Local News
The Ashkenazie Synagogue is the last of the old North End synagogues still remaining – can it be saved? An imaginary proposal to do just that
By BERNIE BELLAN Two and a half years ago, in our Dec. 4, 2021 issue, we wrote about a proposal that was developed by the board of the Ashkenazie Synaogogue, Winnipeg’s oldest still-in-use synagogue building, and the last of what once were 18 synagogues dotting Winnipeg’s North End.
In that story we explained that Ashkenazie members were faced with some stark – and very difficult choices. As we wrote back then: “Unable to sustain a regular minyan and with a membership that is a mere fraction of what it once had, the few remaining members of the Ashkenazie are faced with a difficult choice: Either find a new use for the building or close it as a house of worship.”
We also noted that, under the leadership of Dr. Yosel Minuk, the Ashkenazie board had “come up with an imaginative proposal that would see the Ashkenazie retain a core area for services, while reconfiguring the rest of the building into a ‘living’ museum of Winnipeg’s Jewish North End.”
As Dr. Minuk wrote in a letter to us at that time,”the idea has been developed to reconfigure the Ashkenazie into a museum that commemorates all the previous (17) synagogues and at the same time, continue to offer services to its regular attendees, museum visitors and staff.
“Essentially, our ‘vision’ entails the following: the main body of the synagogue would remain intact for daily and/or holiday services. However, the flanking pews would be converted into cubicles that contain narratives, photos and 3 dimensional items recovered from previous synagogues in the area, largely drawing upon collections and exhibits previously displayed by the Jewish Heritage Centre. If the memorabilia exceeds the space available, the flanking pews of the upstairs ladies gallery could be utilized for the same purpose.
“Certain cubicles would also feature former North-Enders who went on to national or international acclaim (ex. Monty Hall, David Steinberg, Sydney Halter, etc.) and computer stations that would enable visitors to look up old relatives and friends who were amongst the first immigrants to the North-End. Similar information would be offered for Jewish owned North-End businesses that helped contribute to the area’s economy.
“In addition, the Chedar-shaynee (anteroom to the main synagogue) would be repurposed as a small café, gift shop and washrooms. Depending on public feedback, the kosher kitchen and undeveloped downstairs area would be renovated and used for either hosting exhibits/seminars/events/dinners.”
In that article, we also advised readers who were interested in commenting upon the proposal that they could do so by responding to an online survey. (We offered a link to the 8-question survey.)
In our Dec. 18, 2021 issue, Dr. Minuk noted that there had been 20 responses received as a result of the article we had published in the previous issue. He wrote the following:
“I’m pleased that our initiative to reconfigure the Ashkenazie synagogue into both a museum and synagogue has generated so much reader interest as it underscores the importance of what we hope to create: a site that offers visitors a historical account and pays tribute to these synagogues and the individuals who built and supported them.
“We were also very pleased with the feedback we received from readers who completed our on-line questionnaire Of the 20 respondents, 17 rated the initiative 10/10 in terms of being worth pursuing. There was one response in particular that we considered rather compelling: ‘Please do this before we lose our tradition.’ Some also offered memorabilia they had stored while others pledged financial donations, which we are not accepting – at this time. Overall, we were quite encouraged by the responses.”
Now, two and a half years later, that proposal still remains simply that: a proposal.
Dr. Minuk advises that a request to the Jewish Foundation for a grant to conduct a feasibility study of the proposal was turned down, although upon speaking with a member of the Board of the Jewish Foundation, we were told that the Foundation would certainly consider the request again if it were to be submitted a second time, but this time for less money.
In the meantime, upon speaking with Dr. Minuk via a Zoom meeting, we were able to see a very effective PowerPoint presentation he had prepared which fulyl outlined what the proposed reconfiguration of the Ashkenazie Synagogue would look like.
Yet, within that same PowerPoint presentation, Dr. Minuk also addressed head-on the many challenges that would accompany any plan to redevelop the Ashkenazie, including:
- Engineering
- Architectural Design
- Curator
- Safety
- Parking
- Appeal to youth
- Inclusiveness (appeal to other communities that have strong roots in the North End, including First Nations, Filipino, Ukrainian, and others)
- Business model (capital and operating costs)
I asked Dr. Minuk how much he sees this total project as costing?
He answered that he thought it would be from $3-5 million.
I said to him that the proposal reminded me of a story Bob Freedman, former CEO of the Jewish Federation, had told me years ago about how the federal government came to provide $3 million toward the construction of the Asper Campus.
