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UpcomingUPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS

HH2016
Our Next Event
Celebrating Sukkot
Sunday, October 23rd,
2:30 to 4:15 p.m.,
Room 218 and Roof Sukkah, MNJCC

Spend Sunday afternoon with your Shir Libeynu family, celebrating Sukkot. Make your own lulav and etrog. Listen to stories about this harvest holiday. Fulfill the mitzvah of eating in the Sukkah on the roof top of the MNJCC. 

If you can, please bring something delicious (and nut/peanut-free) to eat or drink that can be shared. If not, please come anyway. 

This family-friendly event, like the Sukkah, is open to all.

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Upcoming Shabbat Morning Services (10:30 a.m., MNJCC, 3rd Floor)
A Kiddish Follows all Services:
 
Jacquie Buncel
Shabbat Morning Service and Holocaust Education Week  (HEW) Program: Saturday, November 5th, with member Jacquie Buncel reading from her collection of writings.  We will also honour survivors, their children & grandchildren, and the memory of our ancestors.
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Professor Yigal Nizri


Shabbat Morning Service: Saturday, November 19th **NEW**. First of our mid-month Shabbat services this year. Rabbi Goldberg will lead, and a children's program for those ages three to eight will take place.

After the kiddish "My Heart is in the Maghrib: Moroccan Cultural Revival in Israel."   An adult-education session with Professor Yigal Nizri of U of T's D epartment for the Study of Religion & 
Centre for Jewish Studies.  See more here.


Shabbat Morning Service: Saturday, December 3rd.  Rabbi Goldberg will lead, and a children's program for those ages three to eight will take place.

All Are Welcome



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SHIR LIBEYNU COMMUNITY
Board

Rabbi Goldberg: We Need You to Volunteer for Shir Libeynu's Board/and or other Group/Committee/Initiative!

 
Our little shul that could, and did, can only exist and thrive in the future with your volunteerism help. This year, if you are new to our shul, or if you have come only for High Holy Days services, or if you've attended for years but never really been involved, and for those of you interviewed in our Dialogue of last year, those of you age 18 or older -- think about becoming a board member. Help us to plan, create and implement programming for our families, our singles, our community. If your acumen is in fundraising and/or grant applications we could really use your assistance in obtaining funding so that we can find ways to open the door to our synagogue to more people whose financial situations are precarious.  You can help us create new projects and events, too. If you are wondering about the scope of the commitment from you for our hard-working board, an information meeting is taking place in early November for such purpose.  It's a way to get to know your shul, so please think about attending.  
 
And if the prospect of being on a board daunts you, because of its time commitment or for any other reason, become a vibrant volunteer for any of those tasks mentioned above.  We also need: assistance at our family holiday events, help at our Shabbat services and our bar/bat mitzvah events (Shir Libeynu All Year Long). This year, volunteer to reach out to people interested in seeing a movie or a piece of theatre together a couple of times a year. Volunteer to be part of the contemplative-chanting circle, or a Jewish reading club, a study group, for one or more of our teams that provide loving kindness (chesed) to the ill, or care for the dead and comfort for the bereaved , and more.
 
Last week, I was speaking with my cousin who had attended our Rosh Hashanah services for the first time. I was, of course, expecting her to wax eloquent regarding our incredible chazzan, Daniela, which she did, and to compliment our wonderful choir, which she did, and to praise with an abundance of accolades her beloved younger cousin, me, which she did not! But one of the things she did mention was that she found it refreshing to come into a synagogue on High Holy Days and not be hit over the head with requests for money, be it for the shul itself or for another Jewish organization. And I assured her that this was not something we do, rather as you may have noted, we emphasize that on the High Holy Days it is customary to give tzedakah and we leave it to you our members and congregants to decide how and where to allocate your charity. What I didn't tell her was that we do ask for, and what I am requesting of you here, is your participation, as a board member or volunteer.  
 
Before I end this pitch, I would like to share with you the following Hasidic anecdote, with which I ended our Erev Rosh Hashanah service, because I think it says it all: A young student came to his rebbe, his teacher, and he said, "Rebbe, I have to tell you I am terribly disappointed in God." "Really," said the rebbe, "and why is that?" "Why, I'll tell you why," said the student, "it took God six days, six days, to create the world, and look at it, it's terrible! Why doesn't God work a bit harder?" So the rebbe thought for a moment and said, "Tell me, could you do better?"  And the student, blurted out, "yes." "Well then," said the rebbe, "in that case, what are you waiting for? Start doing it!"
 
