July 16, 2020 / 24 Tamuz, 5780
Erev Shabbat candle lighting: 8:51 pm
Havdalah: 9:58 pm
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Rabbi Hannah's Weekly Reflection
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Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet: R' David Cooper,
Teacher of Jewish Meditation
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A great Jewish Renewal teacher, Rabbi David Cooper, died last Shabbat afternoon, as peaceful a death as one could hope for, held by his wife and a Taoist hospice nurse, and by beloveds and students praying, chanting and meditating virtually close by. His dear friend Rabbi Phyllis Berman writes of Rabbi David Cooper, z”l’s legacy: He taught us that “knowing the Truth comes from direct experience.” By teaching us to quiet our minds and trust the profundity of what simply
is,
in every present moment, David Cooper opened the way for living in direct experience.
So many of us take solace in a form of meditative practice, particularly during this pandemic. For us, Jewish Meditation is a real choice within the spectrum of authentic Jewish paths, but this did not always seem so in the modern North American Jewish milieu. It is important to recognize that the teacher we have lost this week is one of the first to offer workshops and prolonged Jewish meditation retreats, introducing the modalities of silence and contemplation to many Jewish seekers, 20 and 30 years ago.
At the end of his teaching career in 2014, David Cooper reminisced: “When we first started offering a seven-day silent retreat, the knee-jerk response was, ‘It’s not Jewish.’ Being quiet like that, that’s not Jewish, that’s an Eastern thing that has nothing to do with our world here in the West. That, slowly, over time, has shifted.”
He, and his wife Shoshana Cooper, gathered back Jews who could not find a home in antiseptic liberal synagogues. With his study of world wisdoms and his deep affinity for Kabbalistic text, David Cooper has been termed the father of JuBu. His most famous work is a small book of meditative practices called
God is a Verb
(over 125,000 copies in print) –
the
book on Jewish meditation I would urge you to read.
A number of years ago, Rabbi Cooper was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Characteristically, he reported feeling a sense of liberation in the diagnosis, permission to let go of his mission, and just be. In an interview with Jay Michaelson in the
Forward
, he said: “I don’t have to come up with wise commentary any more… Interestingly, once we got the diagnosis, I felt liberated. [Now] you’ll do exactly what you want to be doing — and I’m still discovering what that is.” “I have benefited in being able to take a diagnosis that doesn’t sound too optimistic and to see the possibilities it opens. That’s not because of my personality, it’s because of the practice.”
May we honour the memory of this great sage of our time by engaging in those practices that promote our internal harmony and acceptance, allowing us to see life through different eyes.
So-doing is a great investment, not only in our fuller appreciation of the life we’re living right now, but also in our future resilience.
Hamakom yenachem, and Shabbat shalom.
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Tonight Rabbi Shefa Gold will lead a series of Rabbi Cooper’s chants in a tribute at 5:00 pm Pacific.
Join via
Zoom. Meeting ID: 815 976 0138 Password: 270959.
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Friday, July 24, 5:30 pm
Join us for a family friendly Erev Shabbat on Friday, July 24. We are blessed to be able to gather outdoors in one of our beautiful parks for our first in-person, socially distanced gathering. Our picnic is an opportunity to see and engage with one another from a safe distance, while respecting each others' personal and group bubbles.
Registration is requi
red and we can only accommodate up to 49 people. Covid protocols are shared on the registration page. Please register
here
by noon Friday July 24
(password: Shalom). Feel free to contact Tanya with any questions
programs@ors
halom.ca.
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Join us for online screenings of prize-winning short Israeli films followed by a lively discussion with several other synagogues!
The series is offered on the following Mondays at 4:00 pm (PDT):
- July 27 - The film "Pinchas" focusing on Russian immigration to Israel
- August 10 - The film "Blessed" focusing the Mizrachi (eastern) culture in Israel
- August 24 - The film "Cleaning Time" focusing on The Ethiopian Jewish experience in Israel
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Tisha B’Av
Lamentations and the Shoah
Destruction of a Third Temple
By reciting the names of lost ancestors perhaps we can shine a light on the impact of our People’s most recent devastations, and in that light find some measure of healing.
In preparation for this year’s Tisha B’Av service we are asking the Child Survivors, the Second and Third Generation Shoah Survivors in our Or Shalom community to come forward at this time and share the names of your loved ones. If you don’t know their names, share their relationships to you. Those names will be woven into the recitation of the Lamentations.
And as we gather these precious names, may we increase our empathy with the pain and horrors perpetrated against our Indigenous Peoples, our empathy with racialized minorities and peoples of colour, and our sensitivity to all marginalized peoples.
We are collecting names
here
and look forward to your participation in our memorial on
Wednesday evening, July 29, 8PM via
Zoom.
Meeting ID: 849 1204 8312; Password: 615230. Please submit names by
July 20.
With blessings from The Tisha B’Av Group:
Mary Adlersberg
Marianne Rev
Deborah Ross-Grayman
Henry Ross-Grayman
Rabbi Hannah Dresner
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Friday July 17 to Thursday July 23
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Men's Torah Study Group
- led by Frank Segal
Friday, July 17,
9:00 am
Parashat Matot - Mas'
ei /
פרשת מטות־מסעי
Numbers/Bamidbar Ch. 30:2 - 36:13
Big Question: How to understand the massacre of the Midianites.
Join via
Zoom. Meeting ID: 892 7010 9069; Password: 572724
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Prayers for Healing,
Tehillim
for the Human Family
- led by John Fuerst
Friday, July 17,
1:00 pm
Reciting
Tehillim
for the sick is a traditional practice.
