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Supporting Heart to Heart; Setting new goals, and more from the CSL Board
Cantor Wunch on Israel, freedom and Passover
Upcoming B'Mitzvah and Baby Naming celebrations
An invitation from the Reform Cantors & Cantorial Soloists of Canada
Singing for Parkinsons with Paula Wolfson
Toronto’s premiere Jewish learning festival
and more...
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Board changes
The CSL board has been very busy these last few weeks. Rebecca Sugarman stepped down as President and Karen Lior has agreed to act as Interim President, supported by an Executive Committee of Karen Franklin, our treasurer and Leslie Wolfe, secretary. Rebecca will continue as a board member along with Lia Milito and Helen Spitzer.
Our board is small but mighty and there is still opportunity to join!, If you’d like to learn more about what being on the board entails, please contact Karen Lior.
Our next meeting is April 19.
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Setting goals
In addition to our regular meeting in April, the board is holding two planning sessions to determine how we most effectively work toward achieving the short and long term goals laid out by Cantor Wunch in her 2022 Annual Report which you can read in the January, 2023 newsletter, Cantor's Corner section. Those planning sessions will provide the board a road map for our work over the next year.
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Interfaith Outreach Grant - survey sent!
We are moving forward with the work on implementing our Interfaith Outreach Grant. A series of questions has gone out to CSL members who have self-identified as being in Interfaith families. This will help us gather information about why they joined CSL, what keeps their interest and how we can improve our services for and to these families.
If you are part of an interfaith family and would like to participate but did not receive the survey, please contact our administrator, Amanda.
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New High Holy Day prayer book search committee
Our new machzor search committee has met once, and has a second meeting scheduled. Members of this committee are currently reviewing options for a new High Holy Day machzor to replace the one we had that is now out of print. This work will lead to a recommendation to the board for a new High Holy Day machzor for the 2023 High Holy Days.
New B'Mitzvah info package
We are putting the finishing touches on a new B’Mitzvah information package which highlights the unique ways we make this life cycle simcha a meaningful experience for each family, along with requirements and current pricing.
If you are considering a B'Mitzvah for your child and would like to receive a copy, please contact our administrator, Amanda.
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Supporting Heart to Heart
We decided to once again sponsor Building Heart, the annual benefit for Heart to Heart. This program brings Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Jewish teenagers together in Ontario in the summer with the goal of breaking down barriers and building civil society.
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Chag Pesach Sameach!
And it’s Pesach, a new beginning. As Marcia Falk writes in her Haggadah, “Springtime, the earth is blossoming, why not we too? This is the time of opening, and …the first night of Pesach is a night of new beginnings. We tell and retell an ancient story, we discuss the meaning of the ritual and the meaning “beneath the surface of the ritual”.
We look for meaning, we talk about liberation, we yearn for peace.
Chag Pesach Sameach!
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Passover, freedom, Israel
Congregation Shir Libeynu is home to many different people with many different political views, especially when it comes to Israel. We have intentionally maintained an open-hearted approach which we hope has allowed everyone to feel comfortable expressing their views and sharing their thoughts and ideas. Recently, as events in Israel have taken a rather drastic turn, many of you have approached me to ask where I stand, where the community stands, and how as modern, liberal Jews, we can continue to support a state that seems to be rapidly turning away from modern, liberal politics. It is understandable that many of us are upset by what we are seeing and hearing, and it's hard to know the right way to respond.
Recently, a Canadian Jewish News podcast featured an interview in which a rabbi in Toronto expressed that the best way to support Israel is to let Israel figure out its own challenges. He suggested that we continue to support Israel, remain Zionist, and essentially stay out of the debates and trust the democratic process. He said that only those who live in Israel have the right to criticize and those of us living outside of Israel should only show support.
These statements were certainly disappointing. If Israel is indeed intended to be a home for all Jews and a light unto the nations, then how can we sit idly by and watch without action? Silence in the face of injustice is tacit agreement.
Congregation Shir Libeynu is a community that believes in standing up for our values, for making our voices heard, and ensuring that all people are treated with dignity, respect, and equality. We have never been quiet in the face of injustice, and I don't believe that we should be quiet about it now. This is not to say that we shouldn't support Israel. In fact, some would argue that supporting Israel means engaging in criticism and taking action when its government does not reflect the values we stand for. I believe that supporting Israel is a personal choice that each Jew needs to make for themselves. I also believe that if you love something, even a country, it is your responsibility to help it grow and thrive and become the best that it can be.
On April 2nd, as a part of Congregation Shir Libeynu’s Speaker Series, we will have the opportunity as a community to hear from the New Israel fund of Canada (NIFC), an organization whose entire mandate is helping Israel become the best that it can be.
Several years ago, I participated in a fellowship through the NIFC, which shifted both my awareness of and passion for this subject. I learned that there is a way to support AND help from the outside, and that Israel needs our voices as it struggles with its internal politics. Attached here is an article that I wrote while in that fellowship that can help to shed more light on my position. I am always open to conversations with any of you about these topics, so please share your thoughts and ideas with me.
