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Young Jewish Winnipeggers reap multiple awards at this year’s annual Winnipeg Music Festival

By MYRON LOVE Jewish participants in this year’s 106th annual Winnipeg Music Festival (March February 26-March 17) reaped a bountiful harvest of awards.

Of the Jewish young people who excelled this year, Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout stands out. The 17-year-old son of Samantha and Peter was awarded the prestigious Gilbert and Sullivan Society Trophy – awarded for the most outstanding performance in a competition of winners of Gilbert & Sullivan classes.
Yale finished first in the Gilbert and Sullivan vocal solo, 18 and under category, also in the vocal duet, 18 and under musical theatre category.
This was the third Winnipeg Musical Festival performance for the former Gray academy student who is currently in Grade 12 at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate. Next year, he reports, he will be enrolling in the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba.
Yale notes that he has been studying voice with voice coach Kelly Robinson for the past eight years. This upcoming weekend (April 12-14) he will be co-starring in The Manitoba Theatre for young People’s production of “Something Rotten” – a story, he says, about a pair of brothers in the 1590s – aspiring playwrights struggling to get out from under the shadow of Shakespeare – who come up with the idea of writing the world’s first musical theatre production.

Kelly Robinson is also the voice coach for WMF Jewish standouts Greg Hyman and siblings Hannah and Alex Schaeffer (the children of Marc Schaeffer and Kae Sasake).
For elder sibling Hannah, this was the fifth time that she has participated in the annual competition. This year, the Grade 11 Grant Park Student finished first in her age group (16 years and younger) in two musical theatre categories – musicals 2000 to present – up tempo – and musicals 1965 to 1999 – up tempo.
Alex, who is also a Grant Park student, achieved gold distinction in the 14 years and younger musicals 2000 to present – ballad category.

Alex was most recently highlighted in the Jewish Post & News earlier this year after making his big stage debut as one of the Von Trapp children in MTC’s production of “The Sound of Music”. This month he will be on stage in the Manitoba Opera production of “Carmen” as a member of the children’s chorus.
Both siblings also advanced to the Rainbow Stage trophy class – and they have also both been cast in Grant Park’s production this month of “the Addams Family.” Hannah plays Uncle Fester, while Alex plays Puritan.
In July, Hannah will be appearing at the Fringe Festival in Rem Lezar Theatre’s production of “Butterfly Dreams.” Rem Lezar Theatre, Hannah notes. is associated with Indifferently Reformed, a local Shakespeare company.
For 16-year-old Gregory Hyman, this was his sixth time competing in the annual festival. Initially, the son of Hartley and Rishona Hyman focused solely on classical guitar, an instrument that he took up when he was five. He added voice lessons to his repertoire seven years ago – studying – as did Hannah, Alex and Yale – with Kelly Robinson. And this year, once again, he authored gold level performances in both of his artistic disciplines.
In the category of Vocal Solo, 16 and under, he finished first in Popular/Contemporary and tied for second in Folk Songs and, on guitar , he won gold in the Grade/Level 6 Own Choice category.
The Ravenscourt student doesn’t restrict his music making just to the yearly festival though. Over the past four years, he has b been building a solo career as a singer/songwriter/musician. Recording and performing under the stage name, GMH, Gregory last October was on stage at Club Regent as the opening act for the Winnipeg-originated band “The Watchmen” (including Jewish members Daniel Greaves, Joey Serlin and Sammy Kohn, who are all living in Toronto now).
And this past March, Gregory was on stage in a performance at The Rec Room on Sterling Lyon Parkway.
He reports that he is currently working on his third album – with all of the songs his own compositions. “This will be my first professionally produced album,” he says. “I hope to have it out by the fall.”
He also continues to host his own podcast – “Talk and Rock with GMH” – now in its fourth season – in which he interviews various people in the music business across Canada.
Readers can check out Gregory’s music on any of the music streaming platforms as well as his own social media (thegmh) on Instagram.

