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It’s been 12 years since we left Winnipeg…how has it worked out for us?
By GERRY POSNER ecently my wife Sherna and I marked the anniversary of an event which we experienced some 12 years ago – almost to the day. Now, I am aware that there are some significant moments when history has indeed seemed to repeat itself, some of which had serious negative consequences, such as the invasion of Russia first by Napoleon, then by Hitler; the Depression and Great Recession – to name just a couple.
Our repetition of history happily had no such disastrous implications. It was just the coincidental timing of a repeated experience. Still, that repetition did bring to mind the emotions we felt the first time and now the second time and how the years in between have shaped us.
On August 6, 2012 Sherna and I left Winnipeg permanently to move to Toronto. We drove with a packed car that first day to Minneapolis. As it turned out, that day was a Canadian holiday, being the long weekend in August of that year. The next day we continued to Chicago to visit family in Highland Park, Illinois where we stayed for two nights. On August 9, 2012 we drove right through to Toronto, arrived in the city around 7 PM, and made our way to our new apartment. It was a huge change for us, with an anticipated new life ahead of us.
This year Sherna and I decided to return to Chicago to visit the same relative (sadly, her husband died not that long ago) and to stay at the very same home as we did some 12 years ago. In fact, we slept in the very same room and bed as we did then. We stayed from August 6 to August 8 – when we drove back right through to Toronto – just as we had done some 12 years earlier. This time we entered a different apartment, one that we rented some two years ago. That was not the only difference.
Twelve years ago we came as newcomers, eager to start up in a larger and noisier city. We had no preconceived notions of what we could expect, except that life would be far more complicated and that our time would not be entirely our own, as we now had grandchildren living close by. These grandchildren were an integral reason for the move to Toronto. As we reflect upon the ensuing 12 years, we now have the ability to compare and contrast. What were these 12 years all about? For many readers, I suspect you will identify with some of our thoughts.
First, we realize that when we came here in 2012, we had eight young grandchildren. The eldest was not yet eight and the youngest under two. Their parents welcomed us and the grandkids were thrilled to be with us, no matter what or when. Sleepovers were common and the total interaction was full.
Well, today, as the grandchildren have become older and bigger (two of them are well over six feet tall), we have recognized that they no longer need us. They or their parents reach out if the kids need a ride. Sleepovers are rare. Friends dominate the conversation. I get it, as this was also my world once when I was a teenager. Of course, although I was on the telephone a lot – as my father frequently made clear to me, that time pales in comparison to the time my grandkids spend on their iPhones. Twelve years ago, I had no real competition. Today I fight an uphill battle against their phones. Even when I have the kids one on one, I am not really a factor as the phone takes precedence. I suppose I would be the same if I were in their place. But that part of the move here has been a minus for us. I suppose I am not the only one waging this battle.
Second, we have had to come to grips with living in a very large city. We knew of this issue when we came here, but we really had no idea of the implications of having to drive in Toronto – and that does not even address the problem of parking the car. In this regard, the move was an unhappy one as the relative ease in driving in Winnipeg has disappeared. Moreover, there are the added noises caused by living in a large metropolitan city likeToronto. Twelve years ago, we had peace and quiet. That has long gone.
Third, in 2012, we were naive enough to think we might well integrate into the city with a new network of friends. We do know many people here, but that vision of new relationships has blurred. Establishing new close friends was and is still not an easy thing to do at an older age. So, we accept that reality. Most notably, the ability to walk through United Bakers after a meal and not really recognize anyone is one of the most difficult aspects of living here, as that just could not happen in Winnipeg. We never anticipated that kind of a feeling, that is, of being anonymous, when we moved here in 2012.
Still, with all of that said, we also know well that we made the correct decision for us. We have a very busy and rich lifestyle that we likely never would have had in Winnipeg. We are lucky to have both of my siblings here and that alone was worth the move as we interact with them regularly. I would not have forecast that possibility when we came here 12 years ago. As well, our children have been a huge help to us in ways that we did not contemplate 12 years ago – not the least of which is tech support.
We are older and perhaps wiser now. We see the negatives of moving to Toronto 12 years ago, but we are enriched by the positives from the move. Perhaps the proof of our total acceptance of our now residing in Toronto is that we now own plots here. Now, for us that was making a statement. Twelve years ago, that idea had not ever been contemplated, as we were fixed on a Winnipeg burial. Never say never.
Yes, in our case, history was repeated and happily, we are able to appreciate the changes that have occurred in the past 12 years.
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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.