Doar Shalom: November 26, 2020 / 10 Kislev, 5781
Candle lighting 4:00 pm
Havdalah: 5:11 pm
Parashat Vayetzei / פרשת וַיֵּצֵא
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Rabbi Hannah's Weekly Reflection |
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The First Kiss in Torah
adapted from a homily by Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson
“And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice, and wept.” How many people do you know who weep with their first kiss?
Midrash teaches that Jacob cried because, in that visionary moment, he sees that while he is buried in the cave of Machpelah, with his ancestors, Rachel will be buried by the side of a road leading out of Judea. He weeps because they will be separated in death. But Rabbi Mimi Feigelson intuits an even more poignant revelation – she teaches that, in the moment of his kiss, Jacob realizes he loves this woman so much that he will never let her cry alone. By way of his tears, Jacob says, “I love you in this world; I love you in the world to come. I love your heart and faith. I love your devotion to your children unborn and unnamed. I love your belief in the power of prayer and the Torah-of-the-Tear. I love every tear you will ever shed. And I promise: you will never cry alone.”
Kissing Rachel for the first time, Jacob sees her future sorrow, his tears foreshadowing the verse in Jeremiah that speaks of the matriarch lamenting the exiles of Israel: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children.” And Jacob’s tears promise: “I will witness and kiss each and every one of your tears. And I will cry with you for eternity, until the last of our children comes home.”
I am moved by Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi’s blessing: “May we merit such love.”
And may we merit to see the end of all tears.
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Upcoming Programs and Services
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See our new Event Calendar for details and Zoom links for upcoming programs, services, and events.
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Saturday, November 28, 10 am, Shabbat Morning Service (Parshat Vayetzei)
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Saturday, December 5, 10 - 11 am, Contemplative Shabbat Morning Prayer (Parshat Vayishlach)
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Saturday, December 12, 10 am, Shabbat Chanukah (Parshat Vayeshev)
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Saturday, December 19, 10 am, Simchat Mitzvah of Callum Whyte (Parshat Miketz)
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Saturday, December 26, 10 - 11 am, Contemplative Shabbat Morning Prayer (Parshat Vayigash)
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Happenings:
Friday November 27 to Thursday December 3
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Friday, November 27
1:00 pm
Friday Tehillim
- led by John Fuerst.
This Friday we will daven the five psalms for healing, Psalms 20, 30, 121, 130 and 142. As we daven the psalms, we will take advantage of Reb Zalman’s practice for visualizing a psalm, for entering the heart of a psalm. Psalms are available in Hebrew and English here.
Join via Zoom. Meeting ID: 873 2214 6883; Password: 200901
6:00 - 6:30 pm
Erev Shabbat Candle Lighting
- led by Reb Laura Duhan-Kaplan and Charles Kaplan.
Candle lighting, Kiddush, Motzi. Erev Shabbat blessings are available here.
Join via Zoom. Meeting ID: 818 0960 0611; Passcode: 596093
Saturday, November 28
9:00 - 11:00 am
Shabbat Morning Service
Parshat Vayetzei
P’suaki D'zimra - Nomi Fenson
Shacharit - Harriet Frost
Torah Service - Rabbi Hannah Dresner
Torah Reader - Heidi Mannis
Closing - Tiferet Welch
Zoom Shamash - Tyche Smith
Join via Zoom. Meeting ID: 810 4690 4137; Passcode: 050826
Sunday, November 29
2:30 - 5 pm
B'Yachad
- with Matthew Gindin and Harriet Frost
For registered Simchat-Mitzvah students.
7:00 - 7:30 pm
Virtual Evening Minyan
- led by Rabbi Hannah.
For a transliterated and translated weekday evening liturgy, please click here (pg 69 to 125).
Join via Zoom. Meeting ID: 869 8675 6931; Passcode: 291406
7:30 pm
Chanting and Chocolate
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You're invited to join Chanting and Chocolate with the Vancouver Band.
Join via Zoom. Meeting ID: 850 8730 5152; Passcode: 023305.
Thursday, December 3
12:30 - 2:30 pm
Women's Heart Centered Torah Study
- led by Dael Adams Segal.
Parashat Vayishlach "And He Sent" / פרשת וַיִּשְׁלַח
4:00 - 5:30 pm
Bright Lights
- with Matthew Gindin
For registered students (ages 6-9)
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Darkness: A Koreh Open Mic
In the midst of this winter darkness, we invite stories that emerge from this period of gestation, slow becoming, and generative solitudes. For some of us this is a dark night of the soul, for others a time for an intensified interiority and its magic. We also welcome the darkly humorous, the absurd and the nonsensical aspects of journeying through this time.
