The CJN’s Honourable Menschen returns to honour Jewish Canadians we recently lost from the world of arts

Ben Ben Chimol, 17, is the youngest person we have profiled on The CJN Daily‘s Honourable Menschen series, where we pay tribute to prominent members of the Canadian Jewish community who have recently passed away. The Grade 12 teen, who died of cancer in Winnipeg in early December 2022, was a budding artist and beatboxer. His family and classmates have created a memorial fund through the city’s Jewish high school that will help other students pursue their passions. In this edition of Honourable Menschen, CJN journalist emeritus Ron Csillag joins to share the stories and accomplishments of a gallery of creative Canadians in the arts and entertainment world: Ontario painter and singer Mendelson Joe, who went public with his decision to use medical assistance in dying after struggling with Parkinson’s disease; composer Ben Steinberg from Temple Sinai in Toronto; Eleanor Koldofsky, who helped build Sam the Record Man into a retail success before branching out to form her own record company; Montreal painter Roslyn Swartzman; and Lanny Poffo, a professional wrestler whose accomplishments were overshadowed by his older brother, “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

What we talked about

• Learn more about Ben Ben Chimol and donate in his memory
• Read about artist and teacher Roslyn Swartzman in The CJN
• Check out Mendelson Joe’s canvases and songs on his website

Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.