Local News
Jewish Federation celebrates GrowWinnipeg volunteers
By MYRON LOVE A chance meeting on an airplane almost 30 years ago between former Lieutenannt-Governor Janice Filmon – at that time the wife of then-Manitoba premier Gary Filmon, and a Jewish businessman from Argentina, planted a seed that has grown into a magnificent tree that has revitalized our Jewish community.
As a result of that meeting, our once declining community has been enriched by an estimated 6,500 newcomers (most of whom have stayed) from many different countries.
To recap, the businessman was looking to immigrate to Toronto. Filmon persuaded him to consider Winnipeg instead. He was impressed by what he saw and suggested that the community send representatives to Buenos Aires to meet with other Argentine Jewish families who were considering leaving.
Thus was born GrowWinnipeg, an initiative led in its early years by Larry Hurtig – then the president of the Federation, and Evelyn Hecht, who became the principal contact for the newcomers. Our community opened our arms in welcome to the new arrivals, hosting them in our homes, and helping them become acclimatized to their new society.
After Evelyn Hecht retired in 2006, she was succeeded as director of GrowWinnipeg by her assistant, Dalia Szpiro, who was herself a relatively new immigrant to Winnipeg. Szpiro, her husband, Eduardo Borovich and young daughter, Yael, came here in 2002 from Uruguay,
“Evelyn was a joy to work with,” Szpiro says. “I learned through her the generosity, openness and welcoming spirit that our Jewish Community has. Her door was always open. I have tried to follow her example.”
Szpiro is being assisted in her work by Irina Gelzin and recently hired volunteer coordinator Belin Seloni.
“What we offer as a community to newcomers is unique,” Szpiro pointed out in an earlier interview. “One of the requirements to apply for permanent residency is an exploratory visit to Manitoba. We have a great number of volunteers who connect with the exploratory visitors and their families. We work to build contacts between prospective newcomers and members of the community. We try to match new families with people with similar backgrounds. They start to build their network before moving here, so when they move here they feel at home. Candidates are connected to all our organizations and services including JCFS, Rady JCC, Gray Academy, synagogues, professional regulatory bodies, and other relevant contacts.”
On Monday, August 26, Szpiro and the Federation showed its appreciation to the many community volunteers who have helped make the GrowWinnipeg initiative a success with a social evening at the Asper Campus that attracted about 130 people – a mix of locally-born host families, long-established immigrants, and recently arrived newcomers.
The evening was light on speeches with more focus on socializing and enjoying the music from Muse On, a live band, at the outdoor venue. “The members of the band,” Szpiro notes, are also volunteers who meet exploratory visitors and volunteered that evening as well.
In her remarks, Federation President Paula Parks spoke of the dreams and aspirations which newcomers to our community have brought with them. “I want to thank all of you who have extended a welcoming hand over the years to our new arrivals,” she said.
“Winnipeg is not just a good place to raise a family. I is also a great place to call home.”
Among the most recent arrivals who were out for the event was Eyal Braunstein, formerly of Sderot, who landed with his wife and baby just five months ago. “We really appreciate the quiet,” says the mechanical engineer. “It is relaxing and people have been really welcoming.”
Itai and Elona David and their four children – the oldest of whom is in first year at the University of Manitoba – have been here for three years. Originally from Hadera in west central Israel, the software engineer says that he appreciates the support from our Jewish community.
He adds that a lot of Israelis may be interested in moving to Winnipeg.
Good friends Alex Hadish and Dima Vainer have been here for 12 and 14 years respectively. Vainer is originally from Sderot and Hadish from Ukraine by way of Israel. Both work for the same IT company.
Hadish says that he and his family came for reasons of security and opportunity, Vainer and his family for a sense of safety. “This is a better place to raise a family,” he says.
Like Hadish, Asia Shvarzman is also originally from the former Soviet Union by way of Israel. The project manager in charge of research and development with Gordon Construction came to Winnipeg 14 years ago after having lived in Haifa for 19 years. In addition to her work here, Shvartzman, who has a Ph.D., is an associate professor of Computer Science at the Jerusalem College of Technology.
“I teach carbon construction and technology,” she notes. “I return to Israel twice a year. One area I focus on is building a strong working relationship in my field between Canada and Israel.”