Kelly Robinson’s own daughter (with husband Josh Eskin, also a musician and music teacher), Juliet Eskin, 14, also stood out, in this – her third go-round at the festival, where she had first place finishes – viola solo, level 7, Romantic composers and Popular Contemporary categories, as well as part of a string chamber group quartet that also included Elazar Schwartz, the son of Dr. Leonard Schwartz.
Juliet originally took up violin – adding the viola last year.

Rounding out this year’s Jewish WMF stars were the Kravetsky brothers. Both sons of Dr. Azriel Kravetsky and Dr. Carrie Palatnick play piano.
Both 13-year-old Noah and 10-year-old Nathan attend Gray Academy in Grades 8 and 5 respectively – and have been taking lessons from Erica Schultz since they were five years old.
Noah competed in two Grade 6 classes in the Winnipeg Music Festival. He won gold in his Baroque class and silver in his Own Choice Class. Nathan won gold in three classes: Baroque, Sonatina and Canadian Composer.
We look forward to the continued musical success Noah and Nate, Juliet and Gregory and whatever new talent may be unveiled at next year’s Winnipeg Music Festival.
Local News
From Broadway to Berney: Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Opens Season with Razor-Sharp Thriller

By MARTIN ZEILIG The Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (WJT) launches its 2025–26 season with a bold and timely production: JOB The Play, a psychological thriller that probes the fragile boundaries between truth, technology, and identity.
Written by Jewish American playwright Max Wolf Friedlich, the play arrives in Winnipeg fresh off its Broadway run, bringing with it a reputation for intellectual grit and emotional intensity.
Running from September 11 to 21 at the Berney Theatre, JOB is a two-hander that unfolds in the aftermath of a viral workplace incident. Jane, a high-strung tech employee, f inds herself on mandatory leave. Her return hinges on therapy sessions with Loyd, a calm but enigmatic practitioner who suspects her job may be more harmful than helpful. What follows is a taut, 80-minute battle of wits and wills—no intermission, no easy answers.
For WJT Artistic Director Dan Petrenko, the decision to open the season with JOB was immediate and instinctive.
“I came across this play as it was finishing its Broadway run, and I was immediately struck by how of-the-moment it feels,” Petrenko said. He and the play’s director, Jack Grinhaus, agreed to an email interview.
“It’s a play about work, technology, and the way we always question truth in this hyper-connected world,” Petrenko continued. “As a Jewish theatre, we are always looking for plays that ask big moral and ethical questions, and JOB does exactly that. It’s sharp, unsettling, and even funny at times.”
The production stars Jada Rifkin and Dov Mickelson, two actors Petrenko describes as “incredible talents.” Mickelson, originally from Edmonton and now based in Toronto, was last seen on a Winnipeg stage in Royal MTC’s Indecent. Rifkin, also Toronto-based, recently performed in The Thanksgiving Play at Mirvish Productions.
“JOB is a two-hander, so the entire play rests on their performances,” Petrenko noted.
“Both bring immense precision and depth to these roles. After seeing them in rehearsal this week, I can already tell this is going to be an electrifying performance.”
Grinhaus is Artistic Director of Calgary’s Vertigo Theatre— Canada’s national theatre of mystery and intrigue. He is no stranger to Winnipeg, having directed a show for Prairie Theatre Exchange just five months ago.
“Feels like I didn’t actually leave,” he joked. “Winnipeg has an incredible theatre community and audience base. It’s an honour and pleasure to be here.”
Grinhaus was immediately drawn to the play’s complexity.
“I was amazed at how both intellectual and visceral the piece was,” he wrote. engagement and offers poetry and honesty without being instructive. It lays out its argument for audiences to puzzle over, asking the questions but leaving the answers for each viewer to determine.”
The emotional and psychological journey of the characters is central to the production’s impact.
“I saw this as a battle for truth between two very opposing perspectives, positions, and generations,” Grinhaus explained. “There’s not one line in it where the characters can agree on a single ‘right’ Jack Grinhaus, Director JOB answer. They are often as right as the moral and ethical positions the audiences bring with them.”
Grinhaus hopes audiences leave the theatre questioning their own relationship with the digital world.
“The digital sphere is a double edged sword,” he said. “The promise of it being a place where the world is united and connected has, somehow, also created one where we are more divided and isolated. The long-term implications of this tech life are still to be figured out.”
Petrenko sees JOB as more than just a provocative opener—it’s a signal of what’s to come.
“There are so many things to be excited about in our upcoming season,” he said. “Beyond JOB, we’re bringing you a range of productions and theatrical events that celebrate Jewish stories while opening doors to broader conversations with the community at large.”
Highlights include a staged reading this fall of local playwright Alex Poch-Goldin’s comedy-drama The Right Road to Pontypool, and the Canadian premiere of Ride The Musical in April 2026. The latter tells the story of Annie Londonderry, the first woman to travel around the world on a bicycle—a Jewish icon whose adventures captivated audiences in London’s West End and San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre.
“I am so thrilled to be bringing this story to our stage,” Petrenko said.
The season will conclude in May 2026 with another family musical rooted in Jewish storytelling—details to be announced soon.
“The best way to get in on all the fun this year is to subscribe to our season,” Petrenko added, noting that special promotion packages are available until September 21.
For Grinhaus, JOB is more than a play—it’s a mirror.
“This is a very theatrical piece of theatre,” he said. “It’s pure theatre, highly engaging and entertaining while also challenging our own views on modern society. Our hope is that audiences are drawn deep into this world and, only once it is done, begin the conversation the story and its themes bring up.”
With JOB, the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre sets the tone for a season of bold storytelling, ethical inquiry, and cultural resonance. From Broadway to Berney, this is theatre that doesn’t just entertain—it interrogates and enlightens.
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New Jewish Heritage centre archivist has travelled an eclectic path

