Local News
2025 Yom Tov Winnipeg synagogue attendance largely the same as last year’s
By MYRON LOVE The past year has been a time of renewal with the unveiling of new – or substantially renovated – buildings for our two major congregations and new rabbinical leadership this year at the Shaarey Zedek and Temple Shalom.
Much like last year, Jewish Winnipeggers greeted yom tov with enthusiasm – with this year’s attendance matching or – in the case of Etz Chayim – exceeding last year’s numbers.
Last year, in its first Yom Tov service in its new building at 1155 Wilkes Avenue in south Winnipeg, Etz Chayim recorded 335 in attendance for the first services on Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur service and 120 for the second – with 450 for Kol Nidre at the Viscount Gort hotel.
The problem for Etz Chayim at its new location is that capacity is considerably less than what is was in its previous building on Matheson Avenue in north Winnipeg. To remedy that situation this year, the congregation rented a larger space at a nearby facility called the Soul Sanctuary.
Morissa Granove, Congregation Etz Chayim’s executive director, notes that the location is basically a large gym. “We transformed the space into a synagogue for Yom Tov,” she says. “That allowed us to have all of our members and friends together under one roof. We sold over 480 tickets, even more than we expected. It was nice to have all of us together. We had a lovely service and received great feedback.”
Granove reports that the congregation’s plan in moving south was always to eventually expand the sanctuary to ensure that everyone can fit into their new spiritual home 365 days a year (including Yom Tov.) “We don’t as yet have a specific time line,” Granove reports. “That will be dependent on accessing grants and raising funds for this next step when the time is right. We are in an evolution, so to speak, and as hard as it is to wait for all of the pieces to fall perfectly into place, it was important to evolve within our means. Slow and steady with a clear vision and lots of excitement for everything still to come.”
The Shaarey Zedek, our community’s largest and oldest congregation, once again sold out early – although, says Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze, the synagogue’s executive director,” we always leave a few seats available. We never turn anyone away.”
She notes that the main sanctuary has a capacity of 1032 – with an additional 297 for the separate Family Service downstairs. “We had about 1300 congregants altogether counting those attending our family service downstairs for the families whose children are registered in our new daycare,” she reports. “We had almost 300 for the first family service and 70 for the second.”
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the main sanctuary were led by Rabbi Carnie Rose and Cantor Leslie Emery – with contributions from the Quartet and the Ruach Volunteer Choir. Rabbi Anibal Mass, as usual, led the family service with support from the youth band and the Dor Chadash Youth Choir.
“Carnie (Rabbi Rose) is having a huge impact on our membership,” Secter Elbaze points out. “Since he joined Shaarey Zedek in the summer, a lot of new members have joined. We are seeing new people becoming members virtually every day. Carnie has the ability to reach out to people and give them the feeling that they are loved.”
At Temple Shalom, our community’s 60-plus-year-old Reform Congregation, newly-installed Rabbi Myriam Saitman reports great attendance for Yom Tov. The synagogue’s capacity is about 200. “Everyone was very happy with the service,” she says. “We have a wonderful cantorial soloist in David Vamos and a wonderful choir led by Janet Pelletier Goetze. After the High Holidays, several new young people took out membership in our congregation.”
South end Winnipeg further offers a fourth Liberal Jewish option in the form of Rabbi Matthew Leibl’s “Services on the River: A Modern High Holidays”. This is the third year that the former Shaarey Zedek – and now independent – rabbi has led his own service at the Gates on Roblin.
He reports that the service was much the same as last year with 250 people buying tickets – the same number as last year.
The venue has room for up to 300 people.
“Services on the River: A modern High Holidays” held services on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur in the morning. The three 90-minute services, Leibl noted last year, “are designed to offer moments of reflection and introspection, beautiful live music, and a celebration of the Jewish New Year, all against the pastoral backdrop of the Assiniboine River, which was also be our site for Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah.”
“We had a truly wonderful service,” he reported. “The atmosphere was warm and engaging. I loved it.”
Rabbi Leibl is also the “spiritual care aide” at the Simkin Centre – although Yom Tov services are led by Steven Hyman – with Bonnie Antel directing the choir. “A tremendous Yasher Koach to Steven and Bonnie,” he said.
Peak attendance at the Simkin Centre, Rabbi Leibl reported, came on the first day of Rosh Hashonah with about 200 residents and family members present. There were about 180 on the second day and on Yom Kippur – fewer for Kol Nidre.
“The highlight this year,” Rabbi Leibl noted, “was that we moved our services into the Atrium – the open space with high ceilings and beautiful wood beams, huge windows and tons of natural light made for an incredible atmosphere and space. We hold our weekly Friday and Saturday services in the Atrium so it made sense to try it out. While in the past, we’d used our Multi Purpose Room, the Atrium has so much more character and a feeling of something special in it. It’s also a more public space where people entering the building see what’s happening, whether they intend to or not. It worked so well that we intend to continue having our Yom Tov services in the Atrium.”
