As a writer, I have helped many Endowment Book of Life participants to capture their stories — people who survived the Holocaust, endured the Depression, and battled bigotry. I am keenly aware that my post-war, born-in-Canada generation is privileged. We have encountered no collective adversity, only opportunity.

Our responsibility, therefore, is to learn from the character of our ancestors and to enhance the community they built; to welcome newcomers; to ensure that our institutions are robust and rich with Jewish content; and to ensure that we work with other communities to continue to build this outstanding country.

My paternal grandparents were Abe and Rose Slayen (née Litman). Rose came to Winnipeg from Odessa in 1903 and worked as a seamstress. Abe came to Winnipeg in 1906. He was born and raised in Zaverezhye, a village near Mogilev in Belarus. After two failed attempts at escaping the Russian army, my Zaida succeeded and made his way to Scotland, then Argentina, then back to Scotland, then back to Argentina, and finally to Canada. He settled in Winnipeg and had a variety of jobs, including as a delivery man for Weidman Bros. He saved up enough money to open a grocery store on Morley Avenue in Riverview. Abe and Rose married in 1916.

My maternal grandparents were Charles and Bessie Boal (née Karetnik). Bessie's family came from Vitkov, Ukraine, in the early 1900s. The family name was originally Carretto (there's evidence of some Italian heritage), then Karetnik in Ukraine, and then Carr in Canada. While Baba Bessie passed away before I was born, her mother Liba Carr, died while I was a toddler. My Zaida Charlie was the only grandparent I knew. He came here with his father in 1911 at the age of 15 from Uman, Ukraine; the rest of his family followed. Charlie and Bessie married in 1922. Zaida Charlie ran "B & B Jobbing" out of the back of their house on Selkirk Avenue.

My Dad was born as Elijah Slayen, changed his name later in life to Allan, but was mostly known as Hookey. He was born in 1921 and raised down the street from the family store. He served overseas in the Canadian army during World War II and taught me to be proud of Canada. My Dad helped to run the store after his father died in the late 1940s. During the flood of 1950, Morley Grocery was mostly under water. Some time after repairing the building, the family sold the store. My Dad became a partner in United Universal Fruit on Winnipeg's old "fruit row." He later dabbled as an importer, and then returned to the produce business. My Dad was known to be a decent athlete. He played community baseball and football as a Kelvin Clipper, and attended Blue Bombers training camp in 1950. He was active in the Hebrew Sick Benefit Association, and was the President of the HSBA Gardens seniors' apartment building. He passed away in 1986. He was gentle, funny, and hard-working — an exceptional role model who made family a priority.

My Mom, Ruth Slayen (née Boal), was born in 1924 and was raised on Selkirk Avenue, a bustling hub of Jewish activity. She went to King Edward and Isaac Newton Schools and later attended Success Business College. Throughout her life she has been an active volunteer with organizations like the Beth Israel Sisterhood, B'nai Brith Women (later Jewish Women International), and Seven Oaks General Hospital. At the time of writing, she is independent and resilient at the age of 87. I am proud of her strength of character.

My parents married in 1948 and spent most of their marriage in the home where I was raised on Enniskillen Avenue. They had four children: Heather, Reesa (Braun), Sharon (Kaplan), and me (born in 1966, I was the youngest). Sadly, my sister Heather passed away in 2006.

For school, I attended Talmud Torah and Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate. The highlight of my youth and young adult years was my Camp Massad experience. I was a camper, counsellor, and director for a total of 14 summers. At Massad, I learned how to create, work, write, play, be a friend, and celebrate our culture. I had the pleasure of serving on the Massad board for a decade as well as the boards of Beth Israel Synagogue, the Winnipeg International Children's Festival, and the International Association of Business Communicators (Manitoba chapter). I currently sit on the Congregation Etz Chayim board.

After high school, I got my BA (Political Studies) from the University of Manitoba and then my Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. After a couple of PR jobs in theatre, I joined a local publishing company as a magazine editor for nearly seven years. I worked at the Jewish Federation for a while and then became the publishing manager at an international research institute for nine years. By 2009, I was ready for a change and became an independent consultant, working for a number of clients as a writer, publication manager, and communications strategist. I could not have taken the risk of becoming a consultant without the support and faith of my remarkable wife, Shira Cohen.

I met Shira in 1997 at the "Memories on Matheson" concert — an evening to celebrate Talmud Torah and JWC before the community's schools consolidated at the Campus. We were married within a year. Shira is an amazing partner in life: wise, compassionate, funny, and a brilliant Mom to our two kids: Cari and Noah. Nothing brings me greater joy than family time, whether at home, in Gimli, or at family camp in Riding Mountain National Park. We strive to give our children a strong sense of Jewish connection with Shabbat dinners, shul attendance, holiday celebrations, and home rituals (including building a sukkah every year). I feel very blessed to have Shira, Cari, and Noah in my life, along with loving relatives and exceptional friends.

Shira and I hope that our kids continue to embrace strong values: Jewish identity; pride in Canada; respect for others — not just tolerance, but acceptance; hard work; good humour; and simply being a "mensch."

I see my participation in the Endowment Book of Life as an expression of gratitude for the work our ancestors did in building this community; and as a reminder to my own and future generations that we must never stop.