Local News
Fledgling furniture builder Aaron Rosenblatt hoping to turn avocation into livelihood
By MYRON LOVE The creative process when it comes to art can take a number of different forms. For Aaron Rosenblatt, for example, his is the art of designing and building furniture.
Among the pieces that the son of Roberta and Fred Rosenblatt has produced are a framed mirror, a standing lamp with a geometric base, wine containers, wall shelves, a hanging coat rack, a wall clock and board with hooks for keys.
“I enjoy experimenting with different patterns,” he says. “I take pictures of building features and nature – anything that catches my eye.”
Rosenblatt’s fascination with designing and building furniture was piqued in an unusual way. For many years, the graduate of the Brock Corydon Hebrew Bilingual program and Kelvin High School was a passionate skateboarder. He was drawn to furniture design through the example of a couple of fellow skateboarders he much admired who themselves were building furniture.
“I decided that I wanted to try it,” he recalls.
That was 10 years ago.
Rosenblatt borrowed some money from his parents and bought himself a drill, mitre saw, router and table saw and was soon on his way. “I began learning through trial and error,” he recounts. “Once I started, I found that the more involved I got, the more I wanted to learn.
”I find cutting wood and doing the sanding relaxing.”
For the first few years, Rosenblatt worked out of his parents’ River Heights garage. Last year, he moved his woodworking equipment into his Uncle Hymie’s basement in north Winnipeg.
”I have a lot more space now and can help my uncle out, driving him to appointments,” he says.
Rosenblatt’s day job is working for the City of Winnipeg Community Services at a leisure centre with a gym and library. He works at his furniture building on his days off on Mondays and Tuesdays.
He reports that it takes him about a month to design and build a piece of furniture. He sources his wood from lumber and hardware stores and occasionally lucks out and finds a block of wood on the boulevard from a tree that was recently cut down.
He notes that he only began selling his finished products a couple of years ago. Previously, he was giving them away to friends and co-workers as gifts. That has led to some demand, he reports.
”I am marketing my pieces on social media – mainly Instagram,” he notes. ”I have sold a few pieces and demand is beginning to grow.
”While I enjoy my work at the leisure centre, it would be nice if one day I could devote myself full time to designing and building furniture.”
If you’d like to see more samples of Aaron’s creations on Instagram, go to https://www.instagram.com/arwoodcrafts/
Readers who may want to contact Rosenblatt can send him an email at aaronrose1983@gmail.com or phone 204 299-3903.
Local News
Winnipeg Fringe performer Melanie Gall subjected to antisemitic attack – for second year in a row
By BERNIE BELLAN (July 20, 2025)
Melanie Gall is a talented performer who is a veteran of the Winnipeg Fringe Festival – having appeared here many times.
Last year Melanie found herself being subjected to antisemitic attacks that were initiated by a site supervisor for the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, someone by the name of Eric Rae.
As I wrote on my story about Melanie’s experience, “…on the third day (of the Fringe Festival), she said, ‘the site supervisor (Rae) came and was wearing a pro-Palestinian symbol’ and told Melanie that he was wearing that deliberately because he was coming to Melanie’s venue.
“He told her, ‘that stance you’re taking (on social media) is a political symbol.
Rae also posted on social media: “We have a Zionist in our midst harassing pro-Palestinians.”
There was a concerted effort on social media last summer to boycott Melanie’s shows (She had three different shows altogether.)
As Melanie said during a phone conversation we had last summer about what happened to her, “This is so ridiculous. I’m being harassed and bullied because I’m Jewish…it’s not about Israel.”
Eric Rae was relieved from his duties after Melanie complained to the Fringe office staff, Melanie noted during our conversation.
She adds that other Fringe employees also complained about Eric Rae’s behaviour: “I wasn’t the only one who complained last year,” she wrote in an email sent today. “Several staff members complained, as Eric was not adhering to the Fringe policy that did not allow political symbols to be worn by staff. From what I heard, he refused to stop wearing it, and he did publicly target me. The Winnipeg Fringe upheld their safe spaces policy, and they were wonderful in the way they handled it.”
Further, Melanie was the target of an organized campaign on pro-Palestine social media calling for her shows to be boycotted.
(You can read the full story about what happened to Melanie, also to her mother during last year’s Edmonton Fringe Festival, at Melanie Gall.)
Just today we received another email from Melanie informing us that the same individual who targeted her last summer is targeting her again during this year’s Fringe Festival.
Melanie wrote: “Hi! Thanks so much for the mention in the preview article! I just wanted to let you know that Eric Rae is at it again.”
Attached to that email was a picture taken from Rae’s Instagram account.
As of the writing of this post, Melanie said that she is out of town for three days and is not aware whether any of her posters have been defaced – the way they were last summer.
She did add, however, that “I assume by ‘make her feel unwelcome’ (which is what is written on one of the pictures on Rae’s Instagram account) he is planning something. Ugh.”
Melanie also said that “The one post is too close to a threat to ignore.”
In a subsequent email Melanie also sent a screenshot of an exchange that took place on Rae’s Instagram account between him and someone who goes by the handle “Kat Cat.”
If we hear more about what’s been happening to Melanie we’ll update this article.
Please note: We allow comments on this website but in order to have a comment posted you’ll have to email us at jewishp@mts.net. (We used to have a comment module, but it was inundated with spam comments.)
Local News
Thank you to the community from the Chesed Shel Emes
We’re delighted to share a major milestone in our Capital Campaign, “Building on our Tradition.” Launched in November 2018, this campaign aimed to replace our outdated facility with a modern space tailored to our unique needs. Our new building is designed with ritual at its core, featuring ample preparation space, Shomer space, and storage, creating a warm and welcoming environment for our community during times of need.
We’re grateful to the nearly 1,000 generous donors who contributed over $4 million towards our new facility. A $750,000 mortgage will be retired in November 2025, completing this monumental project in just seven years.
We’re also thrilled to announce that our Chesed Shel Emes Endowment Fund has grown tenfold, from $15,000 to $150,000, thanks to you, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s FundMatch program, and Million Dollar Match initiative in 2024. Our fund helps ensure that everyone can have a dignified Jewish funeral regardless of financial need.
As we look to the future, our goal remains to ensure the Chevra Kadisha continues to serve our community for generations to come. Our focus now shifts to replenishing our savings account and growing our JFM Endowment fund.
We’re deeply grateful for your support over the past several years.
It’s our privilege to serve our community with care and compassion.
With sincere appreciation,
Campaign cabinet: Hillel Kravetsky, Gerry Pritchard, Stuart Pudavick,
Jack Solomon, and Rena Boroditsky
Murray S. Greenfield, President
Local News
Winnipeg Beach Synagogue about to celebrate 75th anniversary
By BERNIE BELLAN (July 13) In 1950 a group of cottage owners at Winnipeg Beach took it upon themselves to relocate a one-room schoolhouse that was in the Beausejour area to Winnipeg Beach where it became the beach synagogue at the corner of Hazel and Grove.
There it stayed until 1998 when it was moved to its current location at Camp Massad.
On August 2nd members of the synagogue will be holding a 75th anniversary celebration.
As part of the celebration anyone who is a descendant or relative of any of the original members of the first executive committee (as seen in the photo here) is invited to attend the synagogue that morning.
If you are a relative please contact Abe Borzykowski at wpgbeachshule@shaw.ca or aborzykowski@shaw.ca to let Abe know you might be attending or for more information about the 75th anniversary celebration.
We will soon be publishing a story about the history of the beach synagogue, which is something I’ve been writing about for over 25 years.