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17 cases of Covid now at Simkin Centre

Simkin Centre logoUpdated April 2 The past few days have seen a resurgence of Covid at the Simkin Centre, although the current variant affecting residents, Omicron B-1 is milder than the previous Delta and Alpha variants. According to information provided on the Simkin Centre Facebook page, 14 residents on Simkin 2 are currently testing positive for Covid, while three residents on Weinberg 1 are also testing positive.

Previously, seven residents on Weinberg 1 had tested positive but, as of March 28, four have recovered. The outbreak on Simkin 2 was first made public on March 28. At that point only one resident on Simkin 2 tested positive. The fact that the outbreak has now spread to 13 other residents is an indication how virulent the current strain of Covid is.

The April 1 Simkin Centre Facebook post warns that “Designated Caregivers on Simkin 2 are welcome to visit at their own risk. Personal protective equipment will be provided and must be worn during your visit.”

The post goes on to say that “With the rising number of Resident and staff cases we are experiencing significant staffing shortages. We want to thank the Designated Caregivers for their assistance during this challenging time.”

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Poarws Jan. 17 A total of 20 Residents have tested positive for Covid. Of those 20, 15 have recovered. The remainder are in the Covid isolation unit. In addition, two more staff have tested positive, bringing the total number of staff who have tested positive to 31. Twenty-six of the staff have returned to work.

Updated Jan. 13 Three more Residents have now tested positive for Covid. The total number of Residents who are now in the Covid isolation unit is  up to 15. One Resident has recovered and has been released from the isolation unit.

Updated Jan. 11 Of the 29 staff who had testd positive for Covid, 26 have now returned to work following the mandated five-day quarantine period. One more Resident has tested positive for Covid. The first Resident to test postive for Covid has been released from the Covid isolation unit.

Updated Jan. 10 On Sunday, Jan. 9 the Simkin Centre reported that a total of 10 Residents have now tested positive for Covid. On Jan. 8 3 Residents had been reported as having tested positive. The total number of Residents who have now tested positive stands at 10. The Centre reports that additional tests for some Residents on Weinberg 3 have been administered.

There are no additional reports of staff having tested positive. Twenty-six staff will have recovered and were expected to return to work today.

Posted Jan. 7

A total of 29 staff mmebers have tested positive for Covid.  By Monday we expect 20 staff will have recovered and returned to work.Staffing at the moment has stabilized.

There are no new Resident cases of Covid to report. The one Resident with Covid is stable.

Posted Jan. 4

Some staff who tested postive are now back at work. A total of 24 staff have tested positive, with 8 having completed their isolation period.. So far, still only one Resident has tested positive.

Posted Jan. 3

An additional three staff cases have now been identifed at the Simkin Centre, bringing the total number of staff affected to 16. There are no further Resident cases to report.

The Simkin Centre welcomed back Designated Caregivers today. Only one Designated Caregiver is allowed to visit at a time.

Posted Jan. 2

The Simkin Centre now reports that three more staff have tested positive for Covid, bringing the total number of staff affected to 13.

As well, late in the evening of December 31, the Centre was advised that a Resident from Simkin 2 tested positive for Covid.

According to the Centre, “the Resident has been transferred to our Covid Isolation Unit and is receiving excellent care. Family members of Residents living on the affected unit will be contacted. All visitations, including designated family care givers, have. been suspended until further notice.

Posted Jan. 1:

The Simkin Centre now reports that 10 staff members have tested positive for Covid. According to the Centre, “One staff member did not work during their infectious period.”

There are no Resident cases at this time.

Posted Dec. 31:

The Simkin Centre now reports that a total of seven staff members have tested positive for Covid. As well, the Centre reports that “We have also had visitors adivse us that they have tested positive after being at our Centre.”

The Centre also reports that they “are experiencing staffing shortages in all departments.” As a result the Centre has implemented the following steps:

1. Tub baths and showers will be suspended. Residents will be receiving sponge baths instead.

2. Bed linens will be changed only when wet or soiled.

3. Beds will be clean however not necessarily “made” as per usual expectations.

4. Resident personal clothing may be worn for more than one day at a time unless wet or soiled prior to sending for laundering.