The very powerful federal minister from Manitoba in what was then the federal Liberal government under Prime Minister Jean Chretien was Lloyd Axworthy. When Freedman (accompanied by Marjorie Blankstein and Sheldon Berney) finally managed to corral Axworthy for a meeting (and in Freedman’s recounting of the story, it was when Axworthy was in a room at the Westin Hotel, getting ready to speak at some particular function there – and he met with the trio while he was stripped down to his underwear, putting his tux on – much to Marjorie Blankstein’s chagrin, Freedman said.)
According to Freedman, Axworthy asked the three of them: “Are you going to have a museum there?”
“Museum?” replied Freedman. “No, we don’t have plans for a museum.”
“Well, put a museum in there and we’ll give you $3 million,” said Axworthy.
And that’s how the federal government came to contribute $3 million toward the building of the Asper Campus.
Unfortunately, as many readers are now probably aware, once the campus was built, the decision was taken to substantially reduce the amount of space that was to be given to the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada and, rather than build a museum, those glass panels that house some permanent and some temporary exhibits along the corridor between the Berney Theatre and offices in the campus are what we have instead of a full-fledged museum.
Many of the artifacts that were intended to be part of the JHCWC museum at the campus and which could be put on display in this new Ashkenazie “Musynagogue” (as Dr. Minuk puts it), are being held in storage in the basement of the Asper Campus.
The point of my writing this is to illustrate how difficult it would be for the Ashkenazie proposal to get off the ground – unless there is federal government funding. (Despite the federal government continuing to run massive deficits, there is nothing governments like more than “shovel-in-the-ground” projects which can prominently display the federal government logo on a sign in front of the project. Also, think of the number of jobs a project like this can generate. It would be a lot cheaper than the billions the federal government has shelled out in recent years for pipelines, auto plants, and lithium battery plants.)
Also, by including a variety of other ethnic groups in the project, especially First Nations – who have a long and storied connection to the North End, this proposal might just have a chance of succeeding.
And, with a federal election required to be held no later than 2025, the timing is right to approach federal representatives for support.
As for those naysayers who would dismiss the proposal outright on the grounds that the Ashkenazie is located in an unsafe area, can you imagine how an idea of this sort might help to revitalize that part of the North End?
The fact is, however, that right now, it’s Dr. Yosel Minuk who’s carrying the ball on this one pretty much by himself. If he is able at least to obtain the funds to do a feasibility study then he can pursue the idea of the project more fully, but first he has to get past first base.
Local News
Richard Morantz and Sheree Walder contribute $1 million to ongoing Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Capital Campaign
By MYRON LOVE “We really welcome the decision of Richard Morantz and Sheree Walder to donate $1-million to our ongoing capital campaign,” said Rena Secter Elbaze, the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue’s executive director, on October 9. “They and their families have a long history of supporting our community organizations and the State of Israel. Their contribution to the Shaarey Zedek is inspirational.”
The husband and wife team officially presented the cheque to Elbaze at a brief ceremony at the synagogue the morning of October 9, in the newly renamed Richard Morantz and Sheree Walder Auditorium.
In their remarks, both Morantz, the president and CEO of Globe Property Management, and Walder, a lawyer who is a former partner in the law firm Myers LLP, spoke of their long family connection to the Shaarey Zedek. “My mother’s family were Jewish pioneers in Winnipeg,” Walder noted. “My great-grandfather, Samuel Cohen, for whom I am named, was an original member of Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. I started coming here with my own grandfather, Sidney Cohen, when I was about two years old. I remember exactly which pew we sat in and how my grandfather helped me to follow along in the siddur during services. Shaarey Zedek has always been a place of great comfort for me.”
Morantz added that his own bar mitzvah took place at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue on April 29, 1972. “I learned my maftir from the legendary Rabbi Berkal,” he recalled. “We continued to celebrate here with our own children’s bar and bat mitzvahs. I am very grateful that we got to watch our own children shine on the bimah.”
It was the Hamas-led assault on Israel and subsequent tsunami of antisemitism worldwide that prompted the couple to consider stepping up and contributing to the Shaaray Zedek campaign in such a magnanimous way.
