Local News
Winnipeg Jews trace their ethnic origins to a lot of different places
By BERNIE BELLAN In other article on this website I’ve been delving into results of the 2021 census. That census stands apart from all previous censuses in the way it asked the question about ethnic origin. As I noted in my article in the Nov. 9 issue, the question about ethnic origin was the same as it had been on previous censuses: “What were the ethnic or cultural origins of this person’s ancestors?”
That question was followed by a further explanation:
“Ancestors may have Indigenous origins, or origins that refer to different countries, or other origins that may not refer to different countries.”
Where the 2021 census departed from previous censuses, however, was that instead of giving a list of possible answers, to which respondents were asked either to check off one – or to write in an answer, this time respondents were given a list of 500 “examples” of ethnic origin, and asked to write in one or more answers.
Now, while 10,700 respondents listed “Jewish” as at least one of their ethnic origins, as I noted in my Nov. 23 article on the subject, only 6,700 respondents reported both their religion and their ethnic origin as Jewish.
Yet, 11,700 respondents noted that their religion was “Jewish.” If they didn’t report “Jewish” as one of their ethnic origins, what did they report? Following is a list of almost all the different ethnic origins for individuals who reported their religion as “Jewish.” (I’ve left out some of the more general responses, such as “European,” because that just wasn’t specific enough to give a good idea where in Europe that person’s ancestors were from. I’ve included responses which would not be considered ethnic groups, such as Caucasian, Christian, and Coptic. Also, 25 respondents listed “Manitoban” as an ethnic origin.
I’m not sure how useful the report about ethnic origin is since respondents were able to go very far back in reporting their ethnic origins – if they so wished to do.
In the end, if you peruse this list, I’m sure you’ll be impressed, however, by how diverse the ethnic backgrounds are of individuals who said their religion was Jewish. (The order in which I’ve listed ethnic origins, by the way, is the same order given in the table that was sent to me by statcan.)
Anishaanabe 15
Saulteaux 10
Cree 20
Iroquoian
(Mohawk) 10
Mi’qua 15
Métis 125
Acadian 15
American 95
Canadian 795
French
Canadian 35
Manitoban 25
Quebecois 10
English 595
Irish 375
Scottish 475
Welsh 70
French 230
Austrian 70
Belgian 15
Dutch 70
Flemish 10
German 465
Danish 10
Icleandic 65
Nowegian 45
Swedish 70
Greek 20
Italian 95
Portugese 10
Spanish 45
Moldovan 15
Romanian 435
Byelorussian 135
Czech 45
Hungarian 125
Latvian 25
Lithuanian 110
Polish 1430
Russian 2445
Ukrainian 840
Slavic 20
Trinidadian 15
Argentinean 230
Brazilian 100
Guyanese 10
Mexican 15
Uruguayan 10
Nigerian 10
South African 30
Ethiopian 10
Afrikaner 10
Azerbajani 10
Georgian 30
Israeli 855
Kazekh 15
Palestinian 10
Persian 15
Syrian 10
Tater 25
Turkish 60
Uzbek 20
Indian 25
Chinese 30
Filipino 10
Japanese 10
Caucasian 165
Christian 25
Coptic 15
Jewish 6770
Mennonite 45
Local News
Join the Sewing Circle at Chesed Shel Emes
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.