years we have had a few school reunions which brought us back together where we enjoyed the opportunity to catch up!
After grade 12, I got involved with a few employment agencies and did clerical work in various office settings. I enjoyed working with these agencies and thought that I could become a “headhunter” helping people to find jobs. I gave this a try for a few years and enjoyed it very much. The recession in the early ’80s caused many agencies to close and I needed to figure out my next career move.
An opportunity came up for me to try an aerobic class in the fall of 1980 and I enjoyed it immensely (as I have a dance background) and decided to get certified and become an instructor. I worked for the City of Edmonton Parks & Recreation, YMCA, various fitness centres, and for both Edmonton separate and public school boards. I opened several downtown fitness classes at noon and after hours for employees in buildings, and with the CNIB, just to name a few. With my dance background this was a great fit and led to a career as an instructor teaching various classes, personal training and nutrition consulting.
As part of my fitness career, I worked in Lake Louise as a program director for a health and lifestyle retreat for women for 4 years. An awesome and memorable experience! Currently, I have a home based fitness studio where clients come for personal training. I also specialize in programs for older adults with emphasis on slowing down degeneration and focusing on mobility and functional movements to improve quality of life. I continue to be passionate about making a difference in people’s lives with their health and fitness needs.
My personal life is a bit of a LOVE story! My mom would always ask me to make a wish prior to cutting my birthday cakes. From the time I was 15 years old, one of my annual wishes was to one day share my life with my soulmate and first love, Don Charnaw. We dated for 7.5 years, apart for 15, then reunited at a family Bar Mitzvah. For 8 months during the period of time when Don was winding down in B.C. to make his move back, we spoke daily and wrote love letters daily/weekly. We called them our weekly “logs” where we shared what we did everyday and our thoughts of each other to keep us going until THE BIG DAY! These were mailed weekly and we still have them. I felt like I was the luckiest girl when he told me that he wanted to move back to Edmonton to share his life with me.
We are blessed to remain healthy, to travel when possible as we continue to have active careers, enjoy the outdoors and share time with friends and family. Each day is truly special that we get to wake up and go to bed beside each other!
Interested in connecting with Karen or Don? Email Natalie Soroka today!
Although Don has lost touch with many of his TT classmates, he is very grateful to TT
because of the lifelong friendships that have stood the test of time to this day. He loves
getting together with Randy Soifer, Glenn Cohen and Ron Samuels a couple of times a
year for lunch and golf.
He recalls with fondness cooks Mike and Lisa’s hot dog lunches on Fridays, as well as
the wooden door. “Some of my classmates who read this will remember.”
Following grade 6, Don went on to Westminster Jr High, Ross Sheppard High School
and then to the University of Alberta. His friends from TT were right there with him. They
then went their separate ways. “I went to B.C. to be part of the Okanagan Sun coaching
staff. I spent five years in Kelowna and was very involved with the small Jewish
Community. I even blew Shofar during high holidays. Some of my Hebrew teachers
would be schlepping naches!”
While in Kelowna Don’s personal athletic pursuits switched from team to individual, as he pursued long distance running and triathlon. “I was lucky enough to wear the Israeli team colours in two Ironman triathlons and one Olympic distance.”
(Picture: Don and his Dad at the Canadian Ironman Championships in Penticton 1992.)
Don’s career has been long and varied, but the last 25 years after he came back to
Edmonton have been spent in the nonprofit sector. Currently, after being retired for 2.5
years, he was recruited to work with the Prostrate Cancer Centre in Calgary to bring a project to Edmonton and Northern Alberta. As a prostate cancer survivor himself, this is a passion project for him.