“I have never been a religious person,” Morantz remarked. “While I may be more secular, I strongly believe in the traditions of Judaism. I had a charmed upbringing in the 60s and 70s in River Heights. It is not the case that I experienced no antisemitism, but those experiences were very minimal. Post-October 7th, I found myself, for the first time in my life, having to judge every situation and every person I came across before divulging the fact that I am Jewish or discussing Israel. I came to the realization, during the process of considering this donation, that a primary driver for us is that this synagogue is a safe place for Jews, where we can comfortably be ourselves.”
Walder pointed out that while her mother’s large family were Jewish pioneers, her father was a Romanian Holocaust survivor, with almost no family after the war. “Family matters a great deal to us,” she said. “In addition to strongly agreeing with Richard that the tragedy of October 7th and continuing and growing anti Semitism are big drivers for us in making this donation, we also want to see Shaarey Zedek be a safe and special part of the lives of our now adult children and the generations that will follow them. It is very fulfilling to us that we are contributing to making that happen.”
Walder further credits the encouragement of her old friend and law school classmate, Neil Duboff, for helping to clinch the decision for her and her husband to make the donation. “Neil has worked so hard for the synagogue and our community for so many years and we applaud his efforts and commitment,” she noted.
(Duboff is a past president of the Shaarey Zedek and chaired the capital campaign.)
Walder also mentioned the support of Gail Asper in making the decision. “I met Gail on our first day of law school in 1981,” she recalled, “and we have been very close ever since. While we can all agree that Gail certainly knows how to talk, she also really knows how to listen. Through all of our discussions with her about making this donation, she listened hard, she came up with solid answers, and she was instrumental in leading us to the decision to donate. Shaarey Zedek is extremely lucky to have such a talented fundraiser.”
“We have to make special mention of Rena Secter Elbaze,” Morantz noted. “Rena literally blew me away when I met her for a tour of the synagogue. Her passion and knowledge are remarkable. We believe that our synagogue is in great hands and we feel much comfort and confidence making this donation.
“We are very proud of the recent renovations and upgrades to the synagogue,” he added. “This place is absolutely beautiful. We also feel privileged to have met with Rabbi Carnie Rose. We know he will be a great asset to the synagogue and all of its members for a long time to come.
“We are so honoured to be here with you today and to feel that we are making a difference to this special place”.
He concluded his remarks with an observation by Elie Wiesel that “a synagogue is a house of memory as well as a house of prayer. It reminds us of who we are and where we come from.”
Local News
Winnipegger Charlotte Kittner traces ancestry back to the Jewish expulsion from Spain
By MYRON LOVE Ladino was long the spoken language of the Jews from the Iberian peninsula and North Africa just as Yiddish was the day to day language of the Jews of Eastern Europe. Charlotte Kittner is most likely the only Winnipegger – and one of the few left in the world – who still speaks Ladino.
But Ladino is just one of eight languages that Kittner, who turned 100 in August, can speak – the others being Bulgarian, Romanian, Czech, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Turkish and English.
Charlette (Sarlota) Kittner was born in Bulgaria – in a Jewish community whose members were largely descended from the Jews who were forced out of Spain in 1492 (and Portugal a few years later) by the Spanish expulsion.
A few days after her birth, that part of Bulgaria became part of Romania. She was so small at birth, she recounts, that the doctor had little hope she would survive more than a few years. She slept in a drawer of a chiffonier lined with many layers of cotton for the first year.
The youngest of three sisters, she recalls growing up comfortably in a warm and observant community. Her father, Avram, who operated a textile factor, attended synagogue on Shabbat and all the Yom Tovim.
The family – along with all the other Jewish families in Romania, fell on hard times with the advent of World War II. Although Romania was an ally of Nazi Germany and was never occupied, members of the Romanian Iron Guard – the local equivalent of the Nazis – could be just as sadistic and murderous as their German counterparts. Although most Romanian Jews outside of Bucharest were murdered, those living in the capital city, while facing much discrimination and many restrictions – were spared internment and deportation.
Kittner notes that mother, Minduch, died in 1945 and she lost her father in 1946.
During the war Charlotte and her sister, Lisa, were assigned to a factory making linens and garments for the Nazis.
She recalls that life was tough after liberation and continued to be difficult after the coming of Communism in immediate post-war Romania.
After the war, Kittner trained as an accountant and found work with a large manufacturer. That is where she met her husband, Mike (Misu) Kittner. They were married in Bucharest in November,1952.
Kittner’s sisters, Suzanna and Lisa, both made aliyah after the war. Charlotte and Mike followed in 1964. They lived in Israel for three years. Charlotte quickly learned Hebrew and found work as an accountant.
