Local News
Prolific author Bryan Schwartz has put out five new works within past year
By MYRON LOVE Professor Bryan Schwartz is the very model of a modern-day Jewish Renaissance scholar. The popular legal educator, passionate Zionist, and student of the Holocaust as an in-demand commentator on modern legal and constitutional issues has written or contributed to 34 books and over 300 publications in all – in a legal and teaching career that stretches back more than 40 years. His works encompass legal and governmental issues as well as commentary on the entire gamut of Jewish life – from ancient times to the Holocaust to the current Jewish situation.
In addition to his work as an author, lawyer and academic (as a professor in the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law), Schwartz is also a poet, playwright, and songwriter. And his literary output over just the past year reflects the full gamut of his interests and talents.
Since January 2023, Schwartz has produced five quite different works. His most recent work is “It’s About Time:104 Dimensions of Time During Passover” – which readers can download for free on his website –sacredgoof.ca – is a comprehensive overview of the Pesach holiday from a novel perspective.
In a series of what used to be called “quick snappers”, Schwartz points out, for example, that Pesach actually combines two ancient Jewish spring festivals – the sacrifice of the first-born lamb and the first fruits of the harvest of the grain that was planted in the late fall or winter.
He groups his explanations and commentaries into 21 categories related to time. The first group – Cyclical Time – discusses Pesach’s connection to Purim preceding it and Shavuot seven weeks later. He further explains Pesach in Israel and why, in Israel, only one seder is designated as compared to two in the diaspora, how the date for the first seder is officially determined, and what the rules are when the seders overlap with Shabbat.
Other groups include an overview of Pesach’s place in different histories, Pesach within the family context, ritual, the Exodus in world history, Pesach and historical memory, the history of the Haggadah, the bringing together of past, present and future – and many more interesting explanations and fact.
The inspiration for “About Time: 104 Dimensions of Time During Passover”, Schwartz explains in his introduction on his website, came last year at Passover. “I noticed that the text of the Haggadah contains some explicit references to time,” he noted on his website.
“We begin by thanking the Creator for separating the ordinary days from holy days,” he pointed out. “We are enjoined to tell the Passover story “as if” we were personally redeemed from that captivity. We experience, in the now, the coming together of families and communities…as the Israelites did on the night of Passover. We are invited at the end to proclaim, “next year in Jerusalem” – and with the cup of Elijah, think of a Messianic age beyond the present.”
At first, he wrote, he was aiming to write a single blog piece for The Times of Israel, an Israeli-based online newspaper to which Schwartz has become a regular contributor. “Yet the more I looked, the more I found,” he noted.
‘The Jewish tradition is largely about taking a concrete starting point – like an episode related in the Haggadah or the egg on the Seder plate – and finding more and more ways to think about it. The saying is that the Torah has seventy faces. I did not expect to ever get to seventy dimensions of time in Passover, but here I am so far, with one hundred and four…so far.”
While this year, Pesach has now passed. I would encourage interested readers to peruse “About Time: 104 Dimensions of Time During Passover” and print out sections that you might consider introducing into your seders next year.
“My aspiration,” Schwartz writes on his webpage, “would be for the book, in some form or other, to become a familiar companion to the Haggadah as we re-experience Passover every year, For some readers, it might help to make everything old seem new again.”
Schwartz published two other books of note last year. In January, he spoke about the themes in “Re-Enlightening Canada: A Legislative Program for promoting Open, Democratic and Rational policymaking” (available on Amazon) in a question and answer session at the Berney Theatre, with Ruth Ashrafi, Bnai Brith Canada Regional Director for Manitoba, in which he discussed the ills plaguing today’s universities and recommended some solutions.
“When I began my teaching career (at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law) over 40 years ago,” universities were places which encouraged freedom of expression, open dialogue and diversity of opinion,” he recalls. “That is no longer the case. DEI (diversity, equity and inclusiveness) as it has been developed over the past few years is antithetical to traditional liberal values and is, in particular, hostile to Jews because Jews, within the DEI context, are considered White and White people are considered bad.
“For Jewish students and faculty members, the University of Manitoba has become a hostile environment.”
Schwartz’s grim conclusion is that “Woke” ideology has entirely conquered most universities and that universities are not capable of reforming themselves. The only way they will be restored to a public space where diverse opinions are welcome and freedom of expression again flourishes, he says, is through strong government actions – a recipe for which he outlines in “Re-enlightening Canada”.
’The program,” he explains, “is intended to appeal to reasonable people across the political spectrum. It is a proposal for how people of good faith in democracies can “reason together.” “It is intended to be a moderate and practical response to the ideological excesses of our time.”
The multifaceted Schwartz’s third project – completed last year, was his contribution to the second edition of “Humanity in Doubt”, the reflections of his late father-in—law Philip Weiss, a Holocaust survivor who built a successful furniture manufacturing business here and became a leader in Holocaust education in the schools.
Weiss died in 2008 at the age of 85.
This new, updated edition includes a eulogy by Schwartz and an afterword written by Frances Winograd, one of Weiss’s daughters: “Furnishing an Identity” – based on her Master’s thesis in Interior Design, which places Weiss’s career in design in the context of the Jewish contribution to modernism.
Schwartz co-edited this second edition with his daughter, Lainie (who work at Yad Vashem), and John Richthammer.
Both “Humanity in Doubt” and “ReEnlightening Canada” are available from Amazon or Schwartz’ website – bryanpschwartz@gmail.com
Readers may also be interested in checking out Schwartz’s latest compilation of 24 songs – entitled “The Sacred Goof”- which you can listen to for free online. Schwartz points out that “The Sacred Goof” is a follow up to “Consoulation: A Musical Meditation,” a Jewish-themed musical that successfully premiered at the Gas Station Theatre several years ago. The author/composer hopes to both bring back Consoulation as well as see a production of “The Sacred Goof” in the next year.
An illustrated booklet (with illustrations by Maren Amini) with all the lyrics – can be purchased online by typing in the album name.
Then there is Schwartz’s “Online Dispute Resolution in the Time of Covid”, which is part of a trilogy that he is overseeing, as Co-Editor in Chief of The Manitoba Law Journal, on how the Canadian legal system adapted during the COVID period, and how many of those innovations will bel enduring
Schwartz is available for group presentations.
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.