If you would like to reconnect with Don, please email
nataliesoroka@talmudtorahsociety.com
I have nothing but fond memories of Talmud Torah, despite receiving the strap (in what seems to me) on average once a week during grades one and two. I am sure I deserved it, for I also recall being something of an unruly scamp in those early, rambunctious years. Nevertheless, Talmud Torah laid the foundation […]
I went to Jasper Place High School and U of A for my Education degree and have always lived in Edmonton. I’ve been to Israel a few times, a variety of places in the States, Aruba, Mexico. Most of our travels now, (once COVID is over) will be to see our children and granddaughter in […]
Hello, I am Melissa Benjamin and I am a TT alumna. I attended Talmud Torah from Kindergarten to Grade 9. From there I graduated from Ross Sheppard High school and received my Bachelor of Management Degree-Major in Finance from University of Lethbridge. I worked many years at RBC in the financial industry and was now […]
My time at TT undoubtedly shaped the rest of my life, especially professionally. I developed an interest in video production sometime around grade 2, and played around with the camera at home. I started borrowing that big VHS shoulder mount camera, bringing it to school to use for my projects around grade 4. Up until I […]
Jamie graduated from Ross Sheppard High School and then on to Alberta College. In 1978 she moved to Vancouver for a couple of years, and then set her sights on Amsterdam where she attended Rietveld Academie for Fine Arts, from 1980 to 1988. Jamie graduated from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto in 1990, […]
“At 85, my memories of TT are a bit dim. I remember taxis to 103 Street where the first building was. I did love school, and with one exception, the teachers. There was one chap who could not abide anything but the strictest self discipline from us. It was some years later that I connected […]
To say that my Jewish upbringing and my time at Talmud Torah had a profound impact on my life is an understatement. Professionally, Judaism is part of my every day as the current Editor of Alberta Jewish News, formally Edmonton Jewish News, the newspaper that has been in my family for over 30 years. In […]
“I was born in Edmonton in 1932 and we lived on 112 St and 99 Ave. I attended the Edmonton Talmud Torah school located at 103 St., just south of Jasper Ave. I remember being taught half-day of the English curriculum and half-day of Hebrew, which is something that I never questioned – it was […]
When we moved into our house, my wife started picking through my box of Talmud Torah documents. On my “About Me” profile from the first day of kindergarten was written “When I grow up I want to be a… teacher.” After kindergarten, I went on to write Jewish songs, make Jewish board games- allthe classic […]
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Richard (Rick) Ostashower, TT class of ’68. Rick provided me with a wealth of information, both informative and humorous. He lives in Calgary with his wife, Shoo, and their three dogs. Rick has 40+ years in the Canadian Military, achieving the rank of Master Warrant Officer and […]
One of my favourite memories goes all the way back to my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Rosenberg. Our relationship was very special! She often reminded me how she admired my “red” hair as she was a redhead herself and she loved my freckles. As years went by, anytime I would see Mrs. Rosenberg at a function […]
Although Don has lost touch with many of his TT classmates, he is very grateful to TTbecause of the lifelong friendships that have stood the test of time to this day. He lovesgetting together with Randy Soifer, Glenn Cohen and Ron Samuels a couple of times ayear for lunch and golf. He recalls with fondness […]
Hannah attended TT from KG to Gr. 6. “I appreciated learning Hebrew there (and even a little French), which has served me well since I moved to Israel and made Aliyah in 1999. Hannah’s last two children were born in Israel and are Sabras. Her youngest son, Avi, 19, went to kindergarten at TT and […]
Joseph Tappenden attended Talmud Torah from Kindergarten to Grade 9, graduating Grade 6 in 1999. His classmates and teachers knew him, and continue to know him, as Joey. Joey’s most cherished friendships were formed as a result of his time spent at Talmud Torah. Some of Joey’s fondest memories are: Currently living in Calgary, Joey […]
I attended Jewish preschool at the JCC before embarking on my TT tutelage in 1997. I remained at TT until completing grade 6 in 2004 and look back on this period as some of my most formative years. During this time, I made lifelong friends, one of who’s wedding I am attending this summer. Some […]
Rick attended TT from Kindergarten to Grade 6. He has stayed in close contact with two classmates, John Goldsand and Howie Winestock. As well, he has been able to stay connected with Tslilah and Gershon Barzel. Some of Rick’s fondest memories from his TT days include: Rick has been married to Nikki for over 33 […]
Jeff attended Talmud Torah School in the Glenora location and graduated in 1974. Jeff was really dating himself because he wrote that he attended TT from nursery to Grade 6. Only those of us who were born in the ’60s and ’70s use the term nursery school, as opposed to playschool or preschool! Some of […]
Hannah attended TT from KG to Gr. 6. “I appreciated learning Hebrew there (and even a little French), which has served me well since I moved to Israel and made Aliyah in 1999. Hannah’s last two children were born in Israel and are Sabras. Her youngest son, Avi, 19, went to kindergarten at TT and was taught by Robin Marcus. He is serving in the special forces combat unit of the IDF Nahal brigade.” Her daughter, Liat (who also attended TT with Ms. Soifer and was elected mayor of her Grade 2 class - twice!) recently married and planning to join Hannah in Israel. Her middle son graduated from the Technion university in Haifa in their engineering program. “Our eldest daughter made Aliyah with us at 16 years old. She married her ‘prince” - a music composer and video producer, and they have 5 beautiful children, all living in the mountains of Judea.”