Of the newcomers that I had the pleasure of meeting at the social evening, David and Sandra Brunstein have been here the longest. The couple arrived here from Buenos Aires in 2005.
“With the birth of our daughter, our view of the world changed,” says David, a software developer. (Sandra works with refugees and new immigrants). “We wanted to go to a place that would offer a better environment in which to raise our daughter.”
They learned about the GrowWinnipeg initiative and liked what they heard. “We got a lot of support from the Jewish community – especially from Evelyn Hecht,” Sandra recalls.
Once they were established here, David and Sandra began to give back – hosting other prospective immigrants – who came on exploratory visits – and sharing their experiences.
I was surprised to run into David and Sherrill Levene at the event. I have known them for years – but I did not know that they have been among the members of our community who have been opening their home to newcomers – something , Sherrill reports, that they have been doing since the mid-1980s – well before the GrowWinnipeg initiative came into existence.
“I was a volunteer with the Jewish Child and Family Service when the first wave of immigrants from Russia arrived here,” Sherrill recounts. “That was how we began hosting newcomers.”
David adds that, over the years, they have hosted between 50 and 60 different exploratory visitors and newcomer families.
“We have been glad to be able to help,” Sherrill says She could be speaking for our community as a whole when she added that “our lives have been enriched by all those friends we have made through the GrowWinnipeg initiative.”
“While most of our new families are now coming from Israel,” Szpiro noted in that earlier interview, “we are also still getting a lot of inquiries from Mexico, Brazil Argentina, Turkey, Hungary, South Africa, Colombia, Ukraine and Russia.”
As for herself and her family, she and Eduardo are satisfied that they made the right move. “Winnipeg not only offers a lot for families but also for young adults,” she says. “There are so many opportunities for them.”
Local News
New Israeli restaurant opens in River Heights
By BERNIE BELLAN (July 6, 2025) It’s been a long time since our community has been able to welcome the opening of a restaurant that specializes in Israeli food.
That void is now going to be filled with the opening of The Green Falafel, at 1833 Grant (corner of Centennial – next to the Subway).
The restaurant is the fulfillment of a dream long held by the husband and wife team of Ariel and Eden Maudi, who have been living in Winnipeg the past 11 years.
Ariel, who was born in Israel and grew up in Beer Sheva, says that he worked in telecommunications in Ramat Gan for several years. He adds though that he had always dreamed of owning his own falafel stand in Israel, but life was difficult there and he decided to come to Canada as a tourist to see whether there were any opportunities here for him, Eden and their two young children.
Eden, who was born in Russia and moved to Israel with her family in 1996, stayed behind with the two kids, who were both pre-schoolers, while Ariel tested the waters in Canada first.
Ariel says he came to Canada as a tourist in 2013. His first stop was in Toronto, where he acquired his 1st class driver’s license. At the end of 2013 he moved to Winnipeg where he began working as a truck driver. Soon he found himself employed as a successful sales person at Vickar Nissan where, he says, he once achieved the status as the top car sales person in Canada. After working at Vickar Nissan for a number of years, Ariel began working as an installer for Bell MTS.
Meanwhile, Eden began working at a Walmart, later at the Costco on Regent.
But, when the opportunity to move into a space that had been previously occupied by another restaurant, but which had closed, became available, Ariel and Eden decided to open their own Israeli restaurant in an area that hadn’t seen Israeli food served since the controversial closure of Bermax Café in 2019.
The Maudis say that they will be serving a variety of Israeli dishes – all vegetarian, and that they will be fully kosher.
The “green” in Green Falafel, by the way, Ariel Maudi explains, comes from the cilantro and parsley that are added to the chickpeas. In addition, their pitas will be coming from Israel and will be baked fresh daily.
The Green Falafel will be open from 10-8 daily. Delivery will be available through Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Call 204-557-7837 for information.
Local News
Previews of shows with Jewish performers at this year’s Fringe Festival July 16-27
For show dates and venues go to winnipegfringe.com
By BERNIE BELLAN As has been our custom for many years now we try to find shows that have either Jewish performers or themes that would have particular appeal for Jewish audiences. Many of the Jewish performers at this year’s festival have been here before, but several are new. In no particular order here are blurbs about the shows we’ve found that fit the criteria I’ve just described. (By they way, if we’ve omitted a show that should be included in our list there’s plenty of time to get added to this post. Just drop me a line at jewishp@mymts.net.)