By MYRON LOVE The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada’s new archivist has come to her position from Rosser, Manitoba, by way of Israel.
Ava Garfinkel – the daughter of Harvey and Lee Garfinkel (and granddaughter of the late Irv and Shirley Garfinkel) – grew up on the family cattle farm just outside Winnipeg. “My family also raises horses and chickens,” she says. “I had a pony when I was little. I did my share of chores growing up.”
After attending rural schools in Rosser and Warren, Garfinkel moved on to the University of Manitoba, where she earned a B.A. in Art History. Her life journey then led he to Israel and Tel Aviv University, where she earned a Masters Degree in Archaeology.
She reports that she worked two summers on a site called Tel Azekah – an ancient community strategically located roughly half way between Jerusalem and Jaffa.
“Two years ago – in 2023 – Israel experienced its hottest summer in decades,” Garfinkel recalls. “The sun was unbearable. I realized that I preferred the paperwork, the research, and the documentation, rather than the digging.”
While Garfinkel says that she loved Israel – and had a job lined up at Tel Aviv University, fate – in the form of the terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 – intervened. It happened that she was home visiting her family when the attack occurred.
“I also love my family and my life here,” she says. “I found that I missed my family.”
Garfinkel finished her M.A. studies – with a particular emphasis on textiles in the ancient Levant – back in Winnipeg, and took up her new position at the JHCWC at the beginning of May.
“I am doing what I enjoy – preservation and documentation,” she says. “We are preserving Winnipeg’s – and Western Canada’s, Jewish history. “I am learning so much about our community’s rich history and cultural traditions.
“My colleagues and our volunteers are great. There is a lot to do. I couldn’t be happier.”
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Gail Asper takes on new challenge as co-chair of major Hebrew University fundraising campaign

