Manitoba Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

The Honourable Anita R. Neville, P.C., O.M.

Chanukat HaBayit Dedication Ceremony

Remarks by

The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

CHANUKAT HA BAYIT (DEDICATION CEREMONY) AT CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK

Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 561 Wellington Crescent

Sunday, September 29, 2024, 4:00p.m.

(please check against delivery)

 

Friends and fellow Manitobans, it’s a pleasure to join you on this special day at this sacred place.

As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I am pleased to see a renovated Shaarey Zedek open its doors on Treaty 1 territory and the heartland of the Red River Metis. I acknowledge that Manitoba is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene, the Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation and the homeland of the Red River Métis and includes northern lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.

As Manitobans, we respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.

A healthy society is always engaged in acts of renewal – through education, inquiry, building and rebuilding.

After driving past a construction site here for the last year, it’s a pleasure to see the work that has gone into updating the home of Manitoba’s oldest Jewish congregation.

Any project to renovate a sacred space where generations have marked births and deaths, marriages and comings of age will have to balance respect for what has been with sensitivity to new needs.

Still, whether it’s a matter of removing construction materials that are no longer up to code, or improving accessibility for all, or updating wiring and communications connections, sometimes the past does need to be brought into the present. It’s very heartening to see how beautifully and sensitively that updating has been carried out here.

As a lifelong member of Winnipeg’s Jewish community – and as Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – I know that this building has played an important role in the life of this city and province since its doors were first opened. And it has been an important part of my life.

This renovation project will ensure that it continues to serve Congregation Shaarey Zedek – and enhance life in this province – for generations to come.

None of this would be possible without the financial support and leadership of donors and members of this congregation. To all who have made this possible, thank you for imagining what can be and for making it a reality.

Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom