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October 3, 2008
Shared values connect
Winnipeg celebrates Israel's 60th anniversary.
RHONDA SPIVAK
More than 900 people of many different faiths and backgrounds participated in a multi-cultural concert celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary put on by the Manitoba-Israel Shared Values Roundtable.
The roundtable is a group that was initiated by Manitoba Minister of Water Stewardship Christine Melnick together with the late Harold Buchwald, a leading member of the Jewish community.
"Our group recognizes that the people of Manitoba and Israel share many important values, such as belief in a democratic system of government, respect for freedom of speech and human rights and commitments to public health care, public child care and education," said Melnick. "Manitobans and Israelis have a strong commitment to family and community and believe that high literacy rates and public services are important building blocks that form the foundation of a society that honors freedom of opinion and values differences," she added.
The concert, which was dedicated to Buchwald, was made up of eight performances from a multitude of ethnic communities, a veritable feast of sights and sounds.
One of the first guests to give greetings was Darlene Dziewit, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labor, who said she had had "a transforming visit to Israel."
"It is important to see that in Manitoba, people who identify with the left politically are also supporters of Israel," said Melnick.
NDP member of Parliament Judy Wasylycia, (Winnipeg-North) gave greetings and said how exciting it was for her to be in Israel in May for the 60th celebrations.
The first half of the Shared-Values concert featured the music of taiko drum group Hinode Taiko and dances by the India School of Dance Music and Theatre and the Rusalka Ukranian Dance Ensemble.
The concert also featured a hoop dance by First Nations dancer Brian Cline, accompanied in vocals and drums by Ray Stevensen. Cline was introduced by Chief Ovid Mercredi of the Grand Rapids First nations, who has also been to Israel several times on missions with the Jewish National Fund.
About 200 members of First Nations communities from northern Manitoba, northern Ontario and Saskatchewan came to the city especially for the event.
Linda Mavsilar, a Christian member of the First Nations community from Saskatchewan, said, "Many First Nations people have a real connection to Israel because of the things that we [First Nations and Jewish people] suffered. Israelis have a love for the land and we also have a love for the land."
"It is our intention to grow the Manitoba-Israel Shared-Values Roundtable and attract members of different faiths and communities," said Sharon Blady, a local politician.
Blady, who gave greetings, said she was "a Catholic girl from the suburbs" who has been to Israel "and has never fallen in love with a place so fully and instantly." While in the country, she found an unknown relative and discovered that Israel "was a place my ancestors called home."
Andrew Swan, the province's minister of competitiveness, training and trade, also gave greetings and said that Manitoba can learn a lot from Israel's experience "of being able to take in one million immigrants from the former Soviet Union."
The second half of the concert featured the Brazilian music of Viva Capoiera, the dancing of Magdaragat Phillipines and the spirited performance of Evans Coffee, a West African dancer, singer and percussionist who invited members of the audience to join him in dance. The concert ended with a performance by the city's Chai Folk Ensemble, North America's oldest and largest Israeli folk dance ensemble.
Rhonda Spivak is a Winnipeg freelance writer.
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