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Charles Adler appointed to Canadian Senate – but not without eliciting strong criticism from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
(Posted August 19, 2024) On August 17 The Government of Canada announced two new appointments to the Senate of Canada, including Charles Adler.
In the release issued by the government, it was noted that “Charles Adler emigrated from Hungary at a young age and went on to become a renowned radio host, journalist, and influential voice in Canada for over 50 years. Throughout his career, he has used his platform to champion human rights and Canadian democracy. Recognitions he has received include a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.
“These new senators were recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments and chosen using a merit-based process open to all Canadians. Introduced in 2016, this process ensures senators are independent, reflect Canada’s diversity, and are able to tackle the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing the country.
“Charles Adler is a renowned radio host, journalist, and influential voice with over 50 years of experience in the broadcasting industry.
“A son of Holocaust survivors, Mr. Adler and his family emigrated to Canada from Hungary as refugees in 1957. He grew up in Montréal and started his broadcasting career while attending McGill University in the 1970s. His career has brought him to work in many Canadian cities, including Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, London, Hamilton, and Winnipeg.
“Mr. Adler is currently a weekly Editorial Columnist at the Winnipeg Free Press. He has hosted national radio and television programs across Canada, including The Charles Adler Show on the Corus Radio Network and on SiriusXM Canada, as well as Global Sunday for Global TV. In the 1990s, he hosted a nationally syndicated radio show out of Tampa and a nightly primetime television show out of Boston, for which he won an Emmy Award for Best New England TV Host. As a voice talent, Mr. Adler has also narrated documentaries, corporate videos, and radio ads for national and regional campaigns. He has moderated numerous election debates and provided on-air commentary on election panels for various media outlets.
“Mr. Adler has hosted community events over the years and has been a vocal supporter of human rights and Canadian democracy.
“Mr. Adler’s career has won him numerous recognitions. He was presented the Key to the City of Toronto in 1998 and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. In 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.”
However, Adler’s appointment was met with severe criticism from The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which issued the following release on August 19:
“The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) is offended and disappointed by the recent appointment of Charles Adler to the Senate of Canada as recommended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to represent Manitoba.
“AMC is alarmed because Charles Adler’s past comments, in which he referred to Indigenous people as “uncivilized boneheads” and criticized First Nations Leadership and communities with grossly offensive language, are a stark reminder of the systemic racism that plagues our society. These are not just passing remarks. They were and still are hurtful, but they also perpetuate harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about First Nations now that this is once again being brought to light because of this appointment.
“The AMC filed formal complaints against Adler’s vulgar and racist commentary in the past, and it is obvious that Canada and the Prime Minister have turned a blind eye to these offensive views when making this appointment to the Senate. The AMC is asking both the Governor General of Canada and the Prime Minister to reconsider and recall this appointment as they view it as a step backward in the ongoing efforts towards reconciliation and the recognition of First Nations rights in Canada.
“Grand Chief Cathy Merrick expressed the collective outrage felt by many: “The appointment of Charles Adler to the Senate is a grave insult to all First Nations in Manitoba and across Canada. Senators are supposed to be accomplished Canadians from various professional backgrounds. They introduce bills, propose new laws, suggest amendments to legislation passed by the House of Commons, review public policy and debate issues. His racist comments do not indicate a modicum of respect, equality, and justice that are supposed to guide our society. How can any First Nation feel that his reviews of legislation impacting reserves, treaties, and inherent rights would be even remotely favourable to the original peoples of these lands? Did Canada not learn from the situation surrounding former Senator Lynn Beyak?”
“The AMC calls on the Governor General and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reconsider this appointment and to prioritize individuals who truly represent the values of inclusion, respect, and reconciliation. We also urge the public to stand with us in condemning this appointment and to hold our leaders accountable for the decisions they make in shaping our country’s future.
“The AMC will continue to advocate for the rights and dignity of First Nations Peoples and will not remain silent in the face of such blatant racism and disrespect.”
In addition, Saint Boniface-Saint Vital Liberal MP also expressed criticism of Adler’s appointment, in a statement also issued August 19, saying: “There are many eminently qualified Manitobans who are better suited to represent our province than Charles Adler.”
In response, Adler said, “Theoretically, without seeing all these names he must be thinking of, if he says that there are people in Manitoba more qualified than your truly to be in the Senate, he’s probably right,” Adler said in an interview with the CBC.
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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.