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Méira Cook’s latest novel is arguably her most “Jewish” one yet
Review by BERNIE BELLAN I’ve been following the career of poet and novelist Méira Cook ever since her name was first mentioned in this paper in an article written by my niece, Suzy Waldman, in 1995. At that time Méira (who is named for her late grandfather, Meir) noted that she had been sticking with poetry to that point, but was now considering switching to prose.
Well, what a transition it’s been. With the release of her first novel, “The House on Sugarbush Road,” in 2012, Méira has climbed near the top of the list of Manitoba’s most successful novelists. (That book won the McNally Robinson Prize for Book of the Year, by the way.)
In my review of “Sugarbush,” I noted that I was astonished by Méira’s facility with language, and I referenced her own description of having grown up in South Africa, having been exposed to the “snap and crackle of language”, whether it was spoken by whites or blacks.
That ear for language carried forward into Méira’s next novel, “Nightwatching,” which was released in 2015, and which was also set in South Africa. That book won the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction.
Then, in 2017, Méira released her first novel set in her newly adopted home of Winnipeg, “Once More With Feeling.” I noted in my review of that book though that, if you haven’t read either of Méira’s prior novels, be forewarned:
“None of them unfold in a methodical, easy-to-understand pattern. As a matter of fact, the various chapters in ‘Once More With Feeling’ are largely disconnected. Characters are introduced, only to disappear for long stretches, sometimes appearing later in the book, at other times simply vanishing.”
Now though, Méira has, at long last, written a novel titled “The Full Catastrophe,” that might perhaps be the most accessible of all her novels to readers, in that it follows a more linear path in which characters remain throughout the novel without disappearing for long stretches. Like her three previous novels, however, “The Full Catastrophe” builds to a crescendo – and in this case, it revolves around a bar mitzvah.
Having said that, it must be apparent that this novel is the most clearly “Jewish” of any of Méira’s now four novels. The principal character, Charlie Minkoff, is a 13-year-old boy, who is born with “intersex” traits. Although Charlie clearly identifies as a boy, he is hampered by the ambiguity that his chromosomes have rendered.
Charlie though has a loving relationship with his zaida Oscar, who adores the boy and offers him the kind of emotional support that he so desperately needs.
Charlie’s mother, Jules Minkoff, on the other hand, is so completely involved in her own artistic pursuits that she leaves Charlie to fend for himself in the tenement building in which they live. (Jules, by the way, has lost the ability to speak – and she communicates with Charlie largely by leaving messages for him on a whiteboard.)
There are other characters who offer support to Charlie throughout the novel, particularly Weeza, a rough hewn female truck driver who strives to protect Charlie in the absence of Jules.
As I’ve already noted, Méira Cook is a master of fashioning dialogue. In “The Full Catastrophe” she demonstrates her facility with Yiddish idioms, as expressed by Oscar Minkoff. (Years ago Méira told me that she grew up in a household in South Africa where her grandparents spoke Yiddish. As a matter of fact, Méira speaks several languages, including Afrikaans and a few different black South African dialects. She was also a reporter early on, so being able to craft authentic sounding dialogue is something she honed while she was still quite young.)
Like her other novels, “The Full Catastrophe” is rich in description. Here’s a sample of how the author describes an ice warming hut on a Winnipeg river that Jules Minkoff has designed: “The ice was different from any he’d seen before. He’d been expecting kitchen cubes, the kind that turned opaque when wrenched from their trays. This ice was clear, so transparent he could make out fragile etchings of river scum in its depths – here a haze of silt, there a suspension of foam. The closer he looked the more he could see: a scrim of fish bones, a trail of bubbles, the current folding in on itself.”
In the ten years since Méira released “The House on Sugarbush Road” to today, it seems that she has also developed a keener sense of humour within her writing. Her first two novels, set as they were in South Africa, had as a backdrop the tensions between blacks and whites which pervade that country, and there was always a threat of impending violence within both those books.
“Once More With Feeling” took a decidedly less solemn path and it had several chapters within it that were predominantly humourous, although the book as a whole was quite serious.
In “The Full Catastrophe” Méira often injects entire scenes of dialogue that I told her in an email reminded me of Mordecai Richler in their tone. A good part of the book consists of emails sent back and forth between different characters, including a well-meaning teacher of Charlie’s by the name of Maude Kambaja, who wants Charlie to write an autobiographical essay for class, but who is dissatisfied with how Charlie avoids revealing much about himself.
