Local News
In Winnipeg, Everything’s “Coming up Roses”
Ed. note: Elsewhere on this website we have a story about Rabbi Carnie Rose having recently become the senior rabbi for Shaarey Zedek Congregation. At the time that story appeared, Gerry Posner was not aware that Myron would be doing a profile of Rabbi Carnie Rose, so he sent us his own story about the Rose family. But, in his own inimitable way, Gerry Posner tells the story of the Roses.
By GERRY POSNER With the recent arrival of Rabbi Carnie Rose to serve as senior rabbi for Shaarey Zedek Congregation and with his brother Kliel having served as spiritual leader of Etz Chayim Congregation since 2018, one should realize the full significance of having two brothers both serving as rabbis – for different congregations, in the same city.
You really have to go back 58 years ago – to the summer of 1967, when Rabbi Neal Rose and his wife Carol came to Winnipeg. Neal had come here to take a position in the Judaic Studies Department of the University of Manitoba (from 1967-2000).
Neal Rose had a tremendous impact upon the Winnipeg Jewish community – in the many roles he played. For instance, just ask anyone who was part of the alternative minyan which he led at the then Rosh Pina Synagogue during the High Holidays. You could also chat with anyone who was around during the 13 years when Rabbi Neal Rose served an an instructor in family therapy at the University of Winnipeg’s Department of Spiritual Care (from 2000-2013).
That was “Rose 1.0” (as in the Winnipeg Jets 1.0). As it turns out, Rabbi Neal and Carol are making a return engagement to Winnipeg (which I call “Rose 2.0”) to live here later this year – after some ten years living in St. Louis, Missouri, where Neal worked as a rabbinic scholar at Congregation B’Nai Amoona.
Now, with all of that said, one must not overlook the fact that the Roses and the rabbinate go beyond even sons Carnie and Kliel. Would you believe that the eldest son, Avi Rose, is a rabbi in Israel? Rabbi Avi Rose embraces what might be called the humanist aspect of Judaism. He is actively involved in leading life cycle events, teaching, assisting in rituals and indeed participating in Jewish calendar events. What Rabbi Avi Rose does is to focus on the person in his interaction with his congregants and fellow worshippers, inside and outside of the synagogue.
Then, there is Rabbi Or Rose. He is a rabbi, writer and social activist, and is the founding director of the Centre for Global Judaism at Boston’s Hebrew College. His writing skills likely emanate from his mother Carol, a well known poet. If going for 4 for 4 in the rabbinate for Neal and Carol was not enough of a rabbinical feat, add to that total the fact that daughter Adira is married to a rabbi, Michael Rose Knopf, the senior rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Stamford, Connecticut.
Of course, each of the Rose kids is a story. But one cannot just ignore the reality of the two Rose brothers holding leading rabbinic positions at the two largest synagogues in Winnipeg at the same moment in time. How did that come to pass? is the question congregants are lined up to discover – even if that means an early Shachrit service to get the answer.
Rabbi Kliel Rose has been at the helm of Congregation Etz Chayim since 2018. He returned to Winnipeg after a period of over 25 years away from this city. A graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, also a former spiritual leader in several congregations in the USA, then the rabbi at Beth Shalom Synagogue in Edmonton, the attraction for Rabbi Kliel Rose to come back to his roots in Winnipeg was palpable. After nearly seven years back with the congregation with which he grew up, he is conscious of the debt he owes to his parents, who were major role models for him. He is also aware of the relationships he developed in his growing-up years and the fact he was able to resume many of those connections so easily. During his time in the pulpit Rabbi Kliel has been honoured to receive a prestigious Human Rights Hero Award from “Truah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.” Like his brother Carnie, Kliel is deeply involved in multifaith dialogue.
Kliel acknowledges the very unusual aspect of the two brothers working in the same city as rabbis of major congregations. He says that there was just no way for him to have imagined this scenario. He emphasizes the closeness he has with his older brother, referring to the fact that they often speak twice a day on matters rabbinical – or not. One of the comments Rabbi Kliel made about the future in Winnipeg with both Roses leading the way is that he sees this as a collaborative opportunity and not a competitive one. Interestingly, Rabbi Kliel Rose attributes his love of learning of Torah to his mother, who was his very first teacher. Kliel and wife Dorit Kosmin are the parents of five children. (Is there a future rabbi in the mix ?) He says that he benefitted from his parents in that they did not put any pressure on him or his siblings to enter the rabbinate. It just evolved.
