After three decades of working for the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, including eight years as CEO, Elaine Goldstine has seen the community grow and change quite dramatically. She is retiring in August. 

Goldstine, 68 this year, was born and raised in Winnipeg. She started working part-time in 1993 in fundraising for what was then called the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council. In 2015 she was appointed head of the federation, the first woman in that role.

During her 30 years of involvement with the federation, Goldstine has seen many changes in the Jewish community in Winnipeg. One of the biggest was the creation of the Asper Jewish Community Campus in 1993—something she helped to fundraise for.

“It brought a number of Jewish organizations into one place and was very positive in terms of reviving the community,” she said. “It has become a hub for the community.”

She has also witnessed the movement of Jews from Winnipeg’s north end, which was once home to most of the members of the Jewish community, to seeing them live all over the city, including the south end.

Immigration of Jews from places like South America, Mexico and Israel has also revitalized the community, she said, and helped to shore up the population.

“I’m seeing a lot of people visit Winnipeg, then decide to settle here,” she said, noting there is an active group of volunteers who meet newcomers at the airport, give them tours and provide settlement services.

“It’s changed the whole flavour of the community,” she said, noting she likes hearing English, Spanish and Hebrew when she walks the halls of the Asper Campus.

The arrival of newcomers has helped stabilize the Jewish population in the city, which is around 14,000—a five percent rise since 2011. But along with immigrants, young people who grew up in Winnipeg, but left for other cities in Canada, are also returning. 

“We’re seeing a number of young people with kids decide to come back from places like Toronto or Vancouver to be closer to their families, and also because housing is much more affordable in Winnipeg,” she said. “That’s really nice to see.”

One constant during her time at the federation has been antisemitism, which is also now on the rise.

“It’s not as bad as in some other places, but it is still happening here, too,” Goldstine said. “I hear about it in the schools, on the playgrounds, on social media. It’s really unfortunate and they say it is only going to get worse. It’s really quite sad.”

Another constant has been the federation’s support for Israel, although recent developments have been cause for concern. In March, she and federation president Gustavo Zentner sent a message to the Winnipeg Jewish community in which they spoke about the growing polarization in Israel over the government’s proposed judicial reforms.

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would temporarily suspend discussion about the reform, they applauded that decision, noting it demonstrated “the power of democracy through civil discourse, debate, and peaceful protest.”

Being the voice of the federation when it comes to Israel is a huge responsibility, she said, adding “everyone has an opinion and we are free to disagree.”

For Goldstine, listening to others has an important aspect of her time as CEO. “It’s a challenge when people are upset and angry, but it’s still so important to listen to them,” she said.

Looking back, fundraising has also been a constant in her life. “I spend about half my time in this job raising money,” she said, adding it gives her satisfaction to help the 12 Jewish organizations supported by the federation. 

Goldstine praises the organization’s staff and volunteers for its fundraising success, and also the generous donors in Winnipeg’s Jewish community. “We raise more money per capita than any other Jewish community in North America,” she said.  In 2021-2022, the federation raised $6.2 million, from 2176 donors, according to its annual report.

At the same time, fundraising has grown harder, due to increased competition for donations. “We want to be sure the organizations we support are sustainable and healthy in the future,” she said.

After retiring, Goldstine—a mother of two sons—intends to spend more time with her family and granddaughter, relax at the family cottage, and do some traveling. “And not worry about the phone ringing and all the emails to answer,” she said with a laugh.