Ms. Kambaja emails Jules Minkoff regularly to attempt to persuade Jules to exert her influence over Charlie to open up, but Jules consistently retorts in a most amusing and sarcastic manner.
Other characters in the novel, including two of Charlie and Jules’ neighbours in their building, which is known as the “GNC Building” (and from which all the remaining tenants will soon be forced to move as it’s about to be redeveloped), also carry on a hilarious exchange of notes for which Charlie serves as the messenger because they have such a strong dislike for one another.
Yet, through it all – including a crush that Charlie develops on a girl who herself is deeply scarred emotionally, the relationship between Charlie and his zaida is the overriding unifying theme of “The Full Catastrophe.”
Oscar Minkoff is himself a Holocaust survivor and after what he’s endured, he has nothing but compassion for his deeply troubled grandson (whose father abandoned him and his mother shortly after Charlie’s birth to join a Hasidic sect in New York).
Oscar decides that he wants to have a bar mitzvah – something he was never able to have in war-torn Europe, and he wants Charlie to participate with him in the event as well. As part of their preparation, Oscar and Charlie meet with a rabbi, during which they often engage in discussion of Talmudic passages.
(I was deeply impressed by the amount of research Méira put into developing those scenes. See adjoining sidebar for a more detailed examination of her writing process.)
No doubt, based on the past success of Méira’s other novels, “The Full Catastrophe” is going to enjoy a similar reception among her many fans. But, considering the more overtly Jewish storyline of this book, I would rather expect it to do particularly well with a Jewish audience. And, considering that Méira has been quite consistent in producing a new novel every three years for the past 10 years, I can hardly wait for her next one – which should be out in 2025, according to schedule.
“The Full Catastrophe”
Published by House of Anansi Press
376 pages
“The Full Catastrophe” will be publicly launched at McNally Robinson Booksellers on June 16 at 7:30 pm, when Méira Cook will be joined by Alison Gillmor in what Méira describes as “an evening of brilliant repartee, reading, and the joy of seeing each other once again!”
Méira Cook talks about her writing process
By BERNIE BELLAN Once I had finished reading Méira Cook’s latest novel, “The Full Catastrophe” I sent her a series of questions about this particular novel and about her writing process in general.
JP&N: Where did the idea for this particular novel come from? Was it something you had been mulling about for some time? I’m curious how someone with such a fabulous imagination comes up with their ideas?
Méira: My novel is a cross-over story for adults and teenagers about the different ways that masculinity is expressed in our contemporary world — whether religiously, socially, medically and familiarly — as well as the troubling ways that history intersects (collides might be a better word) with the present time. And I wanted to write about the relationship between two unlikely best friends, Oscar and Charlie, grandfather and grandson who, despite their differences in age and experience, love each other dearly.
JP&N: Was Charlie’s zaida based on one of your own grandparents in any way?
Méira: Charlie’s zeide is a product of imagination just as all my characters are. For me the imagination is a more hospitable narrative place than memory is because it owes no debt of accuracy to the dead. What has really delighted me is that some advance readers, including the journalists interviewing me, have shared very positive memories of their own grandparents that were sparked by reading Oscar. That ability for my imagination to connect with others’ memories is always tremendously rewarding.
JP&N: How much research did you have to do about intersex children? It was quite fascinating learning as much as I did from your book.
Méira: I did a great deal of research on intersexuality although I used relatively little of it as I didn’t want to bog down the story with too much exposition. My reading included scholarly texts, history, and memoir. It’s such an important and nuanced subject, and my research taught me so much about the history of intolerance and abuse relating to reassignment surgery, medical interventions, and the sometimes violent societal imposition of gender roles. This reading informed my writing in a fundamental way, but readers won’t come across it directly. My main concern in writing Charlie’s character is that he not be defined by his sexual characteristics. This, in my opinion, would repeat the violent impositions that I was reading about. Charlie’s got so many other interests, concerns, and qualities that have nothing to do with his sex chromosomes.
JP&N: If I have one quibble with the book, it’s that you have Charlie’s zaida constantly calling him “dahlink.” Don’t you think a term like that would only add to Charlie’s insecurity as a boy?
I would have preferred “boychik” as a term of endearment.
Méira: Luckily (and sometimes unluckily) we are not in charge of the terms of endearment offered us! They are what others call us. Oscar is so naturally loving, so open hearted despite his tragic experience in the Holocaust that he is the perfect friend, confidant, and grandparent for Charlie. His words to Charlie are always so filled with love that they could never make the boy feel insecure about anything. We should all be so lucky as to have a zeide like Oscar!
