Find out what’s been happening in the folk dance community in Ontario.
Send us news that you would like to share with others. News items can be sent to: TheOfdaTimes@gmail.com
As of August 2025
Meet Rita Winkler, one of our talented DANI participants! Her book, artwork, and handmade cards will be available at our new gift store, opening August 24!
Alongside Rita’s beautiful creations, you’ll find handcrafted jewellery, one-of-a-kind Judaica, holiday and hostess gifts, candy trays (COR certified), and so much more.
Sunday, August 24, 2025
10 AM – 3 PM
401 Magnetic Drive, Unit 25, Toronto
Ribbon cutting, refreshments, exclusive promotions, and more!
https://store.dani-toronto.
As of February 2025
As of December 2024
On November 30, Riki and Stav Adivi hosted an afternoon party at their home, featuring a concert by eight musicians of Nizo Alimov’s excellent band. They played an eclectic range of music, with a good deal of (folk) dancing opportunity in the mix. Around 5 p.m. the band took a break and 45-50 people socialized while enjoying a generous spread of potluck snacks, after which an additional short session of live music was followed by recorded folk dance tunes and more dancing. It was a great way to spend the last day of November!
Perhaps, you noticed that Judith Cohen was missing from the October 26 OFDA 55th Anniversary Party. Well, here’s her explanation of why:
“That day, I’ll be toward the end of my Brazil trip and will be singing in a shared concert for Kleztival, in São Paulo, with four other singers, all Brazilian Jewish, from Morocco, Syria and one Ashkenazi.”
The Brazil trip followed an interesting summer, and from a September/24 email, below are a couple of highlights of her time in Europe:
“I taught a Balkan dance workshop at a Spanish festival in a very small town two weeks ago! I chose very simple dances partly because they were beginners and partly because my neuropathic legs don’t allow me to do jumping sorts of things. But I had the best live music – my daughter and her band, who had just performed at the festival the previous evening. What the organizer never mentioned till the last minute – literally – was that a group of people with various physical, mental and psychological challenges had been signed up by their counsellor for it. Had there been time I’d have consulted Helen[Winkler]! But there wasn’t. In the end they loved it. We just had 90 minutes; we did Alunelul – first clapping the foot stamps all the way through – and a couple of basic lesnotos, and Tamar demonstrated Jove Malaj Mome. They didn’t want to leave!”
Also, while in Spain Judith accepted a last-minute invitation to Sardinia, to give a Holocaust related concert outside a 6th century church in a small village of 450 people. There she learned the basic local dance from the village accordionist who closed his shop to help teach it to her. (See the video below.)
As of September 2024 ...
Adam Kossowski writes: “Hello Folk Dancers – We enjoyed another good season of summer folk dancing on the Hamilton Waterfront. Despite the thunderstorm warnings the first evening and heavy downpour prior to the second evening, we did not cancel, and average attendance per evening was 30 over the 4 evenings. We handed out HIFDC flyers to passers-by who joined the circle.”
Photo taken on July 26 by Patrick Vuurman.
Paula Tsatsanis writes: “Dorothy [Archer] and I will be starting our blind folk dancing classes on October 1st. News and interest has spread in the blind community about our classes and Veronica Berrios from the CNIB would like to offer folk dancing to the blind community in the Richmond Hill and Hamilton area. She is looking for a volunteer folk dance teacher. She will provide the room and snacks/snack budget. If anyone in the folk dance community is interested please let me know.”
A DONATION from Janet Horowitz…With thanks to Judy and Walter for leading us in folkdancing in the park this summer and providing many hours of relaxation and joy.
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As of July 17, 2024 ...
Karen Bennett has moved to Dundas, Ontario and will be dancing with the Hamilton group. She reports that people should use her gmail address (bennettke035@gmail.com) for email.
Thank you to Stella Chung for your generous donation to OFDA!
From Helen Winkler: This is a fun little offshoot to my series on the Porcupine Advance. I made the acquaintance of a local artist, Meichen Waxer, who also has family from Northern Ontario and is Jewish. She was putting together an art installation to represent the Northern Ontario Jewish community and she is using the flour container from my grandmother’s kitchen cabinet as a central element in the art installation. The official opening party will be on June 23rd at the Fenster Gallery. I think my grandmother would be pretty happy to see her flour container occupying a central role in a downtown Toronto Art exhibit. This is the link: https://fentster.org/#/relate-
Condolences to the family of OFDA member Alisa Schwartz, who passed away in mid-April. For those who knew her, here is the obituary notice from Steeles Memorial Chapel: https://steelesmemorialchapel.com/condolence/aliza-alisa-schwartz/
As of March 20, 2024...
Long-time folk dancer and OFDA member, Florence Shulman, died March 5th at the age of 93. She danced for many years at Sandy Starkman’s classes.
Pauline Hill died early in March at the age of 94. She was very active through the years, and helped with the magazine production in 1972. A faithful OFDA member, she began dancing at the University Settlement House and was a member of its performance group. Most recently she danced with Olga Sandoloowich.
Chris Linge Macdonald and Walter Zagorski appeared in Chelsea Moor Castle (or, The Contract to Marry) presented by the North Toronto Players in March. It was a musical comedy in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan. The production was well-received by the audience.zx
As of February 1, 2024...
Thanks to web designer Noemi Adorjan for her kind assistance in creating The OFDA Times page! In the absence of our long-running magazine, we hope that The OFDA Times webpage will fill the void, to some degree. Thanks, as well, for the proofreading services of Blima Dreeser, Rachel Gottesman and Kalina Serlin.
Toronto folk dancer, Cornelia Nita, migrated to Canada some years ago from Romania. Late in November/23 she returned to be closer to her sister, and hopes to find dancing once she settles in.
Travelling: in early December Murray & Lavinia Forbes set off to the Red Sea Coast of Egypt to attend a (Greek) workshop given by Kyriakos Mosidis. Riki and Stav Adivi went to Israel after hosting the ofda New Year’s Party at their home.
Fifty happy dancers welcomed 2024 at the home of Riki and Stav Adivi. Riki presented an enjoyable program, Walter Zagorski did the countdown to midnight and the rest was up to those present. Thanks to the hosts for a memorable evening.
Toronto dancer Rachel Gottesman who had hip replacement surgery in early December, followed by revision surgery in late January, is doing well but won’t be seen on the dance floor for a while.
The following report is from Helen Winkler, whose brother-in-law entered Rita’s museum exhibit and her website into a awards competition… ”The Muse Award is a globally renowned competition, celebrated for its recognition of outstanding achievements in creative design, advertising, and digital media. Drawing in over 100,000 entries annually, the awards are a testament to the pinnacle of creative excellence across various categories. Ritawinkler.art was entered in the category of website design, with a particular emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In addition, Rita’s June 2022 exhibit at the Lake of the Woods Museum and Douglas Family Art Centre @themusekenora located in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, was also entered in the exhibition category. We won silver in both categories! Visit @themusekenora to see the unboxing of their award. Thank you to all who have supported Rita’s art journey and who have worked so hard in these endeavours!”
Helen’s celebratory video can be seen here.
Thank you to Karen Teasdale for a most generous donation to OFDA!