South Winnipeg is also home two Orthodox congregations and both the Lubavitch Centre and the Adas Yeshurun Herzlia did well. The latter’s Yom Tov service was made more meaningful by the continued presence of Rabbi Yossi Benarroch. While Benarroch officially retired – after ten years – as the congregation’s spiritual leader at the end of July to return full time to his family in Israel – he agreed to return for Yom Tov and continue as rabbi on a part time basis until the congregation can find a replacement.
Adas Yeshurun has a membership of about 100 and can accommodate up to 250. Speaking on behalf of the shul, Dr. Allen Kraut reports that attendance was about on par with last year.
The Lubavitch Centre’s senior Rabbi Avroham Altein reports that several hundred daveners crammed into the shul for Yom Tov. “We get a lot of support from the Israeli, Argentinian and Russian Jewish communities in addition to long-established community members,” he points out.
He added that a number of younger community members were in attendance.
There is no charge to davening at Chabad nor do you have to register in advance.
In the North End, High Holiday service options are more limited. The Chevra Mishnayes in Garden City offers an egalitarian service. Synagogue president Rob Waldman reports that about 100 attended services this year – about the same number as last year.
“Our services (led by Jewish Child and Family Service President and CEO Al Benarroch) went very well,” Waldman notes. “Every year, we lose one or two families and gain a couple of new families.”
Both the House of Ashkenazi, the last of our community’s older-style Orthodox congregations, and the Chavurat Tefila Talmud Torah offer Orthodox services. This year for the High Holidays, the congregation brought in Rabbi Gary Zweig and Cantor Manny Aptowitzer from Toronto. The number of people attending was between 40 and 50 – the best turnout in many years – which attests to the wisdom of the two struggling congregations agreeing to merge 18 months ago.
The House of Ashkenazi recorded Yom Tov attendance of between 20 and 30. During the rest of the year, the Ashkenazi remains open for services only on Thursday mornings. Synagogue members go to the Chavurat Tefila Talmud Torah for Shabbat and other holiday services.
Local News
The Jewish Post Ltd. launches new website for food lovers
By BERNIE BELLAN Three months ago I wrote a story about something my daughter, Shira, had started doing on social media that had proved to be wildly successful – much to her own surprise. That story was titled: Local foodie finds fame by trying foods on Facebook Marketplace
What Shira was doing was going on to Facebook Marketplace and trying different foods that she was able to buy from local vendors. She often didn’t know what the heck it was she was ordering, but each time she would get a new food she would film herself reacting to that food.
The results have been consistently entertaining – often hilarious, to the point where Shira now has over 10,300 followers on Instagram, as well as on Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube. (You can find her Instagram page at Winnipeg Marketplace Food Finds.)
I suggested to Shira that she ought to parlay the success she’s found by posting on social media into a further venture: creating a website that would give wider exposure to the food vendors whose food Shira liked the most.
As a result, Shira and I teamed up with the marvellous web designer whose name is Mario Lacunza who is responsible for the design of jewishpostandnews.ca -to create a brand new website called Winnipeg Marketplace Food Finds.
On that website you will find pictures of some of the most popular foods Shira has tried from Marketplace, along with links to the original Instagram posts where she reviewed those foods – and links that will take you directly to the vendors’ Facebook pages.
There are so many brilliantly creative people selling food on Marketplace and Shira’s social media posts have brought many of them a lot of new business. Our hope is that our new website will bring them even more business.
The website will also offer stories about food from a variety of sources. So, take a look at the new site and be amazed at the originality of the foods being produced on Facebook Marketplace.
Local News
UNVEILING for the headstone of Dr. Velimir Kon (Sept. 18, 1950-June 27, 2025)
A true mensch and person of many talents and profoundness, Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon is deeply missed and loved by his family and friends.
Known for his warmth, kindness, integrity and love of learning and teaching, Velimir continues to inspire all who knew him and his memory warms our hearts and souls. Velimir is deeply missed.
You are invited to helps us remember and honour our beloved husband and father who passed away almost a year ago.
We, Branka, Deborah and Lea Kon, wish to inform our relatives and friends of the unveiling of a headstone dedicated to his loving memory on FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2026 at 11:00am at the HEBREW SICK CEMETERY (2605 McPhillips Street) followed by lunch at the Chabad Lubavitch of Winnipeg – Jewish Learning Centre (1845 Mathers Avenue). Please come say a l’chaim in his honour.
In Memoriam
1st Yahrzeit
In loving memory of Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon who passed away June 27, 2025, 12 Days in Tammuz.
⁃ Forever and deeply loved and missed by his wife of over 50 years, Branka, and daughters Deborah and Lea Kon. Velimir brought joy to our lives with his boundless kindness and gentleness, irrepressible humour, great intellect and love of people, tikun olam and Judaism.
Not a day goes by that we do not mention Velimir and feel his presence with us. Our lives are not the same without him and we deeply miss and cherish him. We can never forget his presence that was larger than life, yet also his humility and thoughtfulness.
