Local News
Velimir Kon fulfilled goal to teach Aboriginal students
By MYRON LOVE When Velimir Kon decided 20 years ago that he wanted to dedicate his career to teaching Aboriginal students, he recalls how surprised everyone was at the idea.
“People were in shock,” says Kon – who at a time when he was in his early 50s – had walked away from a comfortable position as a lecturer at the University of Guelph to pursue a new career as a high school maths teacher. “But I felt an empathy for the First Nations communities and was confident that I, as a teacher would be able to make a difference.”
The only person (besides his wife, Branka) who supported Kon’s choice of career path, he notes, was a Chabad rabbi in Hamilton who suggested that the teacher would be following a path pre-ordained by God.
Big Trout Lake in northwestern Ontario and Berens River on the southeastern side of Lake Winnipeg, the First Nations communities where Kon taught for a combined 15 years, were two of the more recent stops on a lengthy life journey for Branka and Velimir Kon that began 70-some years ago in Communist postwar Yugoslavia. Velimir grew up in a community called Osijek – with a Jewish community of about 250 – in what is now Croatia. Branka is from Belgrade, the former capital city of Yugoslavia, which is now the capital of Serbia.
Both Velimir and Branka are children of Holocaust survivors whose fathers were leaders in their respective Jewish communities. They met in a Jewish summer camp (Velimir is three years older) and married in 1975.
While their Jewish communities were largely assimilated, Velimir notes that his zaida was a religious Zionist – his father more of a social Zionist. Velimir himself was a Jewish youth leader in his community. “I visited Israel twice in the 1970s and did consider staying there,” he recalls.
Branka describes her family as Jewish Conservative. “We observed all the Jewish holidays,” she says.
Velimir pursued a career in higher education focusing on agriculture – culminating in a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics while Branka became a nurse specializing in neo-natal care.
Although the couple were comfortable in Yugoslavia, Velimir notes that by 1988, he could see that in the new post-Tito era that difficult times were coming. Thus, Velimir and Branka and their young daughters, Deborah and Lea, made the move to Canada.
“Everybody was surprised by our decision,” he recalls. “But, three or four years later, civil war broke out and Yugoslavia was no more.”
The family settled in Guelph, Ontario, where Velimir began his career as a lecturer at the university.
It was while at the university that he first met Michael Eskin, the long time professor in the University of Manitoba department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, who was at Guelph University for a conference. The Kons and the Eskins became close friends. (I actually met Velimir and Branka in early July when Michael invited us to attend his inauguration into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame.)
A second couple who became close friends of the Kons in Winnipeg were Gerry and Sharna Posner. Velimir met The Jewish Post & News columnist – who now lives in Toronto – the first time he attended services at the Shaarey Zedek. (Gerry arranged for Velimir and Branka to buy a house right next door to the Posners.)
Velimir reached another turning point in his life 20 years ago, when, at the age of 51, he decided to quit the university and become a high school teacher. “Because my credentials were not from a Canadian university, I came to realize that I was never going to become a professor or even assistant professor,” he recalls. “ I wanted to do something else where I could get steady work. I liked the idea of working with young people.”
So he enrolled in Education at the University of Ottawa. “I liked the idea of working with First Nations students,” he says. “I felt that I could bring compassion and empathy to my teaching and, in a typically Jewish way, look at old problems with new eyes.”
As noted previously, he began his teaching at Big Trout Lake before moving to the Berens River Reserve (population about 1,000) in 2007. Initially, he taught Grades 8 and 9 mathematics.
“I quickly learned that my students didn’t know basic math,” he recounts. I needed to build up their knowledge one step at a time. I incorporated their own life experiences to help them better understand math.”
He also introduced a chess club to the school. “It was a challenge interesting young people to chess who are mainly used to outdoor activities,” he points out. “In our first session, I explained chess in terms of hunting and the need in both cases to develop a strategy. I had ten students in the club.
“One of the benefits of chess for the students is that those who were suffering with ADHD learned to focus better.”
After a few years teaching at the high school, Kon was appointed adult education coordinator for the community. “Teaching literacy and numeracy are very important skills for people,” he notes.
Kon’s success at Berens River can be measured by the frequency with which he was invited to teach as a guest lecturer in other nearby First Nations communities.
Throughout his tenure at Berens River, he points out, he was also aware of the importance of living and modeling a Jewish life. He kept kosher – with Branka bringing him kosher food from Winnipeg (where she and her daughters were living while Velimir was at Berens River whenever she could get out to the community for Shabbat. She continued working as a nurse in Winnipeg.) Or Velimir would stock up when coming home to visit on Yom Tov when he could or at Pesach.
And Shabbat candles always lit at his Berens River residence. He recalls one time when Branka was visiting and the couple invited some of Velimir’s colleagues for Shabbat supper. On one of those occasions, a colleague revealed that she, too, was Jewish but had never lit Shabbat candles.
Another time, Danny Koulack – best known for his association with Finjan – was in Berens River to lead a two-day workshop. “It was Chanukah and we got snowed in,” Kon recalls. “We organized a Chanukah party and invited all the teachers. We lit the candles and everyone joined in the singing.”