“I appreciate that I received a Jewish education at TT, as well as a love for Israel and it laid a good foundation for me in my life. I have been self employed for the last 20 years as an advocate for Israel in the nations Canada, U.S., Poland and Japan, as well as online now over social media. I teach Torah studies online (parashat Hashavua) and have authored several books on Biblical subjects. I also volunteer teaching classes to women who have been victims of domestic abuse at a women’s shelter in the Negev. I am also involved in animal rescue in Southern Israel as a volunteer.” Hannah is currently living in the Negev and loves the “peacefulness of the desert”.
I loved learning about the culture and enjoyed picking up a few Hebrew phrases. The community was welcoming and inquisitive. Honey showed me what it meant to be a teacher; how to bring out the best in each student (build the relationship first, teach them second), and she modeled how to welcome and mentor new teachers into the profession. She said, “We’re a team and I hope we can plan and implement our program together.” And that’s what we did – she shared everything with me, and honoured and used my ideas too. I never forgot that.
The JH program at TT was established in 1997 and the next year, 1998, Lesley Heppleston and I became the JH Core teachers. I learned so much from Lesley, an experienced and highly skilled teacher and we became a dynamic team. That year, September 1998, there were Gr. 7 and Gr. 8 students enrolled, and we built from there- WE being staff, parents, Board Members, the community.
I taught in the JH program for 6 years and it was undoubtedly a highlight of my 30-year career. One of those six years, we maxed out our JH student enrolment with 65+ students representing all 3 grade levels. It was exciting to be a part of building something from the ground up with such dedicated and passionate people. Some of those students I taught for 3 years – grades 7, 8 and 9; I am still connected to many of them online. I learned a lot about the Jewish religion, culture, and community. I participated in school cultural celebrations, attended Bar mitzvahs and Bat mitzvahs, and accompanied two groups of students, along with Hebrew Curriculum Coordinator, Nurit Reshef, to Israel for their Gr. 9 trip.
During my 6 years with the JH, I taught English Language Arts, Social Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Drama. Teaching drama alongside a parent, Michelle Miller, and learning from her was another gift I received at TT. Over the 7 years I taught at TT, I worked with 5 Principals (Phyllis Levine, Honey Weinlos-Issacs, Tom Davey, Scott Miller and Pat March) and many wonderful staff.
I was asked to share favourite memories, some which I have woven in; there are so many wonderful memories that it’s difficult to pick but I’ll highlight a few.
I left Talmud Torah with mixed emotions at the end of the 2003 -2004 year. It was hard to leave a place and a community that I loved. A new opportunity presented itself and everything aligned in my favour.
“Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.” – Anne Frank
I’m forever grateful that early in my career I chose to teach at Talmud Torah. The school and the community will forever hold a special place in my heart. With fondness, Debbie Jackson
