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Argentinian-born architect Juan Sternberg shares his success story in Winnipeg
By MYRON LOVE Upon his arrival in Winnipeg from Argentina in 2004, architect Juan Sternberg metaphorically unlocked a door to a world of endless possibilities. Sternberg told the story how he arrived in Winnipeg and how his career as an architect has flourished here at a joint Jewish Business Network/GrowWinnipeg/Rady JCC program on Thursday, September 19.
As has also been the case with most other Argentinian Jewish newcomers to Canada over the past 25 years, Juan hails from Buenos Aires, which is where he graduated from architecture – at the University of Buenos Aires, in 1986. His passion for innovation led him to pursue post-graduate studies in CAD/CAM design and a teaching position in the university’s Faculty of Architecture for more than 5 years. He then worked for more than 20 years for a major construction company in Argentina’s capital city as an architect and project manager. The company’s projects include the stunning MALBA (Latin-American Art Museum of Buenos Aires), the Galicia Bank Tower, and the impressive Metrogas Argentina.
“It was in 2001 that my wife and I decided to move our family – including our 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter to Canada,” Sternberg says. “I had a friend whose brother lived in Canada. Through our research, we became aware of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s Outreach program.”
In 2004, Sternberg and his family arrived in Canada. Soon after, he obtained status as a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) with the Canada Green Building Council. Sternberg also became certified with the Canadian Architectural Certification Board, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and the Manitoba Association of Architects to practice architecture in Canada. He practiced at a local architecture firm in Winnipeg for ten years.
In 2016, it was time for Sternberg to open his own office – SA Sternberg Architecture – at 611 Corydon Avenue. Sternberg and his staff focus on institutional, commercial, and government projects country-wide. “Regardless of the project size, at Sternberg Architecture the job must be done right. We started with small projects,” Juan notes, “which led to larger, more interesting assignments.” SA Sternberg Architecture believes that client collaboration is the key to success. The firm’s steady growth over the years is due to client satisfaction and word of mouth.
Sternberg believes that, from concept to completion, each project and each client requires a unique solution, where quality and design are paramount. “By understanding the needs of our clients we can create beautifully designed functional buildings while keeping the projects economically feasible – and our clients appreciate that,” he says.
Current projects that SA Sternberg Architecture is working on include school renovations and a childcare centre in Dauphin that will be able to accommodate up to 120 children. Sternberg has also done residential work, projects for Manitoba Housing, First Nations, and renovations for higher education facilities. His practice embodies the spirit of architectural excellence and entrepreneurial drive.
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Talented Winnipeg composer Sara Kreindler teams up with her mother Reena Kreindler to create new satirical show to premiere here in May
By BERNIE BELLAN It’s been many years since I’ve heard from Sara Kreindler. Sara’s name first appeared in The Jewish Post & News in 2002 when a satirical musical titled “A Touch of Class” was reviewed by the late Arnold Ross. That particular production featured songs from popular Broadway shows that touched upon themes such as “greed, poverty, oppression, and social unrest.”
When she appeared in that show, Ross noted, Kreindler had just recently returned to Winnipeg from England, where she had obtained a doctorate in Social Psychology from Oxford University.
While at Oxford, Kreindler found time to compose a satirical musical titled “Charity,” which played to rave reviews there, and was performed five times.
Continuing in the theme of writing satirical musicals, Sara has now teamed up with her mother, Reena, to write a new musical titled “A Perfect Man,” which is set to run at the Gargoyle Theatre from May 6-17.
According to a press release we received, “A Perfect Man” is “a satirical musical, set on a fictional analogue of ‘The Bachelor’.
“The story follows an anthropologist who arrives to research TV’s hottest reality-dating show — only to discover she’s been made a contestant, and the bachelor is her high school crush. Past and present collide against an exuberant pastiche score that uses vintage musical styles to highlight modern absurdities.”
“Praised as ‘a musician [who] can make biofuels funny’ (CBC), Sara is known for whip-smart satire on a panoply of topics. Her digital musical, ‘Larry Saves the Canadian Healthcare System, created during her former life as an academic, has garnered over 84,000 YouTube views. Naturally, she had a field day with the subject of reality dating.
