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Published

Self-Published 

The Unexpected Visit from the Prophetic Sam and Lucy

A children’s book for adults inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita.

Story, photographs and book design by Irena Karshenbaum (2014)

 

Shalom Salam: A Celebration of Persian Jewish and Bukharian Culture (2014)

Cultural exhibition catalogue about the Shalom Salam cultural festival held at the Calgary JCC February 20 to March 9, 2013.

Story, photographs and book design by Irena Karshenbaum (2014)

Essays
The Little Synagogue in Me: How the Lost 1916 Montefiore Institute Came to Calgary’s Heritage Park, Contributing essay to Jewish Life and Times (Volume 10)
The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, Winnipeg (Spring, 2024)

 

The Little Synagogue on the Canadian Prairie, Contributing blog

The Baron Hirsch Jewish Farmers Community Blog: Finding Stories of Jewish Farmers in the New World and their Descendants Worldwide.

Silver Springs, MD, USA (April 17, 2023)

The Little Synagogue in Me, a Journey Within, Contributing essay

Living Legacies: A Collection of Writing by Contemporary Canadian Jewish Women Volume II

Published by PK Press, Toronto (2010)

Editing

60 Years of Hope: Providing Hope, Enriching Lives and Strengthening Communities since 1961 

Researched and written by Dr. Donna Crawford

Contributing editor

Published by JFSC, Calgary (2023)

Newspapers & Magazines

Opinion Editorials in the Calgary Herald

Barron Building restoration a celebration for Calgary and a win for heritage — April 1, 2023

Remembering Mikhail Gorbachev, 29 years after his visit to Calgary — September 11, 2022

We’re losing access to our public spaces — January 16, 2014

It’s time to take our past into the future — November 2, 2013

Historic districts are built one building at a time — November 14, 2012

Anchor of the oil patch deserves to be restored — November 20, 2011

Municipal Complex could become Calgary’s living room — June 8, 2011

The uselessness of private grass — September 13, 2010

They paved paradise, put up the parking lot price — August 1, 2010

City policies mean downtown just for the rich — July 4, 2010

More God’s armpit spaces needed — June 6, 2010

Plus 15s make human hamsters of us all — May 2, 2010

Cemeteries are heritage and green spaces, too — March 26, 2010

Brewing up more culture — August 29, 2009

Want a better city? We can take some lessons from Spain — November 8, 2008

Only thing that will save us is the three-bedroom condo — June 10, 2008

Eau Claire Market needs creativity, not wrecking ball — March 16, 2008

Sandstone school needs a champion — August 14, 2007

Bring back charm of natural chaos — March 23, 2007

Let’s get culture back in Calgary — January 9, 2007

May EnCana inspire the others — October 18, 2006

Give us, at least, heritage’s facade — August 25, 2006

Disposable chic rules in Calgary — August 14, 2006

Saving our heritage from the bulldozer — June 2, 2006

What if Jane Jacobs had been our guide? — May 11, 2006

Tax breaks help save our heritage — March 31, 2006

Architecture can be true civic art — February 20, 2006

Arts also need help from private sector — December 19, 2005

Wealthy Alberta neglects its arts — December 5, 2005

 

Arts, Culture, History & Heritage

Tony Award Winning Play, ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ Comes To Calgary: Oct. 15 – Nov. 3 — October 11, 2024

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

Peter Caspari — September 19, 2024

The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, Toronto

Jenny Belzberg Receives Canada’s Highest Honour For A Lifetime Of Volunteer Work — July 11, 2024

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

Nani Vazana, the only known composer of new songs in Ladino, performs in Canada — December 6, 2023

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg 

Nani Vazana Performs New Ladino Songs in Canmore — November, 2023

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

A Brazilian Masterpiece, Finally Available In English — November 4, 2023

The Baron Hirsch Jewish Farmers Community Blog: Finding Stories of Jewish Farmers in the New World and their Descendants Worldwide, Silver Springs, MD, USA

“On a Clear April Morning,” a Brazilian masterpiece written by a Jewish author documenting the early Jewish experience in Brazil, is finally available in English — August 16, 2023

 The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

The Winnipegger who changed the course of Calgary’s history — May 10, 2023

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

Lenka Lichtenberg Wins JUNO For Holocaust-Themed Poetry Album ‘Thieves Of Dreams’ 

— March, 2023

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

Leah Horlick Becomes U Of C’s First Jewish Writer-In-Residence — February, 2023

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

Jewish Life in Canada, seen through the eyes of William Kurelek — January 18, 2023