5. Residents may be dressed in hospital gowns to facilitate expedited care delivery.

6. Pandemic meal plans will be iniitiated. This includes the use of disposable clothes, standardized menu items such as  pureed soup and dessert for all residents.

7. Housekeeping services have been prioritized for Resident areas and high touch surfaces.

As well, the Simkin Centre issued the following all for help on their Facebook page:

Are you a retired health care aide who is interested in coming back to work at the Simkin Centre to assist with our staffing shortages during our outbreak? If so please reach out to hr@simkincentre.ca as soon as possible. We need your experience!

Posted Dec. 30

On December 26 the Simkin Centre reported that “we were notified of a staff member testing positive for Covid-19 who worked on Simkin 2 night shift on December 22nd…”

Then, on December 29 the Simkin Centre issued another report: “Today we were notified of two more staff testing positive for Covid-19 who worked on Weinberg 3 and Simkin 2. Their cases are linked which means we are now in a Covid-19 Outbreak….

“We have no Resident cases at this time. Residents on affected units will be closely monitored and tested if they develop any symptons. The visting restrictions being implemented tomorrw will remain in place.”

To read the complete list of rules that are now in place at the Simkin Centre go to https://mailchi.mp/simkincentre/volume-1-issue-10713006?fbclid=IwAR2mW0ZZgLlC89EM0V7yuK97OFQXGPjFedGQaEMK7N1jJVtQy6BUJTpBHuA

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New Israeli restaurant opens in River Heights

By BERNIE BELLAN (July 6, 2025) It’s been a long time since our community has been able to welcome the opening of a restaurant that specializes in Israeli food.
That void is now going to be filled with the opening of The Green Falafel, at 1833 Grant (corner of Centennial – next to the Subway).

Eden & Ariel Maudi


The restaurant is the fulfillment of a dream long held by the husband and wife team of Ariel and Eden Maudi, who have been living in Winnipeg the past 11 years.
Ariel, who was born in Israel and grew up in Beer Sheva, says that he worked in telecommunications in Ramat Gan for several years. He adds though that he had always dreamed of owning his own falafel stand in Israel, but life was difficult there and he decided to come to Canada as a tourist to see whether there were any opportunities here for him, Eden and their two young children.
Eden, who was born in Russia and moved to Israel with her family in 1996, stayed behind with the two kids, who were both pre-schoolers, while Ariel tested the waters in Canada first.
Ariel says he came to Canada as a tourist in 2013. His first stop was in Toronto, where he acquired his 1st class driver’s license. At the end of 2013 he moved to Winnipeg where he began working as a truck driver. Soon he found himself employed as a successful sales person at Vickar Nissan where, he says, he once achieved the status as the top car sales person in Canada. After working at Vickar Nissan for a number of years, Ariel began working as an installer for Bell MTS.
Meanwhile, Eden began working at a Walmart, later at the Costco on Regent.

But, when the opportunity to move into a space that had been previously occupied by another restaurant, but which had closed, became available, Ariel and Eden decided to open their own Israeli restaurant in an area that hadn’t seen Israeli food served since the controversial closure of Bermax Café in 2019.
The Maudis say that they will be serving a variety of Israeli dishes – all vegetarian, and that they will be fully kosher.
The “green” in Green Falafel, by the way, Ariel Maudi explains, comes from the cilantro and parsley that are added to the chickpeas. In addition, their pitas will be coming from Israel and will be baked fresh daily.
The Green Falafel will be open from 10-8 daily. Delivery will be available through Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Call 204-557-7837 for information.

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Local News

Previews of shows with Jewish performers at this year’s Fringe Festival July 16-27

Noemi Ziegler

For show dates and venues go to winnipegfringe.com

By BERNIE BELLAN As has been our custom for many years now we try to find shows that have either Jewish performers or themes that would have particular appeal for Jewish audiences. Many of the Jewish performers at this year’s festival have been here before, but several are new. In no particular order here are blurbs about the shows we’ve found that fit the criteria I’ve just described. (By they way, if we’ve omitted a show that should be included in our list there’s plenty of time to get added to this post. Just drop me a line at jewishp@mymts.net.)

