Winnipeg Jewish Theatre is pleased to announce the interim team of Kayla Gordon, artistic director, Karla Berbrayer, marketing and development, and Tracy Goltsman, production manager. Winnipeg Jewish Theatre is excited about the experience, energy and background this team will bring to the theatre. 

As a former artistic director of the theatre, Gordon understands its significance and relevance to both the local Jewish community and more broadly to the rich and dynamic cultural diversity of the city and the province.  Under her prior leadership, the theatre developed and produced numerous new plays on Jewish themes. Gordon's deep connections and commitment to the local arts community, her unbounded and contagious enthusiasm, and her fierce passion for intelligent theatre make her the ideal fit for this small but mighty theatre.

“I have and always will hold a very strong connection to Winnipeg Jewish Theatre. We have all watched the company grow through the years and it is critical for both the Jewish community and the arts community that this growth continues,” says Gordon. “It’s a very important time to celebrate and continue to explore our rich Jewish stories as well as create new ones that will propel us into the future.”

Karla Berbrayer has been producing and managing arts and cultural events on a local, national and international scale for many years. She is the founding producer of the Rady Jewish Community Centre's popular Music 'N' Mavens series and music producer for Rady JCC's Tarbut: Festival of Jewish Culture. She has worked with many arts organizations including Up With People, Harlem Stage at City College of New York, the New York International Ballet Competition, Winnipeg Singers, Contemporary Dancers, Prairie Theatre Exchange, and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Under Berbrayer's insightful guidance, we are confident the theatre will markedly improve its connection with its evolving and increasingly diverse constituency.

Tracy Goltsman has worked on numerous theatre productions in Winnipeg and Toronto. She brings with her a solid grounding in production and we are thrilled to have her as part of the team.

At this time, we’d also like to highlight the outstanding, generous and steadfast support of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, which is celebrating 50 years of good works, of the Asper Foundation and Gail Asper and of the Winnipeg Arts Council, the Manitoba Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts. Over many years, these arts councils have enriched the WJT in innumerable ways, not just simply through funds, but in believing, cultivating and encouraging the kind of quality Jewish theatre that builds bridges with the larger community. Finally, we’d like to emphasize our deep appreciation of the vital support we have received and continue to receive from the local arts community, in particular Camilla Holland, General Manager at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

Winnipeg Jewish Theatre continues to address the financial issues that led to the abrupt end of last season. Encouraging advances have been made and fundraising initiatives are underway to shore up our financial position. A Circle-of-18 program is going to be launched shortly to invite friends of the theatre to help sustain, grow and celebrate this iconic cultural institution.

Winnipeg Jewish Theatre will open its season with A Jew Grows in Brooklyn in December. Trumpeted as “A rock n’ roll true story” and “Borscht belt comedy musical,” it features Jake Ehrenreich.