First woman to lead Jewish federation set to retire

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This article was published 29/05/2023 (871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AFTER 30 years of service to the local Jewish community through the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, including the last eight years as chief executive officer, Elaine Goldstine is retiring.

Goldstine, 68, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, will leave in August.

She started working half-time in fundraising in 1993 for what was then called the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council.

After serving in various federation programs, in June 2015 she was named interim CEO, a position that was made permanent in December that same year. She was the first woman to hold that position.

“It was quite an honour,” she said, noting it was a big change from the “old school” environment she started in where women “only did secretarial work and were underpaid and undervalued.”

Over the past three decades, Goldstine, a lifelong member of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, has witnessed many changes in the Jewish community in Winnipeg. One of the biggest was the creation of the Asper Jewish Community Campus in 1993.

“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 community hub, a gathering place that is vibrant and full of life.”

Immigration from places such as South America, Mexico, Turkey, Cuba and Israel has also brought changes. About 5,000 to 6,000 immigrants have arrived in the last 25 years, she said, with about 80 per cent making Winnipeg their home.

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

The newcomers have helped stabilize the city’s Jewish population, which is about 14,000, according to the last census — a five per cent increase since 2011.

Another change is seeing young people who were born and raised in Winnipeg, but left for other cities in pursuit of careers, returning to the city.

“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.

One thing that hasn’t changed has been antisemitism.

“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.”

Another thing that hasn’t changed is the federation’s support for Israel, although recent developments in that country 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 it comes to speaking about Israel, being “the voice” of the federation is “a huge responsibility,” she said, adding “everyone has an opinion and we are free to disagree.”

She is happy that efforts to build good relations with the local Palestinian community are continuing, although it has been “a slow process… At least we are talking, and we have agreed that we don’t want to see a complex conflict taking place half a world away imported to the streets of Winnipeg.”

The pandemic was a big challenge. “When it hit, we pivoted quickly, reaching out to the organizations we supported,” she said. An emergency fundraising campaign was launched to help people affected by COVID-19.

“The pandemic brought our community closer together,” she said. “That was one of the silver linings of a difficult time.”

Goldstine said she got a lot of satisfaction from raising money for the 12 organizations supported by the federation. She shares credit for the fundraising success with staff and volunteers, along with generous donors in Winnipeg’s Jewish community. “We raise more money per capita than any other Jewish community in North America,” she said.

Goldstine realizes fundraising will only get harder. “Just because someone is Jewish doesn’t mean they will support Jewish organizations and causes,” she said. “We are competing for donations with many other good groups.”

She intends to spend more time with her family and travel. “And not worry about the phone ringing and all the emails to answer,” she said with a laugh.

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