Join John to chant or sing Psalms, or to sit quietly, sending healing intentions. Psalms are available in Hebrew and English
here
.
Join via
Zoom
.
Meeting ID: 873 2214 6883; Password: 200901
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Erev Shabbat Candle Lighting
- led by Rabbi Hannah
Friday, July 17,
6.00 pm
Candle lighting, Kiddush, and Motzi led by Rabbi Hannah.
Join via
Zoom
. Meeting ID: 826 4524 7744. Password: 712461
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Shabbat Morning Service
led by Rabbi Hannah and Community Members
Saturday, July 18, 10:00 am
Parashat Matot - Mas'
ei /
פרשת מטות־מסעי
Shabbat Mevarchim Chodesh Av
P’sukai D’zimra led by Tiferet Welch
Shacharit led by Rabbi Hannah
Torah Reader - Avril Orloff
Blessing for the month of Av
Taking Time for Grief: in the advent of Tisha B’Av, break-out-group discussions introduced with a teaching by Rabbi Hannah
Healing Prayer
Meeting ID: 840 8557 0047
Password: 609505
NOTE:
please have your Siddur Eit Ratzon in hand
there will be no shared screen liturgy
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Virtual Evening Minyan
- led by Rabbi Hannah
Sunday, July 19,
7:00 pm
For a transliterated and translated weekday evening liturgy, please click
here
(pg 69 to 125).
Join via
Zoom
. Meeting ID: 869 8675 6931. Password: 291406
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Climate-friendly Nutritious Food
There are many ways that we can each lower our carbon footprint. One significant way is choosing climate-friendly nutritious food.
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It's Almost Membership Renewal Time
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Next week you will receive a Special Doar with instructions on how to renew your membership, as well as how to become a member if you are new to Or Shalom. Stay tuned!
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Annual Campaign Generosity
We are wrapping up the Annual Campaign in July. If your family would like to join the 115 others and donate, please do so online at
www.orshalom.ca/campaign/
. If you would like to have a conversation about your Or Shalom experience with one of the campaign canvassers, please contact Roslyn Kunin, Campaign Chair by email at
rkunin@telus.net
or by phone at 604-736-0783.
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Offering greetings to one another at the JCC has always been a beloved aspect of our communal celebration of Rosh Hashanah. We want to continue the tradition, offering blessings one family to another, even during Covdi-19.
Please participate in the Or Shalom Good Yontif Video, to be woven into one of our virtual Rosh Hashana services!
There are two ways to take part in the Good Yontif Video:
1. Send in a picture of your family and the wording of a brief greeting.
OR
2. Send us a 10 second video your family's oral greeting.
For example ;-)
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Shana Tova from Ross, Rabbi Hannah and daughter Adele
Please upload
here
by Friday, August 14 before Shabbat. At that time we will begin our editing magic.
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- A donation was made by Reva Malkin to the Rabbi's Benevolent Fund in Honour of Sheryl Sorokin and Hillel Goelman for their many years of friendship in Or Shalom. We are going to miss you so much.
- A donation was made by Shel Nathanson and Wendy Rigby to the Rabbi's Benevolent Fund in commemoration of the yarhzeit of their mothers Yoseff (Minnie) z"l and Nora z"l.
- A donation was made by Miriam Eguchi to the Or Shalom Community Fund in In appreciation of Sheryl Sorokin and Hillel Goelman.
- Thank you to Dave Kauffman and Martin Gotfrit for their technical support during the July 11 Mincha service.
- Thank you to the cemetery committee for their recent administrative and site work.
- Thank you to Michael Corber for preparing and emailing August's digital Yahrzeit reminder letters to members.
- Thank you to the Tisha B'Av working group for their preparation for the upcoming Tisha B’Av service.
- Thank you to the Gemilut Chesed Working Group and to our Covid-19 volunteers for their ongoing support.
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Your tax-deductible
donation to Or Shalom
can be used to honour an accomplishment or life event, say thank you for a mitzvah or job well-done, or remember a loved ones passing.
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The membership committee's
Getting to Know You
interview series is an opportunity for Or Shalomniks to get to know one another and learn about the fascinating stories and knowledge our community has to offer.
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If you wish to help support folks in need, please complete the volunteer
form
at this link. Your community will be very grateful.
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Erev Shel Kochavim: An Evening of Stars
ALEPH Virtual Cabaret
ALEPH'S BIGGEST SUMMER FUNDRAISER!
Date: THIS SUNDAY: July 19th
Time: 7 pm EDT/ 4 pm PST
Welcome and Centering | 6:45 - 7:15 pm EDT / 3:45 - 4:15 PST
Cost: Pay-what-you-can
Featuring the best and brightest teachers and performers from the ALEPH Movement, the ALEPH Virtual Cabaret is our biggest summer fundraiser. Emceed by Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit and Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael. For details and online registration, click
here
.
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JFS Emergency Care Hotline
9:00 am – 9:00 pm,
7 days a week.
JFS is here to help! If you or a loved one need support you can contact us in any of the following ways:
604-558-5719
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Hebrew Free Loan Association of Vancouver
Coronavirus Emergency Loan
Helps support individuals with financial challenges caused by the Coronavirus.
Maximum Loan Amount Available: $2,000
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Have something to post in the Doar?
Just fill in this
handy web-form
to included
your article
in future editions of the Doar Shalom, Or Shalom's weekly e-newsletter.
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