You’ve Been Served: A One-Woman Show About Divorce, Cults, and Coming of Age at Midlife
Noemi Zeigler
You are hereby summoned… to laugh, cry, and maybe belt out a Streisand number in solidarity. You’ve Been Served is a raw and riotous solo comedy by writer-performer Noemi Zeigler. It all begins when Noemi is served divorce papers on top of a garbage bin lid while taking out the trash—an undignified start to a full-blown midlife unraveling.
At 50, still clinging to her dream of becoming a singer, she falls under the spell of a music producer slash self-help guru, joins a spiritual cult, and, instead of landing a record deal, she lands in jail. Behind bars, with help from her long-buried inner child, she begins to reclaim her voice and her power. Turns out, dreams really do come true—just not the way she expected.
The show features vividly drawn characters—including a manipulative cult leader, a toxic ex-husband, and a jail guard named Roach who shares Noemi’s obsession with the fashion of Charlie’s Angels (the ‘70s TV version, of course.)
With salsa dancing, twerking, and a belting rendition of Don’t Rain on My Parade, Zeigler dives into abandonment, reinvention, and self-rescue. As she confronts perimenopause, she discovers it’s not the end—it’s the new puberty. The show touches on grief, sexuality, and spiritual confusion, but Noemi’s childlike optimism asks: What if your breakdown is actually your breakthrough?
You’re good for nothing… I’ll milk the cow myself
Written & Performed by Natacha Ruck
France, 1981: The first socialist president is about to be elected and young Natacha is ready to implement her own political platform. But first, she has to take down the schoolyard bully,emasculate the rules of French grammar and make off with grandmother’s chocolate.
If you think you know the limits of Jewish mothers, evil grandmothers and transcontinental lovers, meet Natacha Ruck’s family. This true tale of three generations of women, facing three world wars, is equal parts hilarious, shocking and zany.
A One Human Being, Potentially Comedic Performance of Beauty and the Beast NEW WORK!
Written & Performed by Alli Perlov
Be our guest! Local high school drama teacher Alli Perlov is back for a tale as old as time. Can she sing? Not really. Can she act? That’s debatable. Will you laugh? Oh… probably.
Perlov plays dozens of characters, some human, some animal, and many objects, in a comedic exploration of Beauty and the Beast.
In an homage to this brilliant musical adventure, through witty commentary and unstoppable energy, Perlov aims to entertain an audience that isn’t forced to be there like her students.
Hockey Sticks and Beaver Pie
Written & Performed by Melanie Gall
Take a trip around Manitoba. From the 30,000 ft. St. Adolphe snow maze to the Narcisse snake dens! After all, where else holds both the title of Slurpee Capital of the World and the Guinness Record for the most people simultaneously howling like wolves?
Deanna Durbin, Terry Jacks and Burton Cummings are among the many homegrown stars, and Hockey Sticks features their music along with original songs and the stories that make this province unique.
Starring Melanie Gall from past shows Piaf & Brel, Ingenue and Toast to Prohibition
Nerohilarity Exposed
Produced by Adam Schwartz
We all sometimes feel exposed, whether that’s as a fraud or a pretender.
The performers of the award-winning Neurohilarity show, Danielle Kayahara (Laugh Out Loud CBC), Carole Cunningham (Yuk Yuks, The Debaters), Adam Schwartz (Winnipeg Fringe) and Rollin Penner (Yuk Yuks, CBC, Rumors, Winnipeg Comedy Festival), apply a comedic spin to the experiences that make us feel insecure, stripping away the emotional weight with nittygritty jokes and stories that will have you laughing uproariously.
Brilliantly awkward.
A Lesbian in the Kitchen
Willow Rosenberg
Professional lesbian Willow Rosenberg takes you on a journey through the centuries, superstitions and tablespoons of her lifelong passion for baking in this spiritual successor to 2024’s Jenny Award-nominated A Lesbian in a Bear Store.
