In this Newsletter:
. Monthly Shabbat service and meditation November 6
. Step up to volunteer and help keep Shir Libeynu going!
. Cantor Wunch shares some ideas on how to make Chanukah a little brighter
. Chanukah dance, song and storytelling on December 5
. CSL Annual General Meeting on December 12
. Community events: HEW, Limmud Toronto and Shmita Project
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Hello all,
Welcome back to fall; the leaves are turning, and the board is turning our attention to planning for the next year. We are planning events for the winter months, including a celebration for Chanukah, a time of light and joy. (See Upcoming Events below for details.) Chanukah is early this year; it starts at the end of November. We want to continue to build back, and, at the same time, innovate and perhaps create new rituals for our congregation. We are confident that Cantor Wunch will lead us skillfully to do just that.
Thank you again to all the volunteers who made the High Holy Days so special. We truly are a congregation whose hearts are full of song. The musical talent at Shir Libeynu is amazing. Thanks also to all the readers, sermonizers, poets, tech folks and shofar blowers. A huge thank you to the people responsible for our new and beautiful website, especially to Dahlia Klinger and Lillian Radosevic. All of us together create community.
Shir Libeynu needs your help! We need new board members, people to help with education, rituals, and perhaps, sometime soon, Kiddush after services. We need your time, energy and resources. Please step up to help us keep Shir Libeynu going.
Our Venue Committee is busy working on finding space for our congregation when we can safely meet again in person. We hope this will be in January 2022. We are considering returning to the MNjcc for Shabbat services. We are also looking at the Wolfond Centre and Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church.
Board members have been attending anti-racism workshops provided by the Union for Reform Judaism in the US. The workshops have been excellent and we will be posting the resources on our new website soon.
Last, planning is underway for Shir Libeynu's Annual General Meeting. It will be a very exciting one, celebrating our 25th anniversary. See Upcoming Events below for details.
Wishing everyone health and peace,
Board of Directors
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Chanukah: Community, Camaraderie and Delight!
Chanukah begins at sundown on November 28. That warm, joyful, light-filled holiday that kids (and adults!) look forward to for months is just a few weeks away, and once again we find ourselves coming to terms with the idea that we will not be able to gather in person for our celebrations. When the pandemic began, we all scrambled to learn how to move our religious observances online, and many of us quickly adjusted to online services, online seders, and online learning. While these online ventures certainly haven’t been perfect, they have provided us with the ability to pray, celebrate, and learn together in ways that we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. I am grateful for the internet and how it has served to keep us connected during the past 20 months, but when it comes to Chanukah, I find myself saddened by the reality we are facing.
Chanukah, as we know, is not a major religious festival. It’s a home-based holiday, a family time. While there are some religious observances and specific liturgy connected to Chanukah, it’s not really a time where we focus on prayer and ritual, rather we turn our attention to community, camaraderie, and delight. I know that it is hard to think about another Chanukah online. I know that we yearn for the sights, sounds, and smells of our beautiful Chanukah parties. I know that, as soon as it is safe to do so, we will all gather for a big bash where we can sing, eat, hug, and be together… but in the meantime I wanted to offer you some ideas of how to make our second pandemic Chanukah a little warmer, a little brighter, a little more joyful.
A “twist” on Dreidel: Tradition says that we play dreidel on Chanukah as a nod to our ancestors who had to hide their Judaism from the Seleucids. If they saw Antiochus’ men approaching, the Jews would hide their Torah study and pretend to be playing dreidel instead. This year, why not extend the game-playing and have a trivia night online with family and friends? There are several websites where you can play games (there’s even online dreidel!) Just google “online dreidel” or “online trivia” and make a night of it!
Dedicate your Home: The word “Chanukah” literally means “dedication.” It's a reference to the re-dedication of the Temple after it was destroyed. Take some time to beautify and dedicate your home for the holiday. Whether that means putting up decorations, moving some furniture around, or even just some light cleaning, do something to make your space special and dedicate it to Chanukah.
Show us What You’ve Got: Many of us follow the tradition of putting our lit chanukiyah in the window every night of Chanukah. This tradition comes from the mitzvah of “Pirsumei D’Nisa,” or “publicizing the miracle.” We are instructed to share our light, share our beauty with others, so this year I invite everyone to snap photos of your home, your smiles, your Chanukah lights and share them in our Shir Libeynu Facebook group. Let’s share our miracles together.