JP&N: I note that in past articles in our paper (beginning with a piece written long ago by my niece, Suzy Waldman), that you’ve stuck to a fairly consistent schedule when it comes to turning out something new: approximately every three years. Do you take a break between writing or do you go at it again immediately after finishing your last project?
Méira: I know many writers take breaks from writing after a large project, and I envy them. I love writing, and I wouldn’t feel healthy or grounded if I didn’t put in my time every day. I don’t work to a schedule until my publisher sets one, but I find the act of writing so necessary that I get out of sorts if I spend time away from my office.
JP&N: It goes without saying that this book is going to receive wide acclaim here in Manitoba. By the way, there were parts of the book that reminded me of Mordecai Richler when you have the email exchanges between various characters (or written notes, as the case may be). Your ability to capture someone through how they send an email, especially Ms. Kambaja, is just so real. You have such a great ear for dialogue. Does that still come from your reporting background?
Méira: Thank you for your kind words, Bernie. I’ve always loved Mordecai Richler, so the comparison is very flattering. I think my sense of dialogue comes from listening to people talk and reading good books. You need to be realistic with dialogue, but not too realistic, as real-life conversations aren’t usually interesting to outsiders. You need to write dialogue that sounds realistic but reads like fiction.
Local News
Second annual Taste of Limmud to feature Jewish dishes from around the world
By MYRON LOVE Many words in English have multiple meanings. Take the word “taste” for example. There is the literal meaning – the sense of taste; it can also mean sample – or preferences. It can be a noun or a verb.
In “A Taste of Limmud,” the term is used both in its literal meaning – as a sampling of Jewish dishes from different parts of the world, as well as a prelude to our community’s upcoming 16th celebration of Jewish learning and culture, which is scheduled for Sunday, March 15.
This is the second year for “A Taste of Limmud,” which is coming up on Thursday, February 19. The event will be held at the Shaarey Zedek and will feature Jewish dishes from Argentina, Yemen, Turkiye, Aleppo and Eastern Europe, as well as Israel .
“We sold out last year for A Taste of Limmud,” reports Raya Margulets, Winnipeg Limmud’s newly appointed co-ordinator. “We had 120 participants last year. I am hoping to have 150 this year.”
The 2025 debut of “A Taste of Limmud” was actually Margulets’ introduction to the Winnipeg Limmud co-ordinating team. Originally from Israel, Margulets’ first position with the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg was in 2022 when she was appointed Hillel director – just a year after she had served as Hillel student president at the University of Manitoba.
She left her role with Hillel after about a year to participate in the ten-month online Israel 21c Digital Ambassador program, which is aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 25. That program is part-time and casual, conducted remotely, intended to provide basic experience in digital communication and storytelling focused on everyday life in Israel.
“I spent a few hours a week working on simple digital content and social media, attended occasional online seminars, and participated in light collaborative projects,” Margulets reports. “The focus was on sharing positive, apolitical cultural stories rather than politics or advocacy.”
She was hired last year by the Federation to oversee our first Taste of Limmud – as a special project that was funded by the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
She was appointed at the beginning of September as Limmud Co-ordinator, replacing Florencia Katz, the original co-ordinator, who stepped away after 15 years in the role. Katz remains a member of the Federation staff as Director of Education and Engagement. She also has a focus on the PJ Library program.
“Florencia was a great mentor and is still a big help to me,” Margulets says.
She reports that the upcoming 16th annual Winnipeg Limmud will once again feature a wide and eclectic range of speakers. “I can confirm that all of our community’s rabbis – as well as Rabbi Benarroch – will be among the presenters,” she notes. “Rabbi Benarroch will be coming from Israel and be here in person.”
Also confirmed thus far are Yaron Deckel, an Israeli journalist and broadcaster, as well as Haskel Greenfield, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, and Winnipeg’s own Rimon Art Collective. Collective members include young Jewish artists Mishelle Aminov Kosonovsky, Yael Freifeld, Etel Shevelev, Halley Ritter, and Shan Pullan
Stay tuned for further updates as to other 2026 Winnipeg Limmud presenters on this website or go online to keep up to date or register for programs at limmudwinnipeg.org.
Local News
Sharon Delbridge’s annual health & wellness retreats in Puerto Vallarta have become popular with many Winnipeggers
By BERNIE BELLAN Over the years we have revisited stories from time to time – to catch up with individuals who have made a mark in this city and to see where their lives have taken them since the last time we wrote about them.