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

Part 2 — Lillian Freiman, Mother to All — Fall, 2022

ORAH Magazine, Toronto

Fredelle Bruser Maynard's centenary and remembering "Raisins and Almonds" — September 14, 2022

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

City Park: Mid Century 2SLGBTQ+ Heritage — June 17, 2022

Heritage Toronto

Part 1 — Lillian Freiman: The woman who inspired generations to use their power for good — Spring, 2022

ORAH Magazine, Toronto

Remembering a forgotten book, "Winnipeg Stories" — November 24, 2021

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

The Little Synagogue in Me: How one of the last surviving prairie synagogues found a home at Calgary’s Heritage Park — May 12, 2021

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

How a Holocaust survivor built Rideau Towers — January 27, 2021

Heritage Calgary

How A Holocaust Survivor From Berlin Built One Of Calgary’s Best Multi-Residential Developments 

— November 3, 2020

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

Award-winning author (and area resident), Sharon Butala, reflects on a life well lived

— April, 2020 Cover Story

Braeside Bulletin, Calgary

Award-winning author (and PBP resident), Sharon Butala, reflects on a life well lived — April, 2020

PBP Matters, Calgary

Little shul on the prairie — July 18, 2019 Cover Story

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

The Little Synagogue in me — June 7, 2019

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

The Musical Cohens spark a Jewish Renaissance — June 6, 2019

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

The musical Cohens fuel a Jewish renaissance at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra — May 17, 2019

Jewish Free Press, Calgary 

 

The Little Synagogue on the Prairie Turns 100 — Volume XIX, Number 3, 2016

Heritage, The Magazine of the National Trust for Canada, Ottawa

 

Avi Avital’s Mandolin — April 22, 2016

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Jews: A Canadian Story in Pictures coming to Calgary City Hall Atrium — January 24, 2014

getdown.ca, a blog of the Calgary Downtown Association

A love story by Sara from Sarajevo, Sara from Jerusalem — December 6, 2013

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

The Inglourious Basterd that was Henry Balaban — March 22, 2013

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

My Bukharian conversion — February 15, 2013

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

Save the Shaarey Tzedec — Winter 2012

Story and photograph

Chinook Country Historical Society Newsletter, Southern Alberta

 

Save the Shaarey Tzedec — November/December 2012

The Mission Statement Newsletter, Calgary

Will anyone stand up to protect the Shaarey Tzedec Synagogue? — October 12, 2012

Story and photographs

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

Calgary fiddles while historic Uptown ‘burns’ — September 21, 2012

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

The Barron Building: Anchor of the Oil Industry in Calgary — July 30, 2012

getdown.ca, a blog of the Calgary Downtown Association

 

Calgary shouldn’t kill one of its beautiful buildings — January 25, 2012

C2C Journal, Canadian Journal of Ideas

 

Community Heritage Roundtable comes to the Jewish community — December 16, 2011

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

The Barron Building: Calgary’s Most Significant Art Deco Building — Fall 2011

Chinook Country Historical Society Newsletter, Southern Alberta

 

Jewish living on the Prairies: Calgary’s Glenbow Museum is collecting more cultural objects

— June 17, 2011

Jewish Independent, Vancouver

The Diamond Residence added to list of Calgary historic sites — June 10, 2011

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Museum full of stories about Jewish prairie life — March 10, 2011

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

Stories about the Jewish community at the Glenbow Museum — February 4, 2011

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

A bisl und a bisl macht a fulle schizl (A little and a little makes a full bowl) — September 10, 2010

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

A drop and a drop - and the cup is full! — September 9, 2010

Translated own story into Russian

Koleso Russian Newspaper, Calgary

 

A bisl und a bisl macht a fulle schizl, The Calgary Jewish Family Service Bureau gets its start in 1961

— September 2010

Jewish Family Service Calgary Newsletter

 

From challah and cholent to hot dogs and hamburgers, the Switzer family celebrates 100 years in Canada

— August 27, 2010

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary 

 

Calgary family celebrates 100 years in Canada — June 17, 2010

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

Switzer family celebrates 100 years in Canada… gathers for a family reunion — June 11, 2010

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

The Little Synagogue on the Prairie — Summer 2010

Chinook Country Historical Society Newsletter, Southern Alberta

 

Tanya Volovnik Gelfand Sklar: A Woman Ahead of her Time — Winter 2010

Discovery, The Journal of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta

Ribtor downtown store, a Calgary institution closes after 59 years — March 14, 2008