So, for those of you who can do better, for those of you who want us to do better, who wish to enhance what we do well already, for those of you who have ideas, who have critiques, who have a bit of time and a lot of energy, please do consider becoming a part of our board and/or volunteering for one of our events or groups in the coming year.  Write to: volunteer@shirlibeynu.ca indicating if you want to become part of our board or volunteer at one of our events in group in the coming year.
 
(This is an edited version of the message that Rabbi Goldberg gave from the bimah on Yom Kippur)
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Shabbat Services/Kiddish Helpers Needed
 
Are you a person who has been attending our Shabbat services and enjoying our kiddishes for years now, and often wonder: how can I help?  Or are you new to Shir Libeynu but see a place for yourself among other volunteers who assist in keeping this shul running, especially on Shabbos?  Are  you a person who can meet, greet, help with seating, attend to the needs of our elderly and disabled members in line for food, clean up after kiddishes?  If the answer to all or one of these is "YES," we need you at our Saturday morning Shabbat services and kiddishes, even if you can only attend one or a few of the upcoming: (Shir Libeynu All Year Long)  You will work with Harriet, the Shabbat coordinator, and our staff and other volunteers so you know what we need.  But you will be doing a big mitzvah for us, and we will thank you with unlimited (within reason) rugelah!  Write to: shabbatcoordinator@shirlibeynu.ca.  Click here for a further breakdown of the tasks involved (all or some).

We thank those who already help or have recently volunteered to do so.

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INTERESTED IN AN ADULT BAT/BAR MITZVAH?
 
April 15, 2017/5777 has been designated as the Shabbat service for those who would like to celebrate their Bat/Bar Mitzvah by chanting Torah as part of a group. R eading Hebrew is an asset, but for those who can't read Hebrew, and who want to be part of this, there is time to learn enough to be part of this group.  All members are welcome and we will work together
 
Depending on how many want to take part, each person will chant a couple of verses of the Torah portion (or more). It is an ideal situation for those who have not had the chance to become a Bat/Bar Mitzvah and who want to reaffirm their commitment to living a Jewish life in this way.
 
Barbara Cooper will coordinate the preparation for this celebration with those who wish to take part. Participants will study the Torah portion and learn how to chant. It can take six to eight weeks to prepare, depending on the number of people taking part. There are many variables, but Barbara will meet weekly with individuals/the group in February and March. There will be a small fee.
 
If you are interested, please be in touch with Barbara at adultbneimitzvah@shirlibeynu.ca  by November 1.
 
We will meet once in November to determine the form of the celebration and set the time frame for getting together prior to April 15.
 
HH16
HIGH HOLY DAYS 2016/5777

With Rabbi Aviva Goldberg and Chazzan Daniela Gesundheit leading us, and with a huge group of talented, dedicated volunteers, we celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year.  Whether it was new musical pieces alongside the cherished oldies from both our choir and other musicians, or Aviva's guiding us in dance on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and so much more, we felt involved and delighted. Our many children and teens contributed and charmed us with crafts, challas and enjoying the shofar sounds. Please look at our D'var Torah page to see how our rabbi, our chazzan this year and other members conveyed their insightful musings. Look for more pictures and perspectives in later newsletters.  And thank you to all who participated, attended and volunteered, especially to Rabbi Goldberg, Chazzan Gesundheit and this year's holiday coordinator, Jamie Flagal, our president (and leader of the children's service 
on Yom Kippur).

Chazzan Gesundheit (left) and Rabbi Goldberg (right) led our High Holy Days services with their usual grace and insight.
Photograph by Daniel Eisenkraft Klein
Our children made challah with Eden on second day of Rosh Hashanah



Newsletter Editor:  Harriet Eisenkraft
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Congregation Shir Libeynu
416-465-5488 | shirlibeynu@yahoo.ca | http://www.shirlibeynu.ca
 
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Congregation Shir Libeynu
Mailing Address: 
8171 Yonge Street # 122
Thornhill, Ontario   L3T 2C6
(416) 465-5488