As Passover approaches, as we think about our people's passage from slavery into freedom we also recognize freedom as being a state of justice for all. Hope to see you all on the 2nd, so that we can continue to learn and grow together.
Register here for the conversation with the Executive Director of the New Israel Fund scheduled for April 2nd, tentatively at 10:30 AM.
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Upcoming Jewish & Community Celebrations
All festivals begin at sundown on the first date, and end at sundown on the last date.
- Passover, April 5 - April 13
- Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 17- April 18
- Lag BaOmer, May 8 - May 9
- Shavuot, May 25 - May 27
For a complete list of Jewish dates of significance for 2023, click this link.
For summary information about any of these days, click this link.
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Please join the Shir Libeynu community on Saturday, April 1st at 10:30 AM, for our monthly Shabbat service being held in person at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNJCC), Room 318, and online via Zoom.
Masking required. If you feel at all unwell, please join us via Zoom.
The Zoom link, prayer book and supplemental materials will be emailed on Friday, March 31st. If you have not received this email by 2:00 PM, please email our Administrator Amanda at shirlibeynuadmin@gmail.com.
No registration is required. Please either come to the MNJCC, or join via Zoom.
We welcome new attendees!
If you know of anyone who wants to attend our services, please ask them to email our Administrator at shirlibeynuadmin@gmail.com.
Save the date - May Shabbat Service, Saturday, May 6th at 10:30 AM
This will be an extra special service as we will celebrate the B’Mitzvah of Leo Sussman. We will also officially bestow a Hebrew name upon the child of members Michael Winestock and Kirsi Hastings, sibling of big brother Jonah Winestock; grandchild of members Penny and Earl Winestock and step grandchild of member Lorne Gould. Join us in person or online so we can together wish these families a warm, Congregation Shir Libeynu mazal tov!
Did you know?
Did you know that you can find Shabbat and Havdalah start times as well as the weekly Torah portion on our website? To find this information, click this link.
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Are you interested in learning (more) about Torah?
Join Cantor Wunch on Tuesday, April 18th as she hosts an online conversation about a parsha from the Torah. No prior Torah experience necessary!
No registration required. Zoom link will be sent to all members prior to the date.
Save the date now for future Lunch & Learn Tuesdays:
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Sing a new Song
Join the new Reform Cantors & Cantorial Soloists of Canada (RCCC),
including Cantor Wunch
Thursday, April April 20th at 7pm
Come together with them in song as they:
- Launch their new organization
- Celebrate Israel’s 75th Anniversary and
- Raise funds for the protection of Israeli democracy
A portion of the proceeds from this concert will go to support IMPJ & IRAC Emergency Campaign (click the link to learn more about this important campaign raising funds to protect Israel's democracy; click here to learn about the IMPJ (Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism); click here to learn about IRAC (Israel Religious Action Centre.).
Register here to secure your spot!
General Admission $36
Reserved Seating $72
Online Attendance $18
Click here to view the full poster with all the details and participant names.
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Paula Wolfson sings for Parkinson’s and we are all invited!
Paula Wolfson, once dubbed “the Shabbat Chazzan” by Rabbi Emerita Aviva Goldberg, and a Dora Mavor Moore Award winning theatre artist is also the founder and conductor of Singing With Parkinson’s.
On Sunday, April 2nd, members are invited to enjoy the musical talents of Paula Wolfson and friends in support of Singing With Parkinson’s.
To attend, get your tickets via Buddies in Bad Times, or you can donate $25 at the door (cash/credit).
Sunday, April 2nd, 2PM, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre at 12 Alexander Street.
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Limmud Toronto festival of Jewish Learning
Toronto’s premiere Jewish learning festival
Sunday, April 30, 2023 – in person at UofT Faculty of Law and on Zoom
With over 40 speakers, authors, innovators and experts of all kinds, there is something for everyone!
Join in this full day of discussion and exploration with live entertainment, programs for children, a market place, a delicious catered lunch and an after party.
Tickets now on sale! Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.
Check out and share the Limmud Facebook Events Page!
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Limudniks Program
Limmud invites kids ages 5 to12 for their own full day of activities. There will be arts and crafts, music, live entertainment, outdoor activities and more!
A kosher lunch and snacks are included with the ticket.
Learn more and get your tickets here.
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Celebrating Shabbat in Song
Featuring Cantor Cheryl Wunch
This popular Friday afternoon program returns to the Miles Nadal JCC this spring! Celebrate Shabbat in person with our community, and enjoy a Jewish-themed concert, a participatory Shabbat ceremony, and some traditional kosher treats. May’s musical guest is Cantor Cheryl Wunch. Presented in partnership with Congregation Shir Libeynu and Grodzinski Bakery.
Friday May 19
1:00-2:30pm
In person – Miles Nadal JCC
Admission: $5.00
Spaces are limited. Advance registration is required by May 5.
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For registration assistance, please call the Miles Nadal JCC Information Desk at 416-924-6211 x0 or email help@mnjcc.org
For program information, please contact Lisa Roy (she/her): 416-924-6211 x6155; lisar@mnjcc.org
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