Older brother Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose, now 59, only recently conducted his very first Shabbat service at Shaarey Zedek. (I was there). He has had positions all over the world – in Canada, the USA, Israel, also the Far East, i.e., Japan, and Europe. Like Kliel, he was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He spent over 30 years in the rabbinical trenches. About 18 months ago he ventured into the Jewish organizational world when he assumed the role of President and CEO of the Mandel Jewish Community Centre in Cleveland, Ohio.
But, the pull to return to the synagogue and to Winnipeg was too great for Rabbi Carnie and his wife Paulie Zimnavoda Rose. After all, his whole career was centred in the synagogue. One aspect of Rabbi Carnie’s approach to his rabbinical duties is his emphasis on interfaith dialogue and relationships. He credits his parents for his firmly set belief in the importance of reaching out to the broader community. Most of all, he makes clear that it was Neal and Carol who nurtured his and indeed, all of the Rose family, with the love of Judaism. He, too, is amazed at the turn of events that has brought him and his brother together now. As Rabbi Carnie put it: “Winnipeg gave me grounding and an opportunity. I felt an obligation to return. I will gain if I can give back to those who gave to me.”
Carnie did return to live on Matheson Avenue, where he grew up, as he and Paulie took up residence in the south end of the city, closer to the Shaarey Zedek. The couple are the proud parents of four children, all of whom are now in their twenties, and all of whom are away at university, so Carnie and Paulie are now much sought after by Kliel and Dorit’s children – who finally have an aunt and uncle in the same city with them. Not so surprisingly, one of Carnie and Paulie Rose’s children, son Zakai, is preparing to follow in the family business, as he is a student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Even the family of the legendary Gordie Howe of hockey fame could only produce two generations of NHL players.
What I came away with after talking to the two Rabbi Roses was first, how much they sounded like each other in voice; second, how close was their attachment to one another; and third, how much joy they anticipate working together from time to time in Winnipeg. At the time that I talked with both of them, for instance, they were excited about their plans to hold the first joint Tiisha B’Av service for Etz Chayim and Shaarey Zedek. They made me feel good about the future of Judaism in Winnipeg.
So what did the parents of these rabbis have to say? The patriarch of the family, Rabbi Neal Rose, was clear in attributing to his wife the fact that he and Carol have four sons who are rabbis and how it was that two of them ended up in the same city at the same time. He says that Carol had a huge influence on the children – right from an early age, in introducing the blessings and inculcating Jewish values. It was Carol, Neal says, who created an environment of learning which had such an impact on sons Carnie and Kliel. Her role in creating a Jewish home in Winnipeg for many years was instrumental in both Carnie and Kliel being open to returning to their original home of Winnipeg. True enough, the Rose boys both had a desire – in both their return engagements here, to serve as pulpit rabbis and, in doing so, to utilize one of their biggest assets: their strong interpersonal skills. Both are very comfortable in and enjoy that congregant to rabbi relationships -so critical in any successful synagogue.
As for the matriarch, Carol Rose, she agrees that this return to Winnipeg could not have been anticipated. She credits Winnipeg’s Jewish schooling and network of close friends for helping to secure a strong Jewish foundation for her sons. As she put it so succinctly, “The family had opportunities to grow up Jewishly.” With four sons now rabbis, and with their only daughter married to a rabbi, Carol clearly made an impact on her children. She admits that when she and Neal return this fall to Winnipeg, their biggest challenge will be to figure out which synagogue to attend each Shabbat. She also recognizes that even though Neal Rose has no plans to return to the pulpit, it is possible he might bless either or both congregations from time to time with his wisdom through occasional Divrei Torah or by teaching classes.
Some readers will recall the late Ethel Merman, who, without knowing it, foresaw this unusual moment in Winnipeg Jewish history appropriately in her song, “Everything’s coming up roses.”