“The topic just begs for campy zaniness, which I think we all need in these times — but also for a more cerebral critique of what these shows say about the culture that spawned them,” says Kreindler. And thanks to the romance context, the satire is woven into a deeper, more personal story. “It’s satire with a heart.”
Here is some more information about Sara Kreindler, taken from a 2009 article I wrote about her:
“Born in Israel, Sara’s precocious talent was nurtured by her mother, Reena, whose own particular talent is literary, not musical. According to Reena, however, Sara was singing from the time she was a baby, and she began to study piano at the age of four.
“As a young girl, Sara began writing her own songs and poems, along with the “occasional musical”, notes Reena. Yet, Sara’s rare talent put her at odds with the typical interests of other children her own age, on top of which she attended a school to which she was exposed to a fair degree of antisemtism.
“As a result, Sara says, being bullied was a common aspect of her childhood. On one occasion, when she was nine, she notes, Sara fought back against one particular bully by reciting the following little ditty:
“I write so many epigrams to you that all the people laugh.
I’m tired of writing epigrams.
I want to write your epitaph!”
“Sara went on to compose a musical titled ‘Flutesong’ while she was a student at Vincent Massey Collegiate, she says. After doing her undergraduate work at the University of Manitoba, majoring in Psychology, Sara won a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University.
“Sara eventually earned a doctorate in Social Psychology and returned to Winnipeg, where she began teaching at the University of Manitoba, but she said she didn’t enjoy the “mass production” style of teaching upwards of 300 students at a time, so she switched careers and began doing health research for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.”
All the while Sara has been continuing to compose and perform her own songs, often teaming up with her mother, as she has for “A Perfect Man.”
Showtimes and ticket information for The Perfect Man are available at:
http://www.thegargoyletheatre.com/upcoming-events/the-perfect-man
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Rabbi Kliel Rose to leave Congregation Etz Chayim for new post in Ottawa
The following email from Congregation Etz Chayim Executive Director Morissa Granove was sent to members of the congregation on Friday, April 10:
“Dear Members and Friends,
“As we know, Rabbi Kliel recently spent a weekend with Kehilllat Beth Israel where he has since been offered a position. After much thought and consideration, he has made the decision to sign a contract in Ottawa. He will continue to lead our congregation through Yom Kippur.
“This news marks a significant ending for our Etz Chayim community, and at the same time with change comes opportunity. Congregation Etz Chayim will soon embark on our own Rabbinical search with excitement as we look for our perfect candidates and explore the new possibilities that will help us to continue to shape a strong future for our synagogue and members.”
Kliel Rose took up the position of rabbi at Etz Chayim in August, 2018.
In an article announcing his appointment to the position in the June 6, 2018 issue of The Jewish Post & News, Myron Love wrote:
The congregation has been without a permanent rabbi since last summer when Rabbi Larry Lander chose to retire – after ten years here – and relocate to Toronto.
Kliel Rose is already a well-seasoned rabbi. He was ordained in 2004 by the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
He previously served as spiritual leader at the West End Synagogue in Nashville and Temple Enamu-El in Miami Beach. His current posting is Beth Shalom Synagogue in Edmonton.
Following the example of his parents, Kliel Rose has been active in interfaith dialogue and human rights work for which he was honoured in 2014 with the Human Rights Hero Award by Truah: The Rabbibic Call for Human Rights.
He has also participated in the Kellogg Management Education for Jewish Leaders program at Northwestern University and was most recently chosen to be among 20 rabbis from different denominations chosen to train in the Clergy leadership Incubator – a two-year program, under the leadership of Ranni Sidney Schwarz, intended to educate younger rabbis in innovative thinking, change management and institutional transformation.
In Edmonton, Rose also served as Jewish chaplain at the University of Alberta and took the lead on a program called “Faith and Inclusion”, whose mandate was to support individuals with cognitive and physical learning challenges to feel more welcome within various faith communities.