Ellis Jacob is back to screening blockbusters at the helm of Cineplex—and he expects to see you soon
Teenage boys have been showing up in suits and carrying bananas to theatres across Canada. And it’s the kind of thing that Ellis Jacob was waiting to welcome back. What they’re getting dressed up to see is Minions: The Rise of Gru. The social media stunt is part of what the Cineplex CEO is happy to […]
Avinoam Silverman’s new ballet wrestles with his questions about faith and grief
A man dances through the middle of the stage. He carries one woman as another clutches at his heels, dragging along behind him. The woman in his arms represents the wings of freedom and ambition, the woman at his feet represents the roots of home and family. The piece, called In Between, is an autobiographical […]
Remembering the Jewish dad who brought a taste of Tinseltown to the golden valley of Quebec
The theatre marked its 85th anniversary this year.
‘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 […]
‘Big Brother Canada’ winner Kevin Jacobs drew on his experiences at Jewish summer camp for reality show strategies
The first Jewish person to ever win a North American season of the global franchise Big Brother did it in his home city of Toronto. Kevin Jacobs, 28, won the 10th season of Big Brother Canada on May 5, beating out 15 other competitors to claim the $100,000 prize. Contestants on the serialized show are […]
Ivan Reitman’s Virtual Fraternity—a tribute from the filmmaker’s closest friends
Presented by Retrontario in association with the Toronto Jewish Film Festival and The Canadian Jewish News. Ivan Reitman’s closest friends and collaborators Len Blum, Dan Goldberg and Joe Medjuck recount their time with Ivan during the production of National Lampoon’s Animal House, Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters and his establishment as a powerhouse producer/director in Hollywood until […]
Filmmaker tells a deeply personal tale about the suffering of children at Huronia Regional Centre
Barri Cohen first learned of the existence of her half-brother on the day he died. She was 12 when she heard about Alfie, a son from her father’s first marriage, who had severe developmental delays and died just before his 24th birthday. There was also a younger brother, Louis, who she was told was also […]
YidLife Crisis are about to test how their irreverent Yiddish humour will fare in French
Can francophone Quebecers relate to a pair of Jewish guys who endlessly discuss what Judaism means in today’s world—and in Yiddish no less? The comedy duo Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman are banking on just that, given that Jewish and francophone Quebecers share never-ending angst over their respective identities, and an appreciation for irreverent humour. […]
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: […]