Local News
Further to the Simkin Centre’s financial situation
By BERNIE BELLAN A while back I published an article about the deficit situation at the Simkin Centre. (You can read it at “Simkin Centre deficit situation.“) I was prompted to write that particular article after reading a piece written by Free Press Faith writer John Longhurst in the August 5 issue of the Free Press about the dire situation personal care homes in Winnipeg are in when it comes to trying to provide their residents with decent food.
Yet, Longhurst made one very serious mistake in his article when he wrote that the “provincial government, through the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, has not increased the amount of funding it provides for care-home residents in Manitoba since 2009.”
In fact, the WRHA has given annual increases to personal care homes, but its allocations are not broken down by categories, such as food or salaries. As a spokesperson for the WRHA explained to me in an email: “PCHs receive per diem global operating funding based on the number of licensed beds they operate. This funding model is designed to support the full range of operating costs associated with resident care, including staffing, food services, utilities, building operations, and other day-to-day expenses.”
Now, one can make a perfectly valid argument that the level of funding from the WRHA has not kept up with inflation, especially inflation in food costs, but the Simkin Centre is in an even more precarious position because of the skyrocketing cost of kosher food.
“In recent years,” according to an article on the internet, “the cost of kosher food has increased significantly, often outpacing general food inflation due to unique supply chain pressures and specialized production requirements.”
Yet, when I asked Laurie Cerqueti how much maintaining a kosher facility has cost the Simkin Centre, as I noted in my previous article about the deficit situation at Simkin, she responded: “approximately $300,000 of our deficit was due to food services. I do not have a specific number as far as how much of the deficit is a result of kosher food…So really this is not a kosher food issue as much is it is an inflation and funding issue.”
One reader, however, after having read my article about the deficit situation at Simkin, had this to say: “In John Longhurst’s article on Aug 5, 2025 in the Free Press, Laurie (Cerqueti) was quoted as saying that the annual kosher meal costs at Simkin were $6070 per resident. At Bethania nursing home in 2023, the non-kosher meal costs in 2023 were quoted as $4056 per resident per year. Even allowing for a 15% increase for inflation over 2 years, the non-kosher food costs there would be $4664.40 or 24% lower than Simkin’s annual current kosher food costs. If Simkin served non-kosher food to 150 of its 200 residents and kosher food to half of its Jewish residents who wish to keep kosher, by my calculation it would save approximately $200,000/year. If all of Simkin’s Jewish residents wished to keep kosher, the annual savings would be slightly less at $141,000.”
But – let’s be honest: Even though many Jewish nursing homes in the US have adopted exactly that model of food service – where kosher food is available to those residents who would want it, otherwise the food served would be nonkosher, it appears that keeping Simkin kosher – even though 45% of its residents aren’t even Jewish – is a “sacred cow” (pun intended.)
So, if Simkin must remain kosher – even though maintaining it as a kosher facility is only adding to its accumulated deficit situation – which currently stands at $779,426 as of March 31, 2025,I wondered whether there were some other ways Simkin could address its deficit while still remaining kosher.
In response to my asking her how Simkin proposes to deal with its deficit situation, Laurie Cerqueti wrote: “There are other homes in worse financial position than us. There are 2 homes I am aware of that are in the process of handing over the keys to the WRHA as they are no longer financially sustainable.”
I wondered though, whether the Simkin Centre Foundation, which is managed by the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba might not be able to help the Simkin Centre reduce its deficit. According to the Jewish Foundation’s 2024 annual report, The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation, which is managed by the Jewish Foundation, had a total value of $11,017,635.
The Jewish Foundation did distribute $565,078 to the Simkin Centre in 2024, but even so, I wondered whether it might be able to distribute more.
According to John Diamond, CEO of the Jewish Foundation, however, the bylaws of the Foundation dictate that no more than 5% of the value of a particular fund be distributed in any one year. There is one distinguishing characteristic about the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation, in that a portion of their fund is “encroachable.” The encroachable capital is not owned by JFM. It is held in trust by JFM but is beneficially owned by Simkin, similar to a “bank deposit”. While held by the JFM, these funds are included in the calculation of Simkin’s annual distribution.
