WINNIPEG — The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (JHC) is in the process of restructuring its operations, with a resulting reduction in staff.

Fran Barrett, executive director for the past four years, Carla Divinsky, the Holocaust education organizer for nine years, and Ava Block-Super, researcher and archival assistant, have all been given notice. Stan Carbone, director of programs and exhibits, will remain in his position, and a part-time office manager has been hired for the summer.

President Dan Stone said the cuts are a result of a number of special grants running out, not a shortfall in the centre’s annual operating budget.

“We have been very busy over the past few years with the reconstruction [and downsizing] of our office space [at the Asper Jewish Community Campus], setting up our corridor displays and publishing Coming of Age [the prize-winning history of Winnipeg’s Jewish community by Allan Levine],” Stone said.

“We had received special grants for these projects and expanded our operations. Now that we are in a quieter period, we are restructuring our office staff to better reflect our actual financial realities. We have no major projects planned for the next year.”  

Stone said the JHC’s normal operating budget is about $250,000 a year, with much of that coming from the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and endowment funds from the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

He added that he very much regretted having to cut dedicated staffers.

Despite the cutbacks, Stone promised that it will be business as usual at the JHC, with a new exhibit dedicated to Jewish war veterans slated to open in August and the second Switzer Cooperstock Prize Lecture a go for Oct. 3. The  speaker this year will be Prof. Lynne Marks from the University of Victoria talking about the interplay between ethnicity and religion.

The JHC’s Holocaust education programs will also continue as usual.

He said the JHC board will be meeting in the near future to determine staffing needs for the fall.