$$News and Reports$$

Nov. 02, 2016
 

โ€‹Solly Photo Shop.jpg

 

Prof. (Emeritus) Solly Dreman returned โ€œhomeโ€, in a manner of speaking, to present a lecture and sign the Endowment Book of Life (EBOL), the Jewish Foundation of Manitobaโ€™s flagship planned giving program in his hometown of Winnipeg, Canada. Although Dreman has made his home in Israel for many years, he says he is still very connected to the community in Winnipeg.

Dreman lectured on the topic of "Immigrants, Refugees and Terrorism: Is There Hope?โ€ The lecture was sponsored by The Canadian Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, the Jewish Post and News and the Winnipeg Friends of Israel.  The lecture was based on a series of very successful workshops he and a colleague, Dr. Eva Shinar, formerly director of psychological services for students at BGU,  designed and implemented at Ben-Gurion University to assist in the integration of immigrant students  from Russia and Ethiopia into Israeli society.

Close to 200 people attended the lecture which was accompanied by a video in which Prof.  Dreman and Dr. Shinar discussed their own experiences as new immigrants in Israel including some of the difficulties involved in the absorption process.  In addition, international implications for dealing with the refugee crisis and terrorism prevailing in the world today were discussed.  A lively question and answer period followed the lecture in which considerable interest was shown concerning the integration of new immigrants both locally and in the international arena.

In addition, Solly and his wife Orly hosted a luncheon for 60 family and friends from Winnipeg with whom he has maintained contact over the years.  Amongst the attendees was the Chancellor of the University of Manitoba, Harvey Secter and his wife Sandra, as well as Larry and Tova Vickar, prominent Winnipeg philanthropists who just a few days before hosted President Rivka Carmi in the context of the inauguration of a cooperative liaison between the Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School at BGU and the IH Asper Clinical Research Institute at St. Boniface Hospital.

Solly was also invited by a fellow Winnipeger, Ivan Berkowitz, to meet with Dr. Grant Pierce, Executive Director of Research at the St. Boniface Hospital to discuss the new project, which will go by the title โ€œResearch Without Boarders โ€“ Partners in Science.โ€œ 

On a personal level, Solly noted that he has been blessed to maintain his connections with members of the Winnipeg Jewish community who are ardent supporters of Israel and to serve as a liaison and good will ambassador between Israel and Diaspora Jewry.