One such individual is Sharon Delbridge, the youngest daughter of Sol and Rachel Fink, and younger sister to Percy, Shayla (Posen), and the late Sheldon Fink (who died all too young at the age 57 in 2021).
Myron Love has written many times about Sol and Rachel Fink, who continue to amaze for their vitality – with Sol now 101 and Rachel having just turned 99.
As Sharon notes in an email sent to me, “My parents work out everyday. Not at Rady anymore. They do exercise at home & in their condo gym (200 Tuxedo) Move their bodies daily. My mom leads her and my dad daily in movement. It’s incredible.
“They have been a huge inspiration to all of us.”
Aside from the fact that the Fink family was a very musical family, their penchant for fitness is clearly something that rubbed off on Sharon, in particular.
My own wife, Meachelle, who was quite the fitness fanatic herself in her day (not that she’s been put out to pasture quite yet), profiled Sharon for The Jewish Post & News in 2015. In that story, Sharon explained how she came to be one of the most popular and best known fitness instructors, not only at the Rady JCC – where her classes in a wide variety of different areas, were – and still are, extremely popular, but at many other venues throughout Winnipeg.
Here’s part of what Sharon told Meachelle about how she came to teach so many different types of fitness classes:
“I’ve been into fitness my whole life. I come from a very musical family but also a family that always works out. When I was in my 20s I was teaching aerobics for several years as a part-time job while in university. When I had my three children (Milan, Jared and Cassie Ackerman) I ran a hand-painted clothing business in my home called Milan Designs, and I sold to ladies’ and children’s stores all over Canada.
“I was always working out and have loved fitness classes. I went back and got more certifications in my 40s. I’m certified to teach many specialties and have been actively teaching at the Rady for over 10 years. I now specialize in women’s boutique fitness: Zumba, Yoga and Barre classes. The three specialties blend beautifully together and I have a big following of people from all over Winnipeg that come to my classes. I have every Zumba certification that’s available: Zumba, Zumba Gold (for seniors), Zumba Toning (with weights), Zumba Aqua (in water), Zumba Step and Zumba Sentao (using steppers and chairs).
“I’ve taken many yoga certifications through the past 10 years and I’ve been teaching Barre classes, which are the latest and hottest classes for women. I’m always taking new training in these three specialties to continue to stay fresh and always have new and exciting things to present to my class. That’s how I stay unique in my field. I’m always learning and always developing my classes to be the best they can be. I spend tons of time finding the best music and choreographing.
“I truly feel that if you work out and look after your body, you will always have a positive outlook on life. Exercise is a huge healer mentally and physically. I have seen so many incredible changes in women that come to my classes. They have transformed their bodies and live happier and healthier lives.”
It was a year after Meachelle’s article about Sharon that Sharon and her husband, Darcy, began going to Puerto Vallarta for the winter. As Sharon noted, “I started teaching at a Yoga studio the first winter we were here in PV. It’s easy to meet people & build community when you’re teaching snowbirds from everywhere
I love sharing my love for fitness & yoga & moving our bodies.”
But, for six years prior to making Puerto Vallarta her and Darcy’s winter home, Sharon had already been conducting annual one-week health and wellness retreats in Puerto Vallarta. She has continued to conduct those retreats every year since. The most recent retreat was held from January 25-February 1 at the Fiesta Americana All Inclusive Resort.
Here’s how Sharon describes the purpose of those retreats:
“For over 15 years, my Health & Wellness Retreat has brought together women of all ages to reconnect, recharge, and celebrate movement, friendship, and balance. Hosted at a beautiful all-inclusive resort, guests can truly make the week their own holiday experience. While primarily a women’s retreat, many now bring their husbands or partners who are welcome to participate as much or as little as they choose.
“Throughout the week, we offer seven daily classes ranging from sunrise meditation and yoga to toning, Zumba, yin yoga, and our signature Aqua Zumba — which transforms into a high-energy, joy-filled pool party. Each evening, we gather for sunset yoga and take time to celebrate the beauty of the day together.
“The retreat blends wellness with enjoyment, allowing guests to indulge in the resort’s wonderful restaurants and social atmosphere while still feeling strong, energized, and revitalized. It’s a balanced, uplifting experience where participants leave feeling nourished in body, mind, and heart, often forming lifelong friendships. This year, we were proud to welcome 40 participants.”
In the picture accompanying this article you might recognize several Winnipeggers. I asked Sharon how many Winnipeggers were participants in this year’s retreat?