By MYRON LOVE Over the past 35 years Gail Asper has risen to the top ranks among Canadian philanthropists and as the go-to leader for high-profile fundraising campaigns. In her 30s, she notes, she chaired a successful Manitoba Theatre Centre fundraising campaign. In her 40s she was the youngest chair of our city’s annual United Way campaign. In her 50s she served for two years as chair of our Jewish community’s annual Combined Jewish Appeal. And, I am sure that most readers are aware of her herculean effortsbringing to fruition her father’s vision of a world class human rights museum in Winnipeg.
Now in her 60s, Asper has taken on a lead role in another major fundraising campaign – one of international scope – as co-chair of an upcoming Hebrew University campaign, which is set to launch in October.
“My dad (the late Israel Asper – Gail’s role model) always told me,” she recalls, “that when you are asked to do something, while you can’t guarantee success, you do the best you can.”
This year’s campaign will be a particularly significant one for Israel’s oldest and largest university. This year mark’s the Hebrew University’s 100th anniversary – and the Asper family has played a leading role in the university for almost 50 years.
Gail Asper remembers going to Jerusalem – with her father – and family – when she was in her 20s – when Israel Asper would be attending HU annual Board of Governors meetings. “I met the president of the university,” she recounts. “I got to see what the university was doing and got to know the people on the board. There were board members from all over the world, all accomplished and interesting people.. It was so glamourous.”
In 1989, her father – after more than 20 years on the board – told Gail that he was stepping down to spend more time building the still relatively new Canwest business – and suggested that she should replace him as a board member. Not only did she join the board, she also became one of the founding members of the newly formed Canadian Friends of Hebrew University Business and Professional Division, along with other now prominent community members Howard Morry and Murray Palay.
“I remember being on the phone, back in 1993, holding my baby Jonathan in one arm while going through my phone list selling tickets for our gala,” Asper says. “It was good training for being able to manage looking after my family, work and volunteering later in life.”
It wasn’t long after she joined the Hebrew U board that she moved on to join the board executive,” she notes. “We would have meetings in Israel three or four times a year. Thank goodness now for Zoom. But I really enjoyed meeting with fellow board members as well as university management and faculty.”
Asper says that she was really surprised to be asked to chair the new campaign. “Most of the major HU donors are American,” she explains. “I thought that an American chair would be more appropriate than a Canadian,” she says.
She agreed to take on the role, but insisted on having an American co-chair. The individual she chose is a prominent American trial lawyer from Los Angeles by the name of Patty Glaser.
“I have known Patty for years,” Asper reports. “We met through the Hebrew University. She is very well organized and a terrific fundraiser.”
Asper adds that she would also like to recruit an Israeli philanthropist as a third chair. “There are a lot more wealthy Israelis today,” she observes. “I think it is important to get an Israeli more involved. We identified a few prospects and narrowed it down to a HU alumnus who has been very successful.”
Asper officially takes up her new role in October 2025, coinciding with the investiture of the incoming president, Prof. Tamir Sheafer. “We don’t have many details about the 100th anniversary campaign,” she notes. “The target for the last seven-year campaign – which ended in June – was $1 billion. We co-chairs will have discussion with the new president as to our financial goal and how the funds will be distributed.”
One area that Asper suggests will be a focus of the new campaign will be Jewish philanthropists and foundations who had been supporting American and Canadian universities, but who have been told that since October 7, 2023, their donations are no longer welcome. “Others have pulled their donations because of anti-Jewish activity on campuses,” she points out. “We will be suggesting that their donations will be better spent supporting Israel’s leading universities rather than antisemitic universities in Canada and the US.”
She adds that she will be co-ordinating the Canadian contributions to the campaign with CFHU executive director (and former Winnipeg resident – while he was executive director of the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University here) Rami Kleinmann. “In Canada, we always punch above our weight,” Asper notes.
She does admit to be disappointed that the HU’s 100th anniversary celebrations scheduled for last June had to be cancelled because of the war with Iran. “Anita Wortzman (the Asper Foundation’s executive director) and I were already in Israel,” Asper reports. “I had planned to attend every program on campus, meet the donors and scientists and scholars and learn what they are working on.”
She is looking forward to making up for some of what she missed in June with her upcoming visit to Israel in the fall and the kick-off to the campaign.