WBJE is:
- a proud member of Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS)
- an active member of the Manitoba Federation of Independent Schools (MFIS)
- a grateful beneficiary of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg (JFW), which supports our bursary assistance program, ensuring a Jewish day school education remains accessible to all in our community.
WBJE’s key responsibilities:
- ensures that Gray Academy’s mission is fulfilled
- provides policy guidance and operational oversight of Gray Academy
- maintains Gray Academy’s financial security and infrastructure; to provide the resources necessary to fulfill its mission on an ongoing basis
- helps Gray Academy maintain the highest standards of academic excellence and Jewish values
View our 2018-2019 Annual Report:
WBJE Members
Executive
Sean Shore, President
Sean has been practising law in Winnipeg since 1995. He has two daughters who attend Gray Academy in Grades 8 and 11.
Bruce Caplan, Secretary
Bruce is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Licensed Insolvency Trustee. He is a past president of Jewish Child & Family Service and has two daughters attending Gray Academy in Grades 8 and 10.
Diane Shindleman, Treasurer
Diane is a CPA, CGA and is a manager of Corporate Finance. She has been a volunteer on the finance committee and a board member since 2011. Diane’s daughter is in Grade 10 at Gray Academy.
Directors
Jen Dimerman, Gray Academy Parent Association (GAPA) Representative
Jen earned her Bachelor of Social Work from University of Manitoba in 1997. She previously served as Vice President of GAPA and coordinates the Elementary School Hot Lunch program. Jennifer has two sons attending Gray Academy in Grades 6 and 9.
Evgeny Gotfrid (’13)
Evgeny is an entrepreneur and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the I.H. Asper School of Business, with the intent to major in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He is an active member of the Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization at the U of M. Born in Ukraine and raised in Israel, Evgeny came to Canada in Grade 4 and attended Gray Academy until graduation.
Richard Hechter
Richard Hechter is an Associate Professor of Science Education and Acting Department Head in the Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the University of Manitoba. Before joining the academy, Richard was a high school physics and science teacher for 11 years at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate.
Tara Kozlowich (’94)
Tara earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree with a double major in Marketing and Management from the I.H. Asper School of Business. After several years in Toronto, Tara and her husband returned to Winnipeg. Their two daughters are in Grades 6 and 3 at Gray Academy.
Laura Kravetsky-Chisick (’99)
Laura is an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba in the Department of Internal Medicine. She practises as an internist on the medical wards at the Health Sciences Centre and an obstetric internist in her clinic. After graduating from Gray Academy in 1999, she went on to earn a Masters of Science from the University of British Columbia and her MD at the University of Manitoba. Laura’s two children are in Grade 2 and Junior Kindergarten at Gray Academy.
Cindy Lazar (’87)
Cindy has been a labour lawyer for over 20 years, currently serves on many boards and committees and is a very active volunteer within the Jewish community. Cindy has two children attending Gray Academy in Grades 7 and 4.
Rabbi Matthew Leibl (’03), COR Representative
A proud graduate of Gray Academy, Matthew has been involved in synagogue life since he was 19 years old, when he began working at Congregation Shaarey Zedek as a Torah reader and Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor. He studied journalism at the University of King’s College in Halifax and worked for six years as a radio host with TSN 1290 before studying to become a rabbi.
Marla Levene (’93)
Marla is a lawyer and has been a member of the WBJE since 2011. She has two children attending Gray Academy in Grades 6 and 9.
Josh Weinstein (’89)
Josh is a lawyer, practising almost exclusively in the area of criminal defence. He has appeared at all levels of court in Manitoba and at the Supreme Court of Canada. Josh has been a guest lecturer at the Law Society of Manitoba’s Continuing Legal Education program, a CPLED instructor for articling students, a teacher at the Winnipeg Police Training Academy, and a regular presenter at the annual conference of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association. He has two children, one at in Grade 7 Gray Academy and one in Grade 5 at Balmoral Hall.
Ex-Officio Members
- Tracy Kasner (’94), Past-President
- Lori Binder (’91), Head of School and WBJE CEO
- Carlos Benesdra, CPA,CMA, Chief Financial Officer
- Ron van der Hooft, WJSTA Vice-President