Obituary: Elexis Schloss, 78, an Edmonton entrepreneur and philanthropist who also performed quiet acts of kindness
Elexis (Conn) Schloss, a vibrant entrepreneur and philanthropist who supported a wide array of causes, both in and beyond Edmonton, died in Victoria on Oct. 31. She was 78. Her enterprising and altruistic efforts were recognized in 2013 when she was made a member of the Order of Canada, “for contributions as a visionary and […]
Obituary: Ronald Weiss, 68, a musical doctor who performed a record-breaking 58,789 non-surgical vasectomies
Ronald Weiss was disciplined and determined, personal qualities that he applied to his first love of music—and then to his medical career. He was affectionately known as the “Wayne Gretzky of Vasectomies,” performing 58,789 procedures. Colleagues estimated that he performed more vasectomies than any other doctor in the Western Hemisphere. Weiss retired in 2021 after […]
Obituary: Lloyd Newman, 90, a passionate supporter of Nova Scotia’s cultural groups and Jewish community
Lloyd Newman, who built a family clothing business into a 20-store chain, served on the board of nearly arts institution and Jewish organization in his adopted province of Nova Scotia. A successful businessperson, Newman also personally advocated for refugees and was the first to welcome them to Halifax. Newman died Sept. 30 in Halifax. He […]
Ori Borenstein, 32, an IDF reservist whose father was from Toronto, killed in an ambush the day before Yom Kippur
Ori Moshe Borenstein, 32, a Canadian-Israeli reservist, was killed in an ambush while serving with the IDF in Gaza on Oct. 10. He died as a hero, protecting others in his convoy, his father Avi Borenstein said in an interview from the family’s home in Israel. Ori, who held the rank of Master Sergeant, was […]
Obituary: Marty Zatzman, 71, a teacher and musician considered the heart and soul of Nova Scotia’s Camp Kadimah
Marty Zatzman was a musician and science teacher whose time at Camp Kadimah in Nova Scotia—first as a camper and later as a director—shaped his life. Zatzman died in Toronto on Yom Kippur morning, Oct. 12. He was 71. His friend Les Aaron knew him as “a great musician, a very smart guy but very […]
A tribute to Gloria Fuerstenberg—whose artwork once graced the front page of The Canadian Jewish News
Gloria Fuerstenberg (née Lidsky), who passed away on Oct. 3, 2023, as remembered by Janine Muller Sherr, a close friend. As the leaves turn from green to vibrant hues of red and gold, I think of our dear friend Gloria, and of how much she would have been thrilled to experience another stunning Canadian autumn. […]
Obituary: Sheila Kussner, 91, whose Hope & Cope advocated for people living with cancer
Everyone in Montreal seems to know Sheila Kussner and Hope & Cope, the charity for cancer patients that she founded. Her extraordinary accomplishments and the news of her death at age 91 on Aug. 6 elicited a shockwave and outpouring of love across Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Kussner was “a dear friend” to […]
Obituary: Beverly Spanier, 78, became an advocate for patients’ rights during the pandemic
“She had the courage to keep being angry for all the right reasons,” her friend recalls.
Obituary: Irving Leibgott, 100, whose work as a tailor spared his life in the Holocaust and helped him write a new chapter in Canada
His father was a tailor, all his uncles were tailors, and he was determined not to be a tailor. But being a tailor not only saved Irving Leibgott from almost certain death during the war, but also served as his passport to a new life in Canada as part of The Tailor Project. Leibgott died […]
Obituary: Peter Rosenthal, 82, a Toronto professor and lawyer who saw the beauty in both exploring mathematics and representing social-justice activists
Peter Rosenthal, a mathematics professor who embraced social justice and became a lawyer representing a who’s who of left-wing activists in Canada during his career, died in Toronto on May 25. He was 82. He was a proud Marxist and described himself as a “red diaper baby” whose activism was inspired by his mother Esther […]