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Amy Winehouse, the badest girl in all of jazz — December 14, 2007

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Moshav, they’re not bad they only look that way — November 30, 2007

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

J.B. Barron: the Jew who founded Alberta’s oilpatch — August 2, 2007

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

J.B. Barron, A Renaissance Man for All Ages — February 15, 2007

Story and photographs

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

Homesteaders established prosperous Jewish community in eastern Alberta — September 14, 2006

Story and photographs

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

The Sengaus Family 100 Year Farm Centennial — August 31, 2006

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Jewish Canadian War Veteran gallery to open in Calgary — June 29, 2006

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

Art Gallery in Honour of Jewish Canadian War Veterans — May 25, 2006

Jewish Free Press, Calgary 

 

The remarkable life of Gershon Iskowitz — May 25, 2006

Story and photograph

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

The remarkable life of Gershon Iskowitz — April 13, 2006

Story and photograph

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Saving the Temple Mount from religious terrorism — March 23, 2006

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

A walk down memory lane: Remembering Calgary’s communities with author Harry Sanders

— September 1, 2005

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Smart music for smart kids — November 22, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

A life of storytelling through art and music — October 25, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

A writers’ festival that really is festive — October 11, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Retelling an Alberta tragedy through song — September 13, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Edmonton’s uncommon songbird — August 30, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

All the world’s a page for Winnipeg’s Shakespearian etcher — August 2, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Calgary’s own honky-tonk legend lives on — June 28, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

The West meets an Eastern-inspired Edmonton designer — June 14, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

A children’s author with unusual talent — May 3, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Old Trouts breathe life into the art of puppetry — March 29, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Western writers get lost in the national shuffle — March 12, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Book Reviews

The privileged, yet not unscathed, life of Baron Maurice de Hirsch (The Baron: Maurice de Hirsch and the Jewish Nineteenth Century, Written by Matthias B. Lehmann) — December 6, 2023

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

"A Queen to the Rescue" tells the story of Henrietta Szold  (A Queen to the Rescue: The Story of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah, Written By Nancy Churnin, Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg) 

— February 16, 2022

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg 

New children's book tells the story of Hadassah founder, Henrietta Szold  (A Queen to the Rescue: The Story of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah, Written By Nancy Churnin, Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg)

— January 24, 2022

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

Alberta scientist relates nutrition to mental health (The Better Brain: Overcome Anxiety, Combat Depression, and Reduce ADHD and Stress with Nutrition, Written by Bonnie J. Kaplan, Julia J. Rucklidge)

— June 21, 2021

Alberta Jewish News, Edmonton

Calgary scientist Bonnie Kaplan publishes new book stressing the importance of nutrition on mental health (The Better Brain: Overcome Anxiety, Combat Depression, and Reduce ADHD and Stress with Nutrition, Written by Bonnie J. Kaplan, Julia J. Rucklidge) — May 26, 2021

The Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg

Morality, as a one sided expectation (The Moral Lives of Israelis: Reinventing the Dream State, Written by David Berlin) — January 20, 2012 
Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Walking Home makes me want to drive (Walking Home, Written by Ken Greenberg) — October 28, 2011

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Yuri Suhl’s One Foot in America is republished 60 years later — September 9, 2011

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

David Bezmozgis writes the Soviet Jewry movement into literary history — September 2011

Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada Newsletter, Toronto

 

A difficult, yet heady exodus (The Free World, Written by David Bezmozgis) — July 10, 2011

Calgary Herald

Putting down roots after exodus: David Bezmozgis’ novel, The Free World, takes readers on a familiar immigrant journey — July 1, 2011

Jewish Independent, Vancouver

 

The Free World: New novel by David Bezmozgis is about anything but — May 6, 2011

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

A lost manuscript about the history of Toronto’s Jewish community is published (The Rise of the Toronto Jewish Community, Written by Shmuel Mayer Shapiro) — April 15, 2011

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

New book chronicles contribution of Alberta’s Jewish community (Joyful Harvest: Celebrating Jewish Contributions to Southern Alberta Life, Published by the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta)

— October 25, 2007

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

A Joyful Harvest, the book, chronicles the many contributions of Calgary’s Jewish community

— August 24, 2007

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Jewish historical saga captures rich legacy (Joyful Harvest: Celebrating Jewish Contributions to Southern Alberta Life, Published by the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta) — August 23, 2007