A gentleman to the very core, Velimir was respected as a scientist, academic, professor, researcher, and later as a teacher and mentor. He always endeavoured to make every place he worked and lived at better and was able to bridge many cultures. He was Abraham of his generation and made many personal sacrifices; giving up status, position and privilege in order for his family to have a better and peaceful future.
May his memory always be a blessing. He left us at only 74 years young and we wish we had had more time together. Indeed, to know him was to love him.
Local News
Younger Jewish talents continue to shine in their respective categories at annual Winnipeg Music Festival
By MYRON LOVE A number of younger members of our community were repeat stars at the most recent (108th annual) Winnipeg Music Festival – which takes place annually in March. Among the repeat Jewish singers and musicians in the ranks of high achievers this year were” Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, Gregory Hyman, Alex Schaeffer, Juliet Eskin, Noah Kravetsky, and Lyla Chisick.
Vocalist Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, the oldest of this year’s group of Jewish repeat winners, was competing in his fifth straight festival, where he continued to build on his accomplishments in previous festivals. This year, the 20-year-old son of Samantha and Peter finished first in two musical theatre categories – songs from musical theatre productions between 1965 and 1999, and shows from the past 26 years. Yale sang “I’m Allergic to Cats,” from the 2016 musical “The Theory of Relativity,” and “Suppertime,” from the 1967 musical, “You’re a Good man, Charlie Brown.”
The former Gray Academy student is currently enrolled at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music in the Choral program. Yale says that he is hoping to get into the performance track in the fall with the goal of earning a degree in Classical Voice Performance en route to pursuing a career in musical theatre.
As reported previously, Gregory Hyman is a multi-faceted artist who can do it all. The 18-year-old son of Hartley and Rishona Hyman is a singer/songwriter/musician (guitar) who records and performs under the stage name, GMH. His versatility shone through once again in his eighth Music Festival, in which he registered first-place finishes for vocal performances in both “Popular and Contemporary Music” and “TV and Movie Music “categories.
Gregory notes that he was also recommended to compete in the provincial finals in June. The St. John’s-Ravenscourt student (and soon-to be) graduate continues to be busy on stage. In January, he headlined a sold out solo show at Sidestage on Osborne featuring some of his new material. In March, he released an album of his newest songs. Readers can check out his latest compositions on any of the music streaming platforms as well as his own social media (thegmh) on Instagram.
Gregory also continues to host his own podcast: “Talk and Rock with GMH – now in its fifth season – in which he interviews various people in the music business across Canada.
While Gregory says that a musical career is his “dream,” he reports that he is hedging his bets and considering different potential career opportunities. Come September, he will be enrolled at the University of Manitoba in a University One program, which will allow him to select from a variety of courses that can count toward a degree.
Sixteen-year-old Alex Schaeffer won first place this year in the “Musicals Prior to 1965, 16 Years and Under” category with “Try Me” from “She Loves Me,” and was runner-up in the “Musicals 1965 to 1999, 16 Years and Under” category with “On My Own,” from “Les Misérables.” For the son of Marc Schaeffer and Kae Sasaki, this was his fifth year competing in the festival.
The Grant Park High School student made his big stage debut three years ago as Kurt von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” followed by playing Michael Hobbs in “Elf the Musical” this past winter at the Royal MTC.
Alex recently performed in Grant Park High School’s production of “Something Rotten!” This summer Schaeffer can be seen again at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, where he will be appearing in a production staged by Rem Lezar Theatre.
Rounding out the voice winners is Lyla Chisick. The daughter of Daniel and Baillee was competing in her second music festival. This year, she scored Gold performances in the “Vocal Solo,” “Manitoba Composers,” and “TV/Movie Musical, 12 and under” categories.
Lyla reports that she began taking voice lessons from Jessica Kos-Whicher three years ago. She says she regularly takes part in the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Family Service and has sung at several community events. Lyla adds that she is already looking forward to next year’s music festival.
Nate Kravetsky and Juliet Eskin competed in the festival as musicians rather than singers. Juliet, 16, plays the viola, and is also is the violist in the Assiniboine String Quartet. In this, her fifth go-round at the festival, Juliet, the daughter of the musically talented Kelly Robinon and Josh Eskin, had first place finishes in the “Viola Solo, level 8,” “Baroque or Classical Concerto,” and “Romantic Composers” categories.
Juliet originally took up the violin – adding the viola a couple of years after. She also just finished performing in the Grant Park High School production of “Something Rotten!”
Nate Kravetsky is currently in Grade 5 level piano. He studies with Erica Schultz and has been taking lessons from her since age 5.
Nate competed in three categories at the Winnipeg music festival: “Baroque,” “Sonata,” and “Contemporary/own choice.”
His own choice selection was the theme from his favourite video game, “Hollow Knight.”
Nate, who is in Grade 7 at Gray Academy, is also preoccupied preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah.
We look forward to the continued musical success off Yale, Gregory, Alex, Nate, Juliet and Lyla, and what new talent may be unveiled at next year’s Winnipeg Music festival.
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