I asked John Diamond whether any consideration had been given to increasing the distribution that the Jewish Foundation could make to the Simkin Centre above the 5% limit that would normally apply to a particular fund under the Foundation’s management.
Here is what John wrote in response: “The Simkin does have an encroachable fund. That means that at their request, they can encroach on the capital of that fund only (with restrictions). This encroachment is not an increased distribution; rather, it represents a return of capital that also negatively affects the endowment’s future distributions.
”It is strongly recommended that encroachable funds not be used for operating expenses. If you encroach and spend the capital, the organization will receive fewer distribution dollars in the next year and every year as the capital base erodes. Therefore, the intent of encroachable funds is for capital projects, not recurring expenses.”
I asked Laurie Cerqueti whether there might be some consideration given to asking for an “encroachment” into the capital within the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation?
She responded: “We are not in a position where we are needing to dip into the encroachable part of our endowment fund. Both of our Boards (the Simkin Centre board and the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation board) are aware of our financial situation and we are all working together to move forward in a sustainable way.”
At the same time though, I wondered where donations to the Simkin Centre end up? Do they all end up in the Simkin Centre Foundation, for instance, I asked Laurie Cerqueti on December 15.
Her response back then was: “All donations go through our Foundation.”
I was somewhat surprised to read that answer, so I asked a follow-up question for clarification: “Do all donations made to the Simkin Centre end up in the Simkin Centre Foundation at the Jewish Foundation?”
The response this time was: “No they do not.”
So, I asked: “So, how do you decide which donations end up at the Foundation? Is there a formula?”
Laurie’s response was: “We have a mechanism in place for this and it is an internal matter.”
Finally, I asked how then, the Simkin Centre was financing its accumulated deficit? Was it through a “line of credit with a bank?” I wondered.
To date, I have yet to receive a response to that question. I admit that I am puzzled that a personal care home which has a sizeable foundation supporting it would not want to dip into the capital of that foundation when it is facing a financial predicament. Yes, I can see wanting the value of the foundation to grow – but that’s for the future. I don’t know whether I’d call a $779,425 deficit a crisis; that’s for others to determine, but it seems pretty serious to me.
One area that I didn’t even touch upon in this article, though – and it’s something I’ve written about time and time again, is the quality of the food at the Simkin Centre.
To end this, I’ll refer to a quote Laurie Cerqueti gave to John Longhurst when he wrote his article about the problems personal care homes in Winnipeg are facing: “When it comes to her food budget, ‘we can’t keep making the same number of bricks with less straw.’ “
Local News
Exclusive: Security Enhancement Fund to be announced by Province in coming days
By NOAH STRAUSS The province is set to announce a new program called the Security Enhancement Fund, which
will provide funding to religious and faith groups to improve security at institutions such as
synagogues and mosques. In an exclusive interview, Minister of Justice Matt Wiebe outlined the
plan and detailed what the province has already done to help protect Jewish Manitobans.
“What we want to do is to be able to provide the community with the kind of tools that they need
to stay safe and to ensure that everyone in the community feels safe,” said Wiebe.
The fund will provide a missing link between government and religious communities, and
communities will now be able to make their own choices without money being a big restraint.
Essentially, the power will be in the hands of community leaders and not government officials.
The minister noted that the new partnerships will provide the province a better understanding of
the needs of every community. Rather than the province making the choices, they are
essentially giving a voice to each community. The grants, totalling $1 million, will provide funds to enhance security at facilities like synagogues.
The Jewish Post reached out to Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze, executive director of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek. “It’s important that the government show us that they’re taking security seriously and stepping up to the plate to make this offer. We will absolutely be applying for grant money,” she said. Elbaze also wants to know whether or not the government will cover the costs of things the synagogue has already spent money on. She noted that the province has, in the past, made grants available to have security guards present.
When speaking about what the Justice Ministry has already done to protect Jewish Manitobans,
Wiebe brought up the new special prosecutor that is focusing on hate crimes. Wiebe said the
special prosecutor works closely with the Winnipeg Police Service “to support investigations and
prosecute hate crimes. Wiebe also went on to say how the Department of Education has been helping to fight antisemitism. “The creation of the Holocaust education curriculum is an important step in the right direction,” he said. When asked about Oliver Didtger Ederhof, the individual charged with 14 counts of mischief including vandalism of Shaarey Zedek, Wiebe said decisions like bail and police undertakings are decisions that are in part made by the federal government through the criminal code and policies. “We’re going to continue to advocate for stricter bail reform at the federal level…. I’ve been very clear, we issued clarified directives around bail to our Crown prosecutors.”
