‘The Sages of Chelm’ is Montreal’s fresh take on a classic play from the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre
The hilarious tales of the foolish dwellers of the Polish shtetl of Chelm are among the most popular of Eastern European Jewish folklore. The musical play The Sages of Chelm is among the most beloved of Montreal’s Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre’s (DWYT) repertoire since it premiered in 1970. It was written by Abraham Shulman, a […]
Kitra Cahana talks about how COVID lockdowns led to her making an award-winning film about her disabled father
A film about a quadriplegic rabbi’s experience being isolated in a long-term care facility during pandemic lockdown recently won the Hot Docs award for Best Canadian Short Documentary. Perfecting the Art of Longing was written and directed by Kitra Cahana and intersperses security camera footage of her father, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, in his Montreal facility […]
Mika Rottenberg’s wry artistic commentary on hyper-capitalism is on display in Montreal
Prior to the pandemic few had likely given much thought to the supply chain—let alone its disruption. Not so Israeli artist Mika Rottenberg who has been fascinated by how stuff is made, monetized and marketed ever since college, when she read Karl Marx’s Das Kapital. “I was struck by its poetics,” said Rottenberg at a […]
Elisha Wiesel visits Montreal where he remembered his aunt and his father Elie’s commitment to justice
Elisha Wiesel is the son, the only child, of the most illustrious voice of Holocaust remembrance, yet on a visit to Montreal he insisted on memorializing another survivor few have heard of. His Aunt Batia, Elie Wiesel’s sister, lived quietly for many years in Montreal after the war, settling in the suburb of Côte St. […]
City of Montreal gives $1.5M to new Holocaust museum; recognizes May as Jewish Heritage Month
The City of Montreal will contribute $1.5 million toward the new Montreal Holocaust Museum (MHM), Mayor Valérie Plante announced during a visit to the existing museum on the eve of Yom ha-Shoah. The city follows the Quebec and federal governments which have each pledged $20 million toward the $90-million project. The MHM, located since its […]
Montreal’s Segal Centre promises a steamy illicit love affair tale in a new musical called ‘April Fools’
When a theatre advises audiences that they will need a cold shower after seeing a new play, it’s sure to spark interest. When that theatre is the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, they may wonder if it’s a belated April Fools’ joke. Not exactly, but April Fools is the title of the Segal’s next offering: […]
The CJN’s book columnist Hannah Srour has a tale about her family’s personal exodus from Egypt
At my family’s seder each year we act out the following scene: my father—who has led our seders in the years since my grandfather’s passing—places the afikoman bag over his shoulder and asks the rest of us in Judeo-Arabic: “Miwen jaiye?” [From where are you coming?]. We answer: “Mi-Mitzrayim” [From Egypt]. “Lawen rayech?” [Where are […]
A small, small library is donated to Montreal’s Jewish Public Library by a Holocaust survivor with a big heart
Montreal Holocaust survivor Lilly Toth was a very private person, who lived quietly alone until her passing in May 2021 at age 95. Few would have guessed that her modest apartment housed an extraordinary collection: 1,119 miniature books. By definition, these marvels of printing and binding are less than 3 inches in length and width. […]
McGill University vows unspecified ‘action’ after student union adopts anti-Israel policy
The principal of McGill University told Jewish groups it will “take action” against the undergraduate students’ union over its adoption of a pro-BDS policy if the union does not act in accordance with an earlier agreement with the administration or its own rules. B’nai Brith Canada and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) made public […]
Côte St. Luc is encouraging home-based shuls to move into commercial properties
Côte St. Luc has taken what it describes as the first step in addressing the growing number of places of worship operating in homes in strictly residential zones. The city council unanimously adopted the first draft of a bylaw amendment that would allow religious groups to set up in certain buildings located in zones now […]