But life in Israel was difficult economically in those days. Mike’s brothers, Fred and Serge, had previously settled in Winnipeg and encouraged Mike and Charlotte to join them. They did – in May 1967.
The next year, Chralotte’s sister Lisa and husband, Nick, also moved to Winnipeg.
Their other sister, Suzanna, and her husband, Selu, a well known painter, remained in Israel.
Over the years, Kittner has visited Israel – where she has numerous nephews, nieces and cousins – as well as having taken trips back to Romania and to other European countries.
Once in Winnipeg, she and Mike quickly found work in the garment industry. She was first hired as a bookkeeper by Stall and Son. After a short time she moved over to Silpit Industries, where she served as chief accountant for many years. Kittner has favourable memories of her boss, the late community leader Harry Silverberg. She later worked for another Silverberg firm, Brown and Rutherford, a lumber processing operation.
Mike only worked in the garment industry for a short time. He found his niche in insurance sales – where he excelled. He also founded Broadway Agencies and became a booking agent for budding new performing artists in Europe whom he brought to Winnipeg to appear in popular local night clubs.
Mike and Charlotte’s nephew, Brad Kittner, recalls as a youngster going with his
parents, aunts and uncles to those clubs and watching what he describes as “these fabulous singers.” He says that they inspired him to pursue his own successful career as a karaoke singer and performer for hire.
Charlotte and Mike first lived in East Kildonan for a year, then moved to Partridge Avenue in West Kildonan. A few years later, they bought a new house on Drimes Place, north of Templeton, in northwest Winnipeg.
While Mike Kittner passed away in 1991, Charlotte continued to work into her 70s.
Through the years, she has led a busy social life with family and friends. As Brad Kittner notes, even at 100, “Aunt Charlotte continues hosting friends and family for full course meals and gatherings at her place.”
Charlotte celebrated her hundredth birthday with more than 20 relatives and friends at the Ichiban Restaurant.
Although hard of hearing and somewhat frail of body, her mind remains relatively clear. She still enjoys reading fiction, doing crosswords and looking forward to her weekly card games with her sister-in-law, Sylvia, who also lives at Chateau West on Jefferson, and other friends.
May she live to 120!
Local News
Over 2000 supporters turned out for walk for Israel despite overcast skies, rain
By MYRON LOVE October 5 started out overcast and rainy. The rain – which fortunately stopped just before the Walk for Israel began – didn’t prevent over 2,000 supporters of Israel – both members of our Jewish community and those from outside of our community from turning out for the second annual Walk for Israel commemorating the horrific events of October 7 – two years ago – the darkest day in post-Holocaust Jewish history
As with last year, the 45-minute walk began and ended at the Asper Campus. While last year the walk was followed by speeches from community leaders and various politicians, this year the only speaker was Paula Parks, President of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, who pointed out that the ongoing anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstrations- post October 7- have strengthened the bonds within our community and spurred more people to affiliate with our communal organizations. She further noted that more of us are speaking out and we need to continue to do that.
“The number of people who participated was inspirational,” says Gustavo Zentner, the representative for Manitoba and Saskatchewan for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “We had numerous allies as well as members of our Jewish community. We had people from all walks of life.”
“We had a fantastic turnout,” added Jeff Lieberman, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s CEO. “Paula spoke very well. Her comments were meaningful.”
He expressed his hope that the hostages would be released very soon, the war would be ended, and Israelis can finally live in peace.
The commemoration’s focus this year was primarily on visual images rather than words. The walk featured a number of photos taken by local members of the Winnipeg Jewish community who visited the Nova site in person or attended the Nova exhibit that travelled to various parts of Canada and the United States. The photos were displayed for the day along the fence on Doncaster Avenue – the first stage of the walk. Participants were handed Israeli flags and kalaniot (red anemones) flowers, the official flower of Israel, and were encouraged to place them around the photos on the fence.
As well, as part of the October 7 commemoration, 33 paintings depicting some of those taken hostage on October 7 were put on display along Main Street of the Campus from the week of October 3-October 10. The paintings were the work of well-known Israeli illustrator, cartoonist, humourist, performance artist and political activist, Zeev Engelmayer.
The walk on October 5 concluded with Israeli shimshinim – Israeli youth representatives here in Winnipeg from Israel – and other young people from our community reciting a prayer for the hostages (who were finally freed last week), and members of the IDF, followed by the singing of “O Canada” and “Hatikvah.”