Anticipation is building in the Winnipeg Jewish community as the official date for the reopening of Congregation Shaarey Zedek draws near.
More than 1,000 people have registered to attend Rosh Hashana services at the newly renovated building on Wellington Crescent on Oct. 2 to 4 — an increase from last year when the services were held at the Asper Jewish Community Campus.
“There is a sense of excitement,” said Rena Secter Elbaze, executive director of the congregation of 750 families, or about 1,500 members, as people look ahead to returning to the building after an absence of more than two years.
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Rena Secter Elbaze is the executive director of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, the oldest synagogue in Winnipeg.
The High Holidays services will be the first to be held in the building since it closed in July 2022 for a top-to-bottom makeover.
Costs to renovate the building, constructed in 1949, topped $17 million. About $3 million of that amount came from the provincial government, with the rest raised through a fundraising campaign titled L’Dor Va Dor, Hebrew for “from generation to generation.”
“People really believe in this synagogue,” Secter Elbaze said.
Windows were replaced and new ones were added to the auditorium and sanctuary, pews and carpeting were installed in the sanctuary and offices and memorial plaques were added while asbestos was removed. The building has improved accessibility, accessible and gender-neutral washrooms, an A/V booth in the sanctuary, state-of-the-art conference rooms and new frames for the Leo Mol-painted stained-glass windows in the chapel.
People will especially notice the windows in the auditorium and sanctuary along the Assiniboine River side of the building, Secter Elbaze said.
“Can you imagine being located riverside and not being able to see the view? It was so dark in there before.”
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Leslie Emery admires the stained glass windows originally created by Leo Mol for the Rabbie Louis Berkal Chapel when it opened in 1949.
The floor-to-ceiling windows in the auditorium “reveal the Assiniboine River with its stunning ecosystem,” she said. In the sanctuary, the windows were cut out of the Tyndall stone façade near the ceiling to bring natural light into the room.
The windows are also shatterproof — part of the enhanced security that was incorporated into the building, she said.
It included adding CCTV cameras, implementing a pass card system for outside doors and security training for staff.
“I feel safe in this building,” Secter Elbaze said.
Another big change is to the 2,150 memorial plaques located in the chapel. The old ones, which memorialize deceased members of the congregation, were made of bronze. The new ones are being made of etched glass by Winnipeg artist Warren Carther, who is well-known for his glass engraving and sculpting.
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Shaarey Zedek has undergone renovations that include the addition of new furniture.
The plaques will also be computer operated; instead of someone manually turning on each light on the anniversary of a death, they will automatically light up.
There is also a new child-care centre in the basement for 50 children. The centre, which was made possible by a $1-million donation, will focus on Jewish values and culture.
“It will help to build the future of the synagogue,” Secter Elbaze said, noting the space can also be used for family activities during services.
Although there are many changes, the building will still feel familiar to members, she said, adding “It will still feel like home, even if it looks new.”
The renovations can be first viewed Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. during a special Chanukat HaBayit, or dedication ceremony, to which members and the public are invited.
During that ceremony, the synagogue’s Torah scrolls — one of which dates back 150 years and another which was rescued from Europe after the Holocaust — will be returned from temporary storage. At the same time a Mezuzah, a small box containing a scroll with two biblical passages written on it, will be affixed to the front door to symbolize God’s protection of the building and those who visit it.
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The event space at Shaarey Zedek’s renovations included the installation of windows that face the Assiniboine River.
Secter Elbaze said the renovations of the 75-year-old building indicate the congregation intends to be there “for another 75 years… the support we received shows it has a future.”
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John Longhurst
Faith reporter
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg’s faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
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