The answer, she said, was the majority (31) were from Winnipeg, while six were from Las Vegas, one from Ottawa and two from Edmonton.
The last two years, Sharon also noted, another well known member of the Rady JCC staff, Dona Watts-Hastings, who’s a physiotherapist, also a yoga and Pilates instructor, has joined Sharon in conducting the retreat. Sharon adds that Dona’s physiotherapy clinic is inside the Rady JCC. Dona also brings some of her clients to the retreat.
I wondered though, how active Sharon is in teaching classes when she’s back in Winnipeg? Does she never tire of teaching so many classes? I wondered.
Sharon’s answer was: “Yes, I’m still in Winnipeg half of the year and I will always teach at the Rady… Zumba, sculpt , yoga & barre class – also spinning if they need me to sub. . I teach at Assiniboine park and other gyms, too. Every morning I teach and often sub other classes. Busy all spring & summer.”
Whew! It’s tiring just reading about everything Sharon does. If you would like to find out more about next year’s health & wellness retreat in Puerto Vallarta and how you might be able to join up, contact Sharon at sharon@freshsoulfitness.com.
To watch a video of what a typical day at the retreat consisted of go to freshsoulfitness
Local News
Jess Pudavick: artist and business executive
By MYRON LOVE Jess Pudavick is a rare individual in that she combines careers as an artist and a business executive.
I first became aware of Jess last summer when she was one of the artists/craftspeople with a display table at the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre’s annual garage and craft sale. What piqued my interest was her focus on incorporating resins in her art pieces.
Last week, while interviewing Ms. Pudavick at Super-Lite Lighting on Waverley – I learned much more about the multi-talented Ms. Pudavick.
While I have a passion for art,” she notes, “I was not interested in becoming a stereotypical starving artist.”
The daughter of Stuart and Beth Pudavick joined the company (which her father acquired in the early 1980s (along with partners Simon Simkin and Allan Hochman) 17 years ago. Her brother, Ray, also joined the company 10 years ago, Jess notes.
At Super-Lite, Jess’s title is Custom Homes Lighting Consultant. She works with builders, designers and contractors to build the lighting for the home, as well as to choose the right lights for the space. She also manages the company’s social media and website.
“I enjoy working with my dad and Ray,” she says.”I also love what I do at Super-Lite. It is similar to my feelings about my art. You don’t know the end result when you start. It is nice to see something being built from nothing and seeing the end result – and knowing how happy the client is in the end.”.
As an artist, the graduate of Brock Corydon’s Hebrew Bilingual Program, Shaftesbury Collegiate and the University of Manitoba, recalls that she started at a young age. “As a kid,” she says, “I was always doodling and drawing cartoons.”
While she has worked with several different artistic media, she observes that what she likes about creating art with resins is the challenge.
“Resin is a temperamental material,” she points out. “When you start a project, you have no idea what the finished product will look like.”
She explains that there are two ways to work with resin. You can put traditional resin in a mold and wait 24 hours for the resin to dry. Or you can speed up the process by using a UV style resin and exposing the resin to UV rays.
“I prefer letting the resin dry naturally,” she says. “I find I have more control over it.”
Her resin-infused art comes in many forms. She produces earrings and necklaces, candle holders and ashtrays, dice and computer keys. She has also created resin-infused mahjong and rummikub tiles and even sets of dominoes with paw prints. A popular item, Jess says, is a custom coloured/theme wedding set of dominoes.
“People love them,” she says of the dominoes tiles.
(The latter reflects her own passion for dogs for which she is often a foster “parent”. She notes that she also creates resin-infused memory keepsake urns for the ashes/hair or fur of beloved pets – a product that is gaining popularity.)
Then there is the resin-infused coffee table that has a place of honour in her own home. “With my love of plants and resin, my partner and I took our existing coffee table, added various clippings of my own plants and created a fun resin-sealed table,” she recounts. “It really looks cool. It is unique. it attracts visitors’ interest. Every time I look at it, I see something different.”
Jess reports that generally sells her works of art through craft sales and her Instagram page (@thejesso09) for between $10 and $30. Her major source of sales though, she adds, is through word of mouth.
But Pudavick avers that she doesn’t do her art with an eye to sales.
“I create for myself, not for the approval of others. I find it relaxing – a good way to reduce stress. It’s also rewarding to see that others want something you have created.”
She strongly believes that enjoying your work is an important element in being happy. Equally important, she notes, – both in business and art – is to have satisfied customers.