Velimir retired in 2017 – about the same as Branka. In 2020 the couple – along with younger daughter Lea, moved to Victoria where Deborah was living and working. All four Kons recently returned to Winnipeg after Lea was hired by the government.
“In a way,” Velimir notes, “working in First Nations Communities, I saw myself as an unofficial ambassador for Israel and the Jewish People. I found that people respected my beliefs and that there was strong support in the communities for Israel. One individual even apologized to me for the Canadian Government’s refusal to accept the Jewish refugees on the St. Louis in 1938.”
Local News
Winnipeg Jewish Theatre breaks new ground with co-production with Rainbow Stage
By MYRON LOVE Winnipeg Jewish Theatre is breaking new ground with its first ever co-production with Rainbow Stage. The new partnership’s presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof” is scheduled to hit the stage at our city’s famed summer musical theatre venue in September 2026.
“We have collaborated with other theatre companies in joint productions before,” notes Dan Petrenko, the WJT’s artistic and managing director – citing previous partnerships with the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts in Montreal, the Harold Green Jewish Theatre in Toronto, Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and Winnipeg’s own Dry Cold Productions. “Because of the times we’re living through, and particularly the growing antisemitism in our communities and across the country, I felt there is a need to tell a story that celebrates Jewish culture on the largest stage in the city – to reach as many people as possible.”
Last year, WJT approached Rainbow Stage with a proposal for the co-presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Rainbow Stage management was really enthusiastic in their response, Petrenko reports.
“We are excited to be working with Winnipeg’s largest musical theatre company,” he notes. “Rainbow Stage has an audience of more than 10,000 people every season. Fiddler is a great, family-oriented story and, through our joint effort with Rainbow Stage, WJT will be able to reach out to new and younger audiences.”
“We are also working to welcome more diverse audiences from other communities, as well as newcomers – families who have moved here from Israel, Argentina and countries of the former Soviet Union.”
Helping Petrenko to achieve those goals are two relatively new and younger additions to WJT’s management team. Both Company Manager Etel Shevelev, and Head of Marketing Julia Kroft are in their 20s – as is Petrenko himself.
Kroft, who is also Gray Academy’s Associate Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations, needs little or no introduction to many readers. In addition to her work for Gray Academy and WJT, the daughter of David and Ellen Kroft has been building a second career as a singer and actor. Over the past few years, she has performed by herself or as part of a musical ensemble at Jewish community events, as well as in various professional theatre productions in the city.
Etel Shevelev is also engaged in a dual career. In addition to working full time at WJT, she is also a Fine Arts student (majoring in graphic design) at the University of Manitoba. Outside of school, she is an interdisciplinary visual artist (exhibiting her work and running workshops), so you can say the art world is no stranger to her.
(She will be partcipating in Limmud next month as a member of the Rimon Art Collective.)
Shevelev grew up in Kfar Saba (northeast of Tel Aviv). She reports that in Israel she was involved in theatre from a young age. “In 2019, I graduated from a youth theatre school, which I attended for 11 years.” In a sense, her work for WJT brings her full circle.
She arrived in Winnipeg just six years ago with her parents. “I was 19 at the time,” she says.
After just a year in Winnipeg, her family decided to relocate to Ottawa, while she chose to stay here. “I was already enrolled in university, had a long-term partner, and a job,” she explains. “I felt that I was putting down roots in Winnipeg.”
Etel expects to graduate by the end of the academic year, allowing her to focus on the arts professionally full-time.
In her role as company manager, Shevelev notes, she is responsible for communications with donors, contractors, and unions, as well as applying for various grants and funding opportunities.
In addition, her linguistic skills were put to use last spring for WJT’s production of “The Band’s Visit,” a story about an Egyptian band that was invited to perform at a cultural centre opening ceremony in the lively centre of Israel, but ended up in the wrong place – a tiny, communal town in southern Israel. Shevelev was called on to help some of the performers with the pronunciation of Hebrew words and with developing a Hebrew accent.
“I love working for WJT,” she enthuses. “Every day is different.”
Shevelev and Petrenko are also enthusiastic about WJT’s next production – coming up in April: “Ride: The Musical” debuted in London’s West End three years ago, and then went on to play at San Diego’s Old Globe theatre to rave reviews. The WJT production will be the Canadian premiere!
The play, Petrenko says, is based on the true story of Annie Londonderry, a young woman – originally from Latvia, who, in 1894, beat all odds and became the first woman to circle the world on a bicycle.
Petrenko is also happy to announce that the director and choreographer for the production will be Lisa Stevens – an Emmy Award nominee and Olivier Award winner. (The Olivier is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional London theatre).
“Lisa is in great demand across Canada, and the world really,” the WJT artistic director says. “I am so thrilled that we will be welcoming one of the greatest Jewish directors and choreographers of our time to Winnipeg this Spring.”
For more information about upcoming WJT shows, readers can visit wjt.ca, email the WJT office at info@wjt.ca or phone the box office at 204-477-7515.
