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Milibeynu מלבנו
From our Heart
September, 2023
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New Torah
Submission of names for Yizkor service
Membership renewal & High Holy Days - deadline approaches
Selichot and a very special b'mitzve
And more...
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A new Torah!
Over the past few months, the board has been working on finding a new Torah for our congregation. We are deeply grateful to Thunder Bay's Shaarey Shomayim Congregation for their generous donation. Watch for further information about celebrating our new arrival!
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Membership & High Holy Day services
Our Pay What You Can membership contribution model, first introduced last year, will continue for the coming year. This model is intended to support programming costs while providing a welcoming community for all who wish to join, regardless of means.
Your contribution ensures that we are able to continue to offer high quality, low barrier, and inclusive programming throughout the year. Please give generously.
Prior to completing your membership renewal form, please review the 2023-24/5784 Pay What You Can Membership Contribution Guide for updates and changes.
Once you have reviewed the Membership Contribution Guide, renew your membership! Click this link for our online, updated and improved membership enrolment form.
If you have any problems completing the form, please contact our administrator, Amanda.
Once we have received your membership information, and payment, we will send you the High Holy Day and child care reservation form.
We must receive membership renewal forms and High Holy Day seat reservations no later than September 1, 2023.
Yizkor service
If you would like the name of a loved one read out at this year’s Yizkor service, please submit their name to Amanda no later than September 1, 2023.
Will you be at Rosh Hashanah or a coming Shabbat service?
If you are planning to attend High Holy Day or Shabbat services, can you also pick up food for our Kiddush? If you’re going to be there, can you help with setting up for Kiddush? Or stay behind to help with cleaning up? If this sounds like something you can do, please email Amanda and we will be in touch!
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SAVE THE DATE!
Annual General Meeting
Despite our best intentions, and due to a lack of available space on appropriate dates, we will not hold a special general membership meeting to update our bylaws. We will instead be holding the congregation's Annual General Meeting on Sunday, November 26 from 7:00 - 9:30 PM to consider changes to our by-laws and elect a new board. Please mark this date on your calendar.
Chanukah
This year’s Chanukah celebration will be in-person on Thursday, December 14, at Trinity St. Paul’s Church from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.
Volunteer Appreciation & New Member Shabbats
We are also planning for our First Annual Volunteer Appreciation Shabbat being held this year on Saturday, November 4th; and our First Annual New Member Welcome Shabbat on Saturday, February 3.
Watch for details for all of these events!
Meantime, mark them on your calendar today!
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Havdalah & Selichot to kick off the High Holy Days
Please join us on Saturday September 9th as we kick off the High Holy Day season with our Selichot* service. We will begin with Havdalah and continue with our service, celebrating the adult B'Mitzve of Congregation Shir Libeynu member freygl gertsovski. This will be a beautiful opportunity to begin our personal and communal preparation for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, and to celebrate with freygl who invites all congregants to join in a festive roof-top celebration at the conclusion of services.
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The service will be at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNJcc) and on Zoom at 8:00 PM.
B’ahavah,
Cantor C. Wunch
*If you would like to learn more about Selichot, please see last month's Cantor's Corner.
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The service will be at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNJcc) and on Zoom at 8:00 pm
B’ahavah,
Cantor C. Wunch
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It's a little different this month!
Please join the Congregation Shir Libeynu community on Saturday, September 9 July 8th at 8:00 PM, for an extra special Havdalah and Selichot service being held in person at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNJCC), Room 318, and online via Zoom.
Not only will we celebrate Shabbat, but we will also celebrate together as Congregation Shir Libeynu member fregyl gertovski becomes b'mitzve!
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, July 7th. 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 in person 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, Amanda, at shirlibeynuadmin@gmail.com
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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An invitation to all from B'mitzve celebrant, freygl gertovski
I’m having a B’mitzve on my 36th Jewish-calednar birthday and very excited to have the opportunity to mark this occasion with you all in a Slikhes (Slichot) evening service at Congregation Shir Libeynu on Saturday, September 9th @ 8PM!
I came to my first shabes services at Congregation Shir Libeynu in 2019 and immediately felt like I was in the right place. Here was a queer rabbi, R. Aviva Goldberg, who didn’t simply mention-in-passing the LGBTQ+ community as a homogenous group, but took time to focus on the real issues facing trans people and the trans community that morning, as we were near Trans Day of Remembrance. Since then, services with Cantor Wunch have continued that experience for me, where the issues I care about that aren’t “directly Jewish” are woven into services. But of course these are Jewish issues, because there are Jews who are affected by and hold these intersectional identities, as well as Jews who care about them.
My intersectional identities as a queer, non-binary, first-generation post-Soviet, spiritual and lefty Jew are something I’m feeling more solid and integrated around as an adult; identities that often show up in my work as a writer, Yiddishist, and community arts organizer, and what I’m proud to be celebrating by having an adult b’mitzve.
Perhaps you haven’t practiced Slikhes before – the reflective, searching, and ultimately deeply connecting prayers said during the month of Elul, the Jewish month before Rosh Hashana – and perhaps you’re more of an only-attend-High-Holidays kind of member. Well, you’re in luck, because you can think of Slikhes as part of the High Holiday experience! With some of the same familiar prayers and tunes, and some different, it’s a chance to gently ease yourself onto the onramp towards the intensity of the rest of the High Holidays and really feel prepared for the season.
I think it will be a very special service with singing, poetry, and hands-on activities. Come for the services, stay for the party, with a live klezmer band and vegan, gluten-free, nut-free desserts home-baked by my partner, master baker, Sorke!
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Toronto Gay Pickleball Association(TGPA)
The Toronto Gay Pickleball Association (TGPA) is a non-profit organization whose President is Albert Benudiz, our one and only Machzor printer!
Albert tells us that the TGPA is a recreational sports association for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer individuals, as well as allies, and is open to picklers of all skill-levels.
If you're looking to play within a community that promotes inclusivity and a safe space to have fun, where you can socialize and play the fastest-growing sport in North America, join the Facebook group and stay tuned for details!
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Upcoming celebrations-at-a-glance
All Jewish festivals begin at sundown on the first date, and end at sundown on the last date.
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Selichot service & b'mitzve of freygl gertsovski