Local News
World-famous Klezmer musician visits Winnipeg for ten days
By SHARON LOVE Dr. Alan Bern, the world famous and Berlin based Klezmer musician, scholar, teacher and cultural activist, was here in Winnipeg from November 13th, 2022 until the 23rd. In that time frame he held three workshops, was involved in two concerts, was an honoured guest and speaker at The Museum for Human Rights, and was a guest lecturer for Dr. Itay Zutra’s Yiddish in North America class at the University of Manitoba (in which I am a student).
They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, that is the best description as to how Dr. Bern’s visit here came about. According to Dr. Ben Baader, Associate professor at the University of Manitoba, the planning process for Dr. Bern’s visit took several months. Initially, Professor Laura Loewen, of the Faculty of Music was contacted by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. She did much of the organizing and was then joined in the planning process by University of Manitoba professors Simone Mahrenholz, Itay Zutra and Ben Baader. Also at the university, the Desautels Faculty of Music, the Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice, the Department of German and Slavic Studies, along with the Rady JCC, all played their part.
Dr. Bern was born in Bloomington, Indiana and has an MA degree in Philosophy and a DMA in music composition. He is widely known for his work in the promotion and preservation of Yiddish music. He has been based in Berlin since 1987 and has also done much of his work in Weimar. He is the founder and artistic director of the Yiddish in Summer Weimar program, and the founder of the Other Music Academy (OMA). He is also a founding member of the Klezmer groups ‘Brave Old World’ the ‘Other Europeans’ and the ‘Semer Ensemble’. He is also an international music conductor and arranger for theatre and dance productions. In 2016 he was the recipient of the Weimar Prize in recognition of his cultural contributions to that city. Earlier this year he received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He has also been featured in many audio recordings and films.
Dr. Bern’s first three lectures were held at the University of Manitoba. He spoke about why Yiddish matters and traced the history of the Yiddish language up until today’s new Yiddish music. During his second lecture he spoke of the Shoah and the new Yiddish song. His third lecture was hands on and he introduced music students to the origin and the philosophy behind the Hasidic Nign.
The Sunday afternoon concert held at the Berney Theatre was definitely jam packed. The program opened with an introduction by Dr. Bern and his brief explanation of Nigunim as wordless songs which serve to move Hasidic Jewry beyond the rational towards the mystical prayer. This was followed by three musical numbers performed by the Desautels Klezmer Group from the the Desautels Faculty of Music, accompanied by Dr. Bern on the accordion and Myron Schultz on clarinet. The audience was invited to join in with some chanting on cue. I have a feeling that these dozen students playing various instruments were not aware of this genre of music prior to Dr. Bern’s visit and his hands on workshop and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. The family of one of the violinists was sitting in front of me. I could just tell that they were inspired and pleased. Myron Shultz and Alan Bern played a few lively numbers together.
The musical portion of the afternoon was followed by the screening of ‘The New Klezmorim. Voices Inside the Revival of Yiddish Music.’ This documentary was filmed in 1998 both at Klez Canada in the Laurentians and at the Askenaz festival in Toronto and is a study of the revival of Klezmer music and Yiddish culture commencing in the 1970’s. At the end of the film we were joined via Zoom from Toronto by David Kaufman, the producer, in discussion with Alan Bern.
‘An Evening with Dr. Alan Bern’’ took place on Monday the 21st at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Opening remarks came from Myka Burke, the Communications and Culture Officer of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ottawa. Greetings were extended by Jutta Essig, Honourary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany and by Gustavo Zentner, President of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.
Those in attendance were treated to a screening of ‘60 Years in 22 Minutes,’,a biography of Alan Bern starting from his childhood. This was followed by an interview with Matthew Cutler (CMHR Vice-President, Exhibitions) in conversation with Dr. Bern. Some topics discussed were Bern’s interest in the philosophy of music and how it can be a vessel for bringing people together, the Klezmer revival, why he is based in Berlin, the Shoah and Jewish relations vis a vis the Republic of Germany today.
The evening closed with a musical performance by Dr. Bern and a reception.
The highlight for me of Bern’s visit was his lecture for the Yiddish Culture in North America class the next afternoon. The focus with video was on three specific entertainers and musicians and their roles in the revival of Yiddish and Klezmer music. They were: revival pioneers Adrienne Cooper(z”l), Josh Waletzky, and present day musician and songwriter, Klezmer-Yiddish -Punk Rocker Daniel Kahn (who is now based in Berlin). I found Bern to be very personable, knowledgeable and having presented a very friendly and ‘haimish’ atmosphere at the events that I took in.
On Wednesday November 23rd, at the Eva Clare Hall, the performances of the final term Chamber Music students took place. Bern conducted the Desautels Klezmer group in performance one last time.
What can I say but Dr. Alan Bern was very busy during his time spent here. I am sure that his audiences learned a lot, and enjoyed themselves. Kudos to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and to Prof. Laura Loewen who got the ball rolling and to the rest of those who joined in to ensure that this project was such a success!
And I am still humming those nigunim…..
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.