Local News
Rising Canadian comedy star Rob Bebenek to headline JCFS’ second annual “Comedy for a Cause”
By MYRON LOVE Last year, faced with a federal government budget cut to its Older Adult Services programs, Jewish Child and Family Service launched a new fundraising initiative. “Comedy with a Cause” was held at Rumor’s Comedy club and featured veteran Canadian stand-up comic Dave Hemstad.
That evening was so successful that – by popular demand – JCFS is doing an encore. “We were blown away by the support from the community,” says Al Benarroch, JCFS’s president and CEO.
“This is really a great way to support JCFS by being together and having fun,” he says.
“Last year, JCFS was able to sell-out the 170 tickets it was allotted by Rumor’s,” adds Alexis Wenzowski, JCFS’s COO. “There were also general public attendees at the event last year. Participants enjoyed a fun evening, complete with a 50/50 draw and raffle. We were incredibly grateful for those who turned out, the donors for the raffle baskets, and of course, Rumor’s Comedy Club.
“Feedback was very positive about it being an initiative that encouraged people to have fun for a good cause: our Older Adult Services Team.”
This year’s “Comedy for a Cause” evening is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25. Wenzowski reports that this year’s featured performer, Rob Bebenek, first made a splash on the Canadian comedy scene at the 2018 Winnipeg Comedy festival. He has toured extensively throughout North America, appearing in theatres, clubs and festivals. He has also made several appearances on MTV as well as opening shows for more established comics, such as Gerry Dee and the late Bob Saget.
For the 2026 show, Wenzowski notes, Rumors’ is allotting JCFS 200 tickets. As with last year, there will also be some raffle baskets and a 50/50 draw.
“Our presenting sponsors for the evening,” she reports, “are the Vickar Automotive Group and Kay Four Properties Incorporated.”
The funds raised from this year’s comedy evening are being designated for the JCFS Settlement and Integration Services Department. “JCFS chose to do this because of our reduction in funding last year by the federal government to this department,” Wenzowski points out.
“Last year alone,” she reports, “our Settlement and Integration Services team settled 118 newcomer families – from places like Israel, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Each year, our program supports even more newcomer families with things like case management, supportive counselling, employment coaching, workshops, programming for newcomer seniors, and more.”
“We hope to raise more than $15,000 through this event for our Settlement and Integration Program,” Al Benarroch adds. “The team does fantastic work, and we know that our newcomer Jewish families need the supports from JCFS. I want to thank our sponsors, Rumor’s Comedy Club, and attendees for supporting us.”
Tickets for the show cost $40 and are available to purchase by calling JCFS (204-477-7430) or by visiting here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/jcfs-comedy-for-a-cause. Sponsorships are still available.
Local News
Ninth Shabbat Unplugged highlight of busy year for Winnipeg Hillel
By MYRON LOVE Lindsay Kerr, Winnipeg’s Hillel director, is happy to report that this year’s ninth Shabbat UnPlugged, held on the weekend of January 9-11, attracted approximately 90 students from 11 different universities, including 20 students who were from out of town.
Shabbat UnPlugged was started in 2016 by (now-retired) Dr. Sheppy Coodin, who was a science teacher at Gray Academy, along with fellow Gray Academy teacher Avi Posen (who made aliyah in 2019) – building on the Shabbatons that Gray Academy had been organizing for the school’s high school students for many years.
The inaugural Shabbat UnPlugged was so successful that Coodin and Posen did it again in 2017 and took things one step further by combining their Shabbat UnPlugged with Hillel’s annual Shabbat Shabang Shabbaton that brings together Jewish university students from Winnipeg and other Jewish university students from Western Canada.
As in the past, this year’s Shabbat UnPlugged weekend was held at Lakeview’s Hecla Resort. “What we like about Hecla,” Kerr notes, “is that they let us bring in our own kosher food, it is out of the city and close to nature for those who want to enjoy the outdoors.”
The weekend retreat traditionally begins with a candle lighting, kiddush and a traditional Shabbat supper. Unlike previous Shabbats UnPlugged, Kerr points out, there were no outside featured speakers this year. All religious services and activities were led by students or national program partners.
The weekend was funded in part by grants from CJPAC and StandWithUs Canada, along with the primary gift from The Asper Foundation.
Kerr reports that the activities began with 18 of our local Jewish university students participating in a new student Shabbaton – inspired by Shabbat Unplugged, titled “Roots & Rising.”
In addition to Shabbat Unplugged, Hillel further partnered with Chabad for a Sukkot program in the fall, as well as with Shaarey Zedek Congregation and StandWithUs Canada for a Chanukah program. Hillell also featured a commemoration of October 7, an evening of laser tag and, in January, a Hillel-led afternoon of ice skating.
Coming up this month will be a visit to an Escape Room – and a traditional Shabbat dinner in March.
Kerr estimates that there are about 300 Jewish students at the University of Manitoba and 100 at the University of Winnipeg.
“Our goal is to attract more Jewish students to take part in our programs and connect with our community,” she comments.