Whether you have a favourite spatula, bake once or twice a year, or live in constant fear of being told to “just fold it in”, this one-woman show about family, joy, tradition (but make it gay),
Judaism, comfort, home (but make it gayer*), love, chemistry and magic is for you!
*Who’re we kidding, it’s all gay!
Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany
Written & Performed by Ingrid Garner
(Ed. note: Although Ingrid Garner isn’t Jewish, we thought the theme of this show might have a special appeal for Jewish readers.)
Based on Eleanor Ramrath Garner’s best-selling memoir, this 16x internationally award-winning adaptation – performed by her granddaughter, Ingrid Garner – details Eleanor’s youth as an American caught in Second World War Berlin.
Punctuated with humour and accompanied by cinematic sound and video, Garner embodies her ancestors in this coming-of-age odyssey, delivering an account of war that is more relevant than ever.
Reviewing The Free Press 2
Benji Rothman
The Winnipeg Free Press has run amok, reviewing each and every Fringe show over the past two decades without consequence or recourse. Now, it’s their turn… again.
In this refurbished work that debuted at last year’s Winnipeg Fringe, Benji Rothman once again takes the Winnipeg Free Press to task. In this (mostly) new, (hopefully) hilarious 45-minute show, Rothman dives deep into their past and exposes their faulty journalism, imbalanced reporting and, of course, embarrassing typos.
Local News
Jewish performers at this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival July 10-13
The Black Sea Station
Long ago, there were the klezmorim, itinerant musicians who roamed the back streets of Eastern Europe, playing at parties for meals and a few coins. The sound they honed then was a visceral exploration of life’s joy, and its loss; they could whip audiences into a frenzy of dancing, or bring them to tears with the mournful wail of a clarinet. Today, Winnipeg’s own The Black Sea Station is carrying on this tradition. Featuring Daniel Koulack (bass), Victor Schultz (violin) and Myron Schultz (clarinet) — cofounders of seminal local klezmer act Finjan — along with Moldovan accordion wizard Nikolai Prisacar and multi-instrumentalist Ben Mink, the quintet transports listeners to a time and place long past. Through a mix of original songs rooted in history, and traditional tunes spun up with modern zest, they whirl through the exuberant klezmer sounds of their Eastern European heritage, tending the old ways with deep love and respect.
The Black Sea Station will be performing Sunday, July 13, at 1:00 pm in Snowberry Field.
Romi Mayes
Romi Mayes has taken some hard knocks in her life, but she’s never faded away. For more than 25 years, Manitoba’s first lady of blues-rock has been a lynchpin of the Canadian roots scene. She earned that position the old-fashioned way, through her gritty, passionately emotive music. With her sizzling guitars and full-throated rasp, the Juno-nominated performer howls and purrs through razor-edged lyrics, rocking out wherever she can find a stage. She’s long been one of the hardest-working musicians on the circuit, keeping a busy slate of gigs and mentoring up-and-coming artists to get a foothold on the trails she blazed. Now, after a nine-year hiatus from the studio, Mayes has put her scintillating sound back on record with her long-awaited seventh album, Small Victories — a return that leaves no doubt, no matter the ups and downs, Mayes is here to stay.
Romi will be performing Friday, July 11, at 1:00 pm in Burr Oak.
Leonard Podolak (with Matt Gordon)
Ireland’s Matt Gordon is a fiddler and singer, whose fleet-footed clogging and thigh-slapping hambone has taken stages by storm since the 1980s. Leonard Podolak is a virtuosic master of the clawhammer banjo, who for decades has whipped up some of Manitoba’s wildest roots parties with his band, The Duhks. Put those talents together, and they can promise you this much: we’re all gonna have a real good time. Longtime friends and musical collaborators, Gordon and Podolak deliver an exhilarating trip through old-time Appalachian music. Their performances seamlessly blend intricate instrumental lines with heartfelt singing and dazzling dance. They’ve teamed up on a few records over the years, including 2020’s bigband extravaganza Power Wagon: Live At Shanley’s. But the best way to experience this duo’s toe-tapping, hand-clapping chemistry is to see it live.
Podolak and Gordon will be performing A concert with a side of clogging Sunday, July 13, at 3:00 pm in Folk School.