The full announcement from the province is expected in the coming days.
Local News
March of the Living 2023 participants form Taste of Hope project to help honour the memory of Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman
By BERNIE BELLAN The March of the Living is an annual two-week international educational program that brings thousands of students and adults to Poland and Israel to study the Holocaust, Jewish history, and the rise of the State of Israel. Founded in 1988, it features a 3-kilometer silent walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
Attendees on the march are accompanied by adults, some of whom themselves have been Holocaust survivors.
Following the week in Poland, participants travel to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), marking a journey from darkness to life.
For many years the coordinator of the march in Winnipeg was Roberta Malam, working on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. More recently Abby Flackman filled that role, and now the person in charge is Lindsey Kerr.
Since its inception 37 years ago the March of the Living has become a rite of passage for many young Winnipeg Jews who have been able to participate as an organized group from Winnipeg and combine visits to the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland with the subsequent trip to Israel.
Then – the Covid pandemic hit – in 2020, and the March of the Living was put on hold for two years – in 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, the March of the Living resumed, but there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg participating. (There may have been some Winnipeggers who did go on the march that year, but if there were any they would have been part of a general Canadian group since there was no Winnipeg coordinator that year.)
In 2023, however, once again a very large contingent of young Canadian Jews – 51 altogether, of whom approximately two-thirds were from Winnipeg, went on that year’s March of the Living. That particular march was memorable for many reasons, including the fact it was the last full march since 2019 and was to remain the last march to have an organized Winnipeg contingent in the past six years as the years 2024 and 2025 were interrupted by the war in Gaza. (There were smaller marches held in 2024 and 2025, but again there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg.)
Recently, we were contacted by one of the participants of that 2023 march, Ethan Levene, who asked us whether we’d be interested in running what turned out be a very poignant story about one particular aspect of that 2023 March of the Living.
Here is what Ethan wrote:
“In April 2023, the Coast to Coast Canadian delegation of March of the Living was privileged to travel with Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman (z”l). March of the Living is a Holocaust education trip that allows participants to visit and bear witness to the sites of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, while sharing his story in Poland, Alex passed away. However, the impact he left on us students was immeasurable.
“While speaking to us in Warsaw, Alex told us the story of his Aunt Becky’s gâteau à l’orange (orange cake). While in Ravensbruck concentration camp, his aunt managed to write down this recipe. After his parents’ murder, his Aunt Becky went on to raise Alex after surviving. In addition to sharing his story, Alex tasked us with baking the cake with family and friends.
“Out of this, a group of alumni from our trip have created this project: ‘A Taste of Hope.’ On February 1st, university students from over 5 universities across Canada will come together to bake the gâteau à l’orange and hear Alex’s story. Proceeds from the event and this fundraising page will support the World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants. Alex was heavily involved with this organization, whose mission is to both create community for Holocaust survivors and their descendants and educate about the Holocaust to help fight against antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and hate.
“Here is information from our fundraising page for the event – ‘A Taste of Hope’: Fundraising for A Taste of Hope.
Ethan added that “it’s completely student led, all by alumni from our 2023 trip attending university at these various locations across Canada; Winnipeg, London, Kingston, Montreal.”
He also added: “Follow us on instagram@tastehope.“
Here is a link to a CBC story about Alex Buckman: Alex Buckman story
In a subsequent email Ethan gave the names of Winnipeggers who are involved in A Taste of Hope: Ethan Levene (studies at McGill), Zahra Slutchuk, Alex Stoller (studies at Queens), Coby Samphir, Izzy Silver (studies at Waterloo).
He also added names of others who are involved in the project: Jessie Ages, Anneke Goodwin, Lilah Silver, Ella Pertman, Ellie Vogel, and Talia Cherun.
To find out more about March of the Living in Winnipeg go to: March of the Living