You’ve Been Served: A One-Woman Show About Divorce, Cults, and Coming of Age at Midlife
Noemi Zeigler

You are hereby summoned… to laugh, cry, and maybe belt out a Streisand number in solidarity. You’ve Been Served is a raw and riotous solo comedy by writer-performer Noemi Zeigler. It all begins when Noemi is served divorce papers on top of a garbage bin lid while taking out the trash—an undignified start to a full-blown midlife unraveling.
At 50, still clinging to her dream of becoming a singer, she falls under the spell of a music producer slash self-help guru, joins a spiritual cult, and, instead of landing a record deal, she lands in jail. Behind bars, with help from her long-buried inner child, she begins to reclaim her voice and her power. Turns out, dreams really do come true—just not the way she expected.
The show features vividly drawn characters—including a manipulative cult leader, a toxic ex-husband, and a jail guard named Roach who shares Noemi’s obsession with the fashion of Charlie’s Angels (the ‘70s TV version, of course.)
With salsa dancing, twerking, and a belting rendition of Don’t Rain on My Parade, Zeigler dives into abandonment, reinvention, and self-rescue. As she confronts perimenopause, she discovers it’s not the end—it’s the new puberty. The show touches on grief, sexuality, and spiritual confusion, but Noemi’s childlike optimism asks: What if your breakdown is actually your breakthrough?

You’re good for nothing… I’ll milk the cow myself
Written & Performed by Natacha Ruck

France, 1981: The first socialist president is about to be elected and young Natacha is ready to implement her own political platform. But first, she has to take down the schoolyard bully,emasculate the rules of French grammar and make off with grandmother’s chocolate.
If you think you know the limits of Jewish mothers, evil grandmothers and transcontinental lovers, meet Natacha Ruck’s family. This true tale of three generations of women, facing three world wars, is equal parts hilarious, shocking and zany.

A One Human Being, Potentially Comedic Performance of Beauty and the Beast NEW WORK!
Written & Performed by Alli Perlov

Be our guest! Local high school drama teacher Alli Perlov is back for a tale as old as time. Can she sing? Not really. Can she act? That’s debatable. Will you laugh? Oh… probably.
Perlov plays dozens of characters, some human, some animal, and many objects, in a comedic exploration of Beauty and the Beast.
In an homage to this brilliant musical adventure, through witty commentary and unstoppable energy, Perlov aims to entertain an audience that isn’t forced to be there like her students.

Hockey Sticks and Beaver Pie
Written & Performed by Melanie Gall

Take a trip around Manitoba. From the 30,000 ft. St. Adolphe snow maze to the Narcisse snake dens! After all, where else holds both the title of Slurpee Capital of the World and the Guinness Record for the most people simultaneously howling like wolves?
Deanna Durbin, Terry Jacks and Burton Cummings are among the many homegrown stars, and Hockey Sticks features their music along with original songs and the stories that make this province unique.
Starring Melanie Gall from past shows Piaf & Brel, Ingenue and Toast to Prohibition

Adam Schwartz

Nerohilarity Exposed
Produced by Adam Schwartz

We all sometimes feel exposed, whether that’s as a fraud or a pretender.
The performers of the award-winning Neurohilarity show, Danielle Kayahara (Laugh Out Loud CBC), Carole Cunningham (Yuk Yuks, The Debaters), Adam Schwartz (Winnipeg Fringe) and Rollin Penner (Yuk Yuks, CBC, Rumors, Winnipeg Comedy Festival), apply a comedic spin to the experiences that make us feel insecure, stripping away the emotional weight with nittygritty jokes and stories that will have you laughing uproariously.
Brilliantly awkward.

A Lesbian in the Kitchen
Willow Rosenberg
Professional lesbian Willow Rosenberg takes you on a journey through the centuries, superstitions and tablespoons of her lifelong passion for baking in this spiritual successor to 2024’s Jenny Award-nominated A Lesbian in a Bear Store.
Whether you have a favourite spatula, bake once or twice a year, or live in constant fear of being told to “just fold it in”, this one-woman show about family, joy, tradition (but make it gay),
Judaism, comfort, home (but make it gayer*), love, chemistry and magic is for you!
*Who’re we kidding, it’s all gay!

Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany
Written & Performed by Ingrid Garner

(Ed. note: Although Ingrid Garner isn’t Jewish, we thought the theme of this show might have a special appeal for Jewish readers.)
Based on Eleanor Ramrath Garner’s best-selling memoir, this 16x internationally award-winning adaptation – performed by her granddaughter, Ingrid Garner – details Eleanor’s youth as an American caught in Second World War Berlin.
Punctuated with humour and accompanied by cinematic sound and video, Garner embodies her ancestors in this coming-of-age odyssey, delivering an account of war that is more relevant than ever.

Reviewing The Free Press 2
Benji Rothman

The Winnipeg Free Press has run amok, reviewing each and every Fringe show over the past two decades without consequence or recourse. Now, it’s their turn… again.
In this refurbished work that debuted at last year’s Winnipeg Fringe, Benji Rothman once again takes the Winnipeg Free Press to task. In this (mostly) new, (hopefully) hilarious 45-minute show, Rothman dives deep into their past and exposes their faulty journalism, imbalanced reporting and, of course, embarrassing typos.

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Local News

Jewish performers at this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival July 10-13

The Black Sea Station

The Black Sea Station
Long ago, there were the klezmorim, itinerant musicians who roamed the back streets of Eastern Europe, playing at parties for meals and a few coins. The sound they honed then was a visceral exploration of life’s joy, and its loss; they could whip audiences into a frenzy of dancing, or bring them to tears with the mournful wail of a clarinet. Today, Winnipeg’s own The Black Sea Station is carrying on this tradition. Featuring Daniel Koulack (bass), Victor Schultz (violin) and Myron Schultz (clarinet) — cofounders of seminal local klezmer act Finjan — along with Moldovan accordion wizard Nikolai Prisacar and multi-instrumentalist Ben Mink, the quintet transports listeners to a time and place long past. Through a mix of original songs rooted in history, and traditional tunes spun up with modern zest, they whirl through the exuberant klezmer sounds of their Eastern European heritage, tending the old ways with deep love and respect.
The Black Sea Station will be performing Sunday, July 13, at 1:00 pm in Snowberry Field.

Romi Mayes
Romi Mayes has taken some hard knocks in her life, but she’s never faded away. For more than 25 years, Manitoba’s first lady of blues-rock has been a lynchpin of the Canadian roots scene. She earned that position the old-fashioned way, through her gritty, passionately emotive music. With her sizzling guitars and full-throated rasp, the Juno-nominated performer howls and purrs through razor-edged lyrics, rocking out wherever she can find a stage. She’s long been one of the hardest-working musicians on the circuit, keeping a busy slate of gigs and mentoring up-and-coming artists to get a foothold on the trails she blazed. Now, after a nine-year hiatus from the studio, Mayes has put her scintillating sound back on record with her long-awaited seventh album, Small Victories — a return that leaves no doubt, no matter the ups and downs, Mayes is here to stay.
Romi will be performing Friday, July 11, at 1:00 pm in Burr Oak.

Matt Gordon (left) with Leonard Podolak

Leonard Podolak (with Matt Gordon)
Ireland’s Matt Gordon is a fiddler and singer, whose fleet-footed clogging and thigh-slapping hambone has taken stages by storm since the 1980s.  Leonard Podolak is a virtuosic master of the clawhammer banjo, who for decades has whipped up some of Manitoba’s wildest roots parties with his band, The Duhks. Put those talents together, and they can promise you this much: we’re all gonna have a real good time. Longtime friends and musical collaborators, Gordon and Podolak deliver an exhilarating trip through old-time Appalachian music. Their performances seamlessly blend intricate instrumental lines with heartfelt singing and dazzling dance. They’ve teamed up on a few records over the years, including 2020’s bigband extravaganza Power Wagon: Live At Shanley’s. But the best way to experience this duo’s toe-tapping, hand-clapping chemistry is to see it live.
Podolak and Gordon will be performing A concert with a side of clogging Sunday, July 13, at 3:00 pm in Folk School.

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