Calgary Herald

 

28-year-old writes about his ‘retirement’ in Florida (Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement, Written by Rodney Rothman) — February 15, 2007

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

The secret world of Florida’s retirees (Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement, Written by Rodney Rothman) — January 18, 2007

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Jewish hookers in the New World (Bodies and Souls: The Tragic Plight of Three Jewish Women Forced into Prostitution in the Americas, Written by Isabel Vincent) — February 9, 2006

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

Story of orphan ‘Greenies’ based on little-known fact (The Greenies, Written by Myra Paperny)

— January 26, 2006

The Jewish Tribune, North York

 

Myra Paperny’s “The Greenies,” digs into past (The Greenies, Written by Myra Paperny)

— November 24, 2005

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Does Jewish history have to be dry? (The Canadian Jewish Studies Reader, Edited by Richard Menkis and Norman Ravvin) — April 7, 2005

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

The uninteresting side of adultery (After Goodlake’s, Written by Terence Young) — November 8, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Read and drive this summer (not at the same time) (The Longest Road: Stories Along the Trans-Canada Highway, Written by Bob Weber) — July 19, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

 

Winning kids books may be closer than you think (Hidden Buffalo, Written by Rudy Wiebe, Paintings by Michael Lonechild; In Abby’s Hands, Written by Wendy A. Lewis, Illustrated by Marilyn Mets and Peter Ledwon; My Home Bay, Written by Anne Laurel Carter, Illustrated by Alan and Lea Daniel) — May 31, 2004

Western Standard, Calgary

Travel Stories

Me, myself and Malta — November 27, 2014

Story and photographs

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

Me, myself and Malta, dispatches from the Mediterranean — November 14, 2014

Story and photographs

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Vignettes from Morocco — January 16, 2010

Story and photographs

Calgary Herald & Montreal Gazette

 

Spain 101 - an introduction after a 500 year absence — November 21, 2008

Story and photographs

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Morocco: a trip back in time to Arabian Nights — November 20, 2008

Story and photographs

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

Toledo, Spain, first settled by Sephardi Jews — November 6, 2008

Story and photograph

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

Memories of a Jewish golden age — October 31, 2008

Story and photographs

Jewish Independent, Vancouver

 

Drug trade, crime spoil Caribbean Island — August 17, 2006

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

The Jews of the Caribbean — July 6, 2006

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Jews have touched every aspect of New York’s life — December 8, 2005

Story and photographs

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto 

 

A Calgarian’s Journey through Jewish New York — November 3, 2005

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

A whirlwind romance: Confessions of a Canadian hurricane chaser — September 18, 2004

National Post, Toronto

 

Human Interest

Albina’s bus… and McKillop Award — October 12, 2012

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Calgary’s Jewish war veterans keep marching — May 25, 2012

Story and photographs

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Edmonton’s new rabbi follows in parent’s footsteps — January 8, 2009

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

Grandmother, 90, does it her own way — June 19, 2008

Story and photograph

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

On the occasion of Aron Eichler’s retirement — May 25, 2007

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

Community News & Issues

High Holidays 2020, What Will Jewish Seniors Be Doing? — September 8, 2020

Alberta Jewish News, Calgary & Edmonton Editions

Former Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, speaks about global trends at B’nai Brith dinner — April 7, 2017

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Harper makes rare appearance at Calgary B’nai Brith dinner — March 24, 2017

Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

Economy hits Edmonton JCC — February 6, 2009

Jewish Independent, Vancouver

Construction of Edmonton’s new Jewish Community Centre on hold — February 6, 2009

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Downtown postpones new Edmonton JCC — January 15, 2009

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

A message from Jewish Ukraine — December 26, 2008

Jewish Independent, Vancouver

Don’t forget us! — December 19, 2008

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

Birthright alumni visit Ukraine — December 11, 2008

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

Calgary hosts 39th CHW convention — November 27, 2008

The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto

 

Little Synagogue project builds support — May 9, 2008

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Mazel Tov! It’s Haifa Deli — April 13, 2006

Story and photographs

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

 

Russian Immigration to Israel: History, achievements and challenges — January 12, 2006

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

New national president takes reins of Hadassah-WIZO — January 5, 2006

The Jewish Tribune, North York

 

Moving the mission on — December 9, 2005

Jewish Independent, Vancouver

Sandy Martin, Calgary’s first National President of Hadassah-WIZO — November 24, 2005

Jewish Free Press, Calgary

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