Asper Community Shabbat Program

Established in April 2024 by The Asper Foundation in partnership with the Rady Jewish Community Centre, the Asper Community Shabbat Program brings together Jewish organizations and invited community partners at the Asper Jewish Community Campus in Winnipeg. Held periodically on Friday evenings, each Shabbat (Sabbath) gathers approximately 50 participants – representing host organizations and invited guests – for a shared evening of traditional Shabbat dinner, dialogue, entertainment, cultural exchange and reflection.

Each gathering is shaped by the lived experiences, traditions, and voices of participating communities, creating moments that are at once intimate, moving, joyful and deeply unifying. Through shared ritual, storytelling, performance, and conversation, the program fosters empathy, strengthens relationships across cultures, and builds a more connected fabric.

Shabbat Gatherings To Date

April 2024 – Inaugural Shabbat
Hosted by the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada with guests from Bear Clan Patrol. The evening opened the series with a powerful outdoor smudging ceremony, setting a tone of respect, presence and shared learning across traditions.  The shared symbolism of the Shabbat candle-lighting and the smudging ceremony struck participants in a deep and profound way.  See photos here.

September 2024
Hosted by Jewish Child and Family Service with guests from General Child and Family Services Authority. A touching personal highlight came from a Winnipeg lawyer who shared how Jewish Child and Family Service shaped his journey through childhood adversity. See photos here.

November 2024
Hosted by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg with guests from Winnipeg’s Filipino community. The evening came alive through beautiful music and performance, culminating in a spontaneous, moving communal rendition of Hallelujah that unified both communities in song.  The closeness of this Shabbat was followed with an incredibly warm and entertaining Filipino-Jewish Friendship Dinner hosted by the Filipino community in June 2025. See photos here.

January 2025
Hosted by Congregation Etz Chayim with guests from Gurudwara Winnipeg South Sikh Centre. A night defined by mutual joy and openness, where traditions were shared with generosity and received with genuine celebration.  The Shabbat fostered greater connections between the two communities as the five-minute walk between the institutions makes it easy to visit newly-made friends. See photos here.

February 2025
Hosted by the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre with guests from Winnipeg’s Scottish community. Cultural expression took centre stage through vibrant performances and storytelling that highlighted shared values of heritage, creativity and resilience.  The evening was made all the more memorable at the table, where knishes and haggis were served side by side – an unexpected and delightful pairing that sparked conversation, smiles and a delicious sense of connection between the two traditions. See photos here.

May 2025
Hosted by the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis guests. A deeply affecting evening grounded in truth-telling, incredible Métis music and the forging of new and meaningful relationships.  Stories shared by Indigenous friends who had travelled to Israel added another layer to the evening, revealing unexpected connections and resonant parallels between communities and lived experiences. See photos here.

September 2025
Hosted by the Manitoba Israel Coalition with guests from Winnipeg’s Persian community. The evening was marked by warmth and openness, as participants reflected together on identity, belonging and shared humanity.  A particularly powerful moment came when a Jewish and a Persian guest performed music together, creating an emotionally resonant collaboration that brought the room together. The conversation also turned to the historical friendship between Persian King Cyrus and the Jewish people, reflecting on why that legacy of support and alliance continues to hold meaning in both traditions today. See photos here.

October 2025
Hosted by Congregation Shaarey Zedek with guests from the Yazidi community. A poignant gathering centered on resilience and hope, where stories of survival and faith created deep connection and understanding.  It also reflected the Jewish community’s ongoing commitment – over the past years – to supporting Yazidi families in their resettlement and integration in Winnipeg. See photos here.

January 2026
Hosted by the Rady Jewish Community Centre with guests from Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) and The Winnipeg Foundation. The evening emphasized partnership and dialogue, deepening relationships through shared reflection and purpose.  Participants were also treated to a moving musical performance by Grand Chief Garrison Settee, who spoke about the shared values between First Nations and Jewish peoples. He reflected on histories of displacement from traditional lands as a point of connection and mutual understanding. See photos here.

February 2026
Hosted by the Jewish Pride and Inclusion Committee with guests from Pride Winnipeg and Rainbow Resource Centre. A vibrant celebration of inclusion, where Jewish tradition and 2SLGBTQIA+ voices came together in affirmation, joy and mutual respect. This Shabbat was one of the highlights of a growing and close relationship between the Jewish and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.  It also underscored the understanding and support for each other and our shared values including fighting hate. See photos here.

March 2026
Hosted by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs with guests from the Mennonite community. A thoughtful and candid exchange that encouraged reflection across traditions, focusing on faith, responsibility and the importance of sustained cross-community engagement.  Conversations also touched on the importance of showing up for one another, while also acknowledging, in a quiet and respectful way, the complex histories both of our communities carry.

The Shabbat was also filled with a sense of connection.  It demonstrated that even across differences, there is shared ground in our values and in our willingness to listen. It was a powerful reminder that understanding begins with presence. See photos here.

April 2026

Hosted by the Rady Jewish Community Centre with guests from the German-Canadian Congress. The evening offered an opportunity for thoughtful conversation and connection across different backgrounds, bringing new perspectives to the Shabbat table. Through shared dialogue and reflection, participants engaged with ideas shaped by history, identity and community.  Moving entertainment included Yiddish singing.  Participants were also treated to a beautiful recitation from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust.  The gathering stressed the value of opening our doors to diverse voices while continuing to strengthen the bonds that define our Community Shabbats. See photos here.

Across each gathering, the Asper Community Shabbat Program continues to demonstrate that when people come together in openness, shared ritual and joyful celebration, barriers soften, understanding deepens and enduring relationships take root.

“The first critical step in inter-religious dialogue is to get to know our neighbour, and to make friends one with the other. Only then can we move beyond that pale and frail phantom we call tolerance, and build bridges of friendship and hope in pursuit of tikkun olam, the mending of the world.  Throughout the vast scope of human history, the sharing of food has proved foundational to the building of friendship and much more.  In more than half a century of inter-religious dialogue, I may say with the strongest conviction and the deepest appreciation, that the Asper Shabbat Dinners have set a new standard for excellence in this most critical of quests – the establishing, deepening, and strengthen of the ties that make neighbours of our diverse communities, and witness to the great truth that we are all one earth ”sharing family.”

The Rev. Prof. Dr. James Taylor Christie, Ambassador Emeritus, Canadian Multifaith Federation.  Participant in several of the Asper Community Shabbats