Online application for a slam spot is required by Monday, December 14; notifications will go out on Friday, December 18.
No registration is required to attend this event, all are welcome.
Meeting ID: 851 6908 0043
Passcode: 190099
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Getting Ready for Chanukah! |
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Can You Guess Who's Singing?
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Come and Join the Or Shalom Virtual Choir |
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Tired of singing alone in the shower?
The audio track of is coming along nicely, but is still short of voices. Hurray, sign up now to add your voice to the Chanukkah Choir!
Feel free to contact Tanya with any questions. xo
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Save the dates in your calendar for these exciting events!
Chanukah, our eight-day festival of light at the darkest time of the year, reminds us that it is our human task to kindle and foster hope and to tend the lights that warm and nurture our world. In the spirit of this holiday and in the spirit of our name, Or Shalom - Light of Peace, we reach out, each year, to honour the work of individuals who inspire, setting examples of resilience, sensitivity, and action as we seek avenues of tikkun - repair. Judaism mandates that a house of worship be built with windows so that we share the joys and sorrows of the greater community, so that we maintain connection and build bridges of cooperation and dialogue. We aspire to keep our window open wide, giving and receiving a flow of the light we all share as one humanity.
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You are invited to Chanukah Candle Lighting and Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Hannah Dresner, Martin Gotfrit, and Wendy Rubin.
Please have your Siddur Et Ratzon in hand.
Join via Zoom. Meeting ID: 893 7422 4083
Passcode: 448230
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Join Noah Gotfrit and Trio for a magical evening of Jazz with candle lighting for Chanukah.
Accompanied by Brad Shigheta on trombone and Don Ogilvie on guitar, The Noah Gotfrit Trio will perform original music and arrangements in a swingin’ style, exploring the possibilities within a guitar, bass, and trombone trio while embracing swing, blues, tradition, and trying to make some joyful noise.
Saturday,December 12, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions this concert will only be available by live-stream on youtube. You will receive a youtube link with your ticket purchase.
Tickets are $18 or pay-what-you-can-afford.
Purchase your tickets here.
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Rays of Hope, Part 1 & Part 2 |
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Shining a Light on Bonnie Klein and Seth Klein
Rays of Hope honours mother and son, Bonnie Klein and Seth Klein, for setting examples of resilience, sensitivity, and action, for their contributions towards tikkun - repair, and for inspiring others.
Part 1: Chanukah Light is suited for families with young children and starts with Bonnie Klein reading from her new book "Beep Beep Bubbie", Shining a Light on sensitivity to aging, and includes candle lighting at 7:30 pm.
Part 2: Shining a Light on Climate Justice starts at 7:30 pm with candle lighting and follows with an adult oriented talk by Seth Klein on his new book "A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency", arranged by the Tikkun Olam Working Group.
Meeting ID: 843 5551 1902
Passcode: 124175
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Sunday Dec 13, 7:30 pm
There will be no book club this evening. Please click here for details on the Chanukah celebration, featuring Seth Klein.
The next book club will be on Sunday January 10, 2021 at 7:30 pm on "A GOOD WAR: MOBILIZING CANADA FOR THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY" by Seth Klein.
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“Once emergencies are truly recognized, what seemed politically impossible and economically off-limits can be quickly embraced.” Seth Klein
A Good War is Canada’s blueprint for effectively tackling the climate crisis, transitioning to a zero-carbon society, and making these transformations in just and equitable ways.
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Klein holds that the technology is largely ready to go, but what’s missing is the political will. He uses the example of how Canada rose to the challenges of World War II to demonstrate our country’s ability to act forthrightly and creatively in crisis. Importantly, Klein also discusses what the Second World War can teach us about reducing social inequality in the face of a crisis and the crucial role Indigenous people have played in both our wartime efforts and our current battles on climate change.
Click here for ways to get the book, ebook, or audiobook.
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As in past years, Or Shalom is conducting a winter giving project which involves donating $10 gift cards to needy people in our neighbourhoods. These cards are redeemable for food at McDonald's restaurants.
As in the past, OrShniks are invited to participate in this worthwhile tzedaka opportunity. We will purchase the cards and distribute them on your behalf.
Donations received before 01 Jan 2021 will qualify for 2020 CRA tax receipts and be greatly appreciated by the recipients, especially in these challenging times of Covid-19. You can make an online donation to the East Side Fund at Or Shalom's online donation page, either by cheque or by credit card.
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This is an online parent-led group which meets monthly on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm. Sometimes we study together, sometimes we just talk.