Give Gelt: Chanukah is a perfect time to share with those in need. If you have a little extra gelt to share this year, make donating a part of your Chanukah celebration. Bring warmth and light to others, in any way that you can.
Don’t forget the Food: Whether you prefer savory latkes or sweet soufganiyot, food with oil is an essential part of any Chanukah celebration. This year, why not challenge yourself to try Chanukah food from Jewish communities around the world? Gulab Jamun from India, Keftes de Prasa from the Iberian Peninsula, Buñuelos from Latin America, Zengoula from Iraq, Sfenj from Morocco, Fritelle di Chanukah from Italy and many more treats can help to make your Chanukah delicious this year. All of these recipes can be found online, so give them a try (and let us know how it goes!)
And finally, at the end of the 8 days, please join us for our Congregation Shir Libeynu online Chanukah celebration. We wish we could all be together, but for now we will celebrate as best as we can and share the warmth and joy with each other.
B’ahavah,
Cantor C. Wunch
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Join us for Shabbat Toldot (generations) with a special D'var Torah delivered by Barry Birnberg on Saturday, November 6 at 10:30 am.
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Catch Your Breath Before the Service with Lorne Blumer
Before the service on November 6, from 9:30 to 10:15 am, join Lorne Blumer for “Meditation on Shabbat.” This is a very significant Shabbat for Lorne. To quote him: "Same parsha as from my bar mitzvah, so I'll be expecting a pen-and-pencil set and a fancy-looking watch that will stop working after a week." You need to register for this session separately. For registration details please email Lillian, our Administrator, at shirlibeynuadmin@gmail.com.
Abraham Joshua Heschel once described Shabbat as a “sanctuary in time.” Let’s see if we can cultivate a sense of exactly that as we near Shabbat services, catching our breath, finding some stillness, and working with meditation (guided and silent), shaped by the mood of the moment and ancient Jewish texts.
Lorne Blumer is a graduate of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s program in Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, who's often led meditation for the Shir Libeynu community.
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Chanukah Celebration
Sunday, December 5, 4:30 pm
Join us for a Zoom Chanukah Celebration with dance, song and storytelling, presented by our own Shoshana Fainsilber, Cantor Wunch and Eden Nameri. We will light the last candle together, sing Chanukah songs, dance out the holiday and listen to a Chanukah story. To quote Peter, Paul and Mary, "light one candle to find us together, with peace as the song in our hearts.”
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Shir Libeynu Annual General Meeting
Sunday, December 12, 11:00 am
Join us for our AGM, “25 Years: Looking Back and Looking Forward," and help us celebrate 25 amazing years! We will have interviews with original members, short talks by our Rabbi Emerita, Aviva Goldberg, and our Spiritual Leader, Cantor Wunch, and a slide show of Shir Libeynu through the years. It promises to be a great event.
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f you missed any of our past offerings or wish to view them again, below are the links:
Erev Rosh Hashanah service, September 6, 2021 click here.
Rosh Hashanah morning service, September 7, 2021 click here.
Rosh Hashanah Day 2 service, September 8, 2021 click here.
Kol Nidrei service, September 15, 2021 click here.
Yom Kippur Morning & Yizkor service, September 16, 2021 click here.
Neilah service, September 16, 2021 click here.
October 2 Shabbat service with Cantor Wunch click here.
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Holocaust Education Week 2021
This year HEW will be focusing on dispelling Holocaust distortion, myths and misinformation, launching on November 1.
Click here for registration and details.
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Limmud Toronto
Sunday, November 21 ONLINE
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Shmita Project
The MNjcc is partnering with Shoresh, Paperny Family JCC and Hazon to promote greater Shmita connection in Canada via Hazon's Shmita Prizes. Canadians are encouraged to make art inspired by Shmita and make submissions to the Shmita Prizes.
All submissions will be eligible to participate in the MNjcc's Virtual exhibit in Spring 2022. Submissions are due December 6, 2021. https://mnjcc.org/holidays.
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Congregation Shir Libeynu
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