Local News
Rady JCC about to launch J✡Fest Wpg – Culture Reimagined
This Fall, a brand new festival is coming to Winnipeg, unlike anything ever seen before. The question is: Will you be there? Launching October 26 and running for one week, JFest WPG is a first-of-its-kind celebration of Jewish culture and the arts – reimagined. The Rady JCC’s inaugural festival features an eclectic showcase of global Jewish art and culture, encompassing not merely the traditions of eastern Europe, but also Sephardic, Mizrachi and Israeli culture, and all manner of cross-cultural fusion. Though strongly focused on music, this is a multidisciplinary festival, including visual arts, workshops, and kids’ programs. JFest WPG is unlike any other festival the Rady has held before. We are reimagining culture and welcoming in a new generation of people of all faiths, backgrounds, and demographics. An absolute highlight of our festival is a live performance of Israeli superstar musician Idan Raichel. He will be playing an intimate showcase of piano songs at one of our guest venues, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. Idan will realize his dream of getting up close to you, his audience, and present his songs in their original format of piano and voice. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Idan live, so be sure to grab your tickets before we sell out!
JFest WPG is proudly presented by The Asper Foundation with support from the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, and JNF Canada. Below is a full breakdown of all our various programs and workshops. Registration is now open and will fill up quickly. If you want to be a part of this incredible movement, we suggest jumping on sooner rather than later! Early bird pricing is in effect until September 15, 2024. And finally, Rady Members recieve 20% off the total cost of their registration. Sign up today. It pays to be a Member!

Glowing Embers: New Works by Manitoba Jewish Artists
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 26 | 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Gallery Viewing: Saturday, October 27 – Thursday, November 7 | Varying times
Rady JCC Adult Lounge | 123 Doncaster Street
Free (no registration required)
Glowing Embers brings together a collection of exciting and vibrant new works by both emerging and established Jewish Artists from Manitoba. The work runs from conceptual to realist and everything in between and highlights ideas of belonging, community, and home.
During the opening reception you will have the opportunity to appreciate the show, meet the artists and curators while enjoying some refreshments.Featured in this exhibition are the Rimon Art Collective (comprised of Mishelle Aminov, Yael Freifeld, Halley Ritter, Etel Shevelev, and Shan Pullan) and independent artists Elena El, and Joel Novak.
Idan Raichel: Piano & Songs
Sunday, October 27 | 7:30 p.m.
Canadian Museum for Human Rights | 85 Israel Asper Way
Early Bird Tickets: $45 | General Tickets: $50
For the first time ever in Winnipeg and direct from Israel, Idan Raichel brings his intimate piano songs performance to Winnipeg. In this concert, Idan will realize his dream of getting up close to you, his audience, and presents his songs in their original format of piano and voice.
Idan is an Israeli superstar producer, keyboardist, lyricist, composer and performer. He has become not only one of the most successful artists in Israel but also one of Israel’s leading music ambassadors abroad representing a world of hope in which artistic collaboration breaks down barriers between people of different backgrounds and beliefs.
This concert is presented by The Asper Foundation with support from The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, JNF Canada, the JCC Association of North America, and the Inn at the Forks.
Want to see Idan in action? Click here to see him performing live!
Printmaking Workshop with Rimon Art Collective Monday, October 28, 7:00 pm Rady JCC Berney Theatre | 123 Doncaster Street Early Bird Tickets: $10 | General Tickets: $12 In this fun, engaging, and collaborative workshop, the Rimon Art Collective will teach you some of the basics of the art of linocut printmaking. You will learn all the tools and materials needed as well as techniques. From there, you will then be guided through the process in creating a small piece on your own. All works will be printed together on one large paper and displayed as a part of the Glowing Embers Art Exhibition, all in a celebration of community and connection through shared creativity. Beginners are welcome as no experience is necessary!
The Secret Poetess of Terezin by Lenka Lichtenberg Tuesday, October 29 | 7:30 p.m. Rady JCC Berney Theatre | 123 Doncaster Street Early Bird Tickets: $30 | General Tickets: $35 Juno award-winning Lenka Lichtenberg discovered two notebooks of poems written by her grandmother in the years 1942-1945 in Theresienstadt, a WWII concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Through collaboration with esteemed Theatre Director Leah Cherniak, Lenka worked to transform these poems into this powerful solo show. The Secret Poetess of Terezin features passionate stories of love received, embraced, rejected, and lost; of relationships evolving and dissolving under the pressure of monumental historical events. The songs, along with spoken word pieces, videos and visual projections, will offer you an immersive and intimate performing arts experience.
Lady Muse & The Inspirations Play Amy Winehouse Thursday, October 31 | 7:30 p.m. Rady JCC Berney Theatre | 123 Doncaster Street Early Bird Tickets: $25 | General Tickets: $30 Amy Winehouse’s music has touched so many people around the world and endured with such a vibrant life of its own, because it is music that was written in her own blood and reflects the truths of her complex and complicated life. You are invited to join the talented and glamorous Lady Muse as she and her fabulous band – The Inspirations – present the music of Amy Winehouse. Featuring special guests Sheena Rattai (Red Moon Road) and INGIA, this all-star cast will be sure to have you dancing in your seat as they revisit the songs of one the 21st century’s most iconic and celebrated singer-songwriters.
An Evening of Burt Bacharach featuring Jennifer Hanson & Larry Roy Ensemble Saturday, November 2 | 8:00 p.m. Rady JCC Berney Theatre | 123 Doncaster Street Early Bird Tickets: $30 | General Tickets: $35 Burt Bacharach is one of the iconic composers of the 20th century, creating hit after hit for many of the best singers of his era, including Dionne Warwick and Karen Carpenter. Jennifer Hanson and Larry Roy have created a wonderful tribute to the late great composer, in a concert that will leave you wanting more. Jennifer has long been one of the most recognized vocalists in Manitoba, while Larry has been involved in every aspect of the music scene in Winnipeg as a guitarist and recording artist. The Jenn and Larry ensemble will feature vocalists Erin Propp and Karly Epp, trumpeter Richard Gillis, bassist Gilles Fournier, and drummer Daniel Roy.
‘Yeladudes!’ KidFest Sunday, November 3 | 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Rady JCC Gym & Berney Theatre | 123 Doncaster Street Early Bird Tickets: $8 | General Tickets: $10 Get ready for an unforgettable day of excitement and creativity at our mini festival specifically designed for kids. Enjoy interactive games, arts and crafts, live performances, workshops, storytelling sessions, face painting, wall climbing, bouncers, and more. On top of all this, indulge in delicious treats throughout the day. Don’t miss out on this fun-filled event for children of all ages! Special guest Rebecca Schoffer, Director of Jewish Family Life at the 92nd Street Y in New York, will be on there for a riveting performance as well. Rebecca is a musical and experiential educator, singer songwriter, and cantorial soloist.
Questions about JFest WPG? Contact:
Laura Marjovsky
Director, JFest WPG
204.477.7539 | lmarjovsky@radyjcc.com
JFest WPG Staff:
Karla Berbrayer
Musical Producer, JFest WPG
Shira Newman
Art Exhibit Curator, JFest WPG
Amy Karlinsky
Visual Arts Advisor, JFest WPG
Natali Halberthal
Producer, ‘Yeladudes!’ KidFest
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Local News
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
Local News
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.