The next meeting takes place on December 3.
Email Matthew Gindin at learning@orshalom.ca for more information, including future dates and times.
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A donation was made by John MacDonald to the Building Fund.
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- Thank you to Frank Segal for organizing the Men's Torah Study Group on November 20.
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Thank you to John Fuerst for leading Friday Tehillim on November 20.
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Thank you to Rabbi Susan Shamash for leading the Shabbat Morning Torah Study on November 21, and thank you to Tyche Smith for providing Zoom tech support.
- Thank you to Rob Hebron for carrying out a mitzvah for the community.
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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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Our sincere apologies if your name has inadvertently been missed. We still love you and appreciate all that you do! Please don't hesitate to contact the office office@orshalom.ca about an omission. We promise to acknowledged you in the next Doar.
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Rabbi Hannah and Ross endorse these programs with enthusiasm! |
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Dear Or Shalom Friends,
Due to the pandemic, Yael and I have not had the chance to visit you this year. We think of you frequently, and we're grateful for the occasional opportunities to be in touch from our living room in the Northern California. Also due to the pandemic, the organization I serve in San Francisco, Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, is offering one of our premier grief support programs online this year. Grief and Growing™, which Ross and Yael have both helped to run in years past, will take place via Zoom. So the bar is now much lower for Or Shalom members to participate.
Grief and Growing™ is a clinically-based, holistic, Jewish healing program uniquely designed to help individuals and families attend to their losses in community. Participants typically gain tangible support, comfort, and new tools in mourning for someone significant who has died.
There are two programs on offer this winter, one for adults, attending as individuals, couples, or families, and one specifically for families including participants 5-18 years old. Each program begins Saturday night and continues on Sunday:
Adult Program -- February 6-7, 2021
Applications are due November 30 at 5pm for the February adult program (apologies for the short notice). A $30 processing fee is due at the time of application.
Redwoods Program (Families with participants 5-18 years old) -- March 6-7, 2021
Applications are due by December 30, 2020 at 5:00pm. A $30 processing fee per family is due at the time of application.
This Grief and Growing™ link will take you to more information and the applications for the two respective programs. Space is limited, to allow us to provide individual attention and support to every participant.
If you have any questions, feel free to call the Healing Center at +1-415-750-3436.
Warmly,
Rabbi Natan Fenner
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Germantown Jewish Centre is pleased to present vocalist and composer
ANTHONY RUSSELL
CONVERSATION, COMMUNITY, AND CONNECTIONS
Saturday, December 5 at 7:00 PM [EST]
See here for more details.
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While we are not in the business of accepting donations of property, we have four amazing families moving into new housing and could use your help.
We are currently accepting donations for new or very gently used furniture and household items, listed below. We are accepting donations until November 30th, with pickup to be arranged the first week of December. Photos of items will need to be provided in advance for consideration and next steps.
Client 1: Sofa (2 seat)
Client 2: Sofa (2 seat), kitchen table, chairs, shelving, a twin bed, kids desk, night stand table, lamp, and storage options for the wardrobe.
Client 3: Kitchen table and chairs (6), couch (2 seat), arm chair, end table, lamps, tv stand, coffee table, 1 bunk bed, 2 single beds, 4 dressers for boys, 4 lamps, and vacuum cleaner.
Client 4: Couch (2 seat), and a twin bed.
If you or someone you know has any of these items, please contact Jessica at jbertrand@jfsvancouver.ca by November 30th. All donations will be subject to approval based on need. We greatly appreciate your support!
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ALEPH Affiliated and Network Communities Programming |
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The ALEPH Network is an alliance of organizations, individuals, shuls, and more at the vibrant cutting edge of Judaism. We value heart-and-soul-centered experience, and we integrate and evolve spiritual technologies to serve the needs of today and tomorrow.
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Becoming a Welcoming Community for Jews of Color, by SooJi Min Maranda
Sunday, December 6, 2020 at 12:00 PM ET (noon), 9:00 AM PST
COST: Free to attend as a member of an ALEPH Affiliated or Network Community
Share your experiences in welcoming Jews of Color into your communities. Ask SooJi Min-Maranda, ALEPH’s Executive Director, questions about building a multicultural, multiracial community. Hear about some of the challenges SooJi faced entering Jewish community as a JOC, convert, and the only Jew in her family.
SooJi Min-Maranda is a Korean American Jew by Choice and the executive director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. Whether providing direct services, advocating for policy change, or fundraising for nonprofit organizations, SooJi begins with personal narratives that illustrate the need for programs, policies, and resources that raise the voices of those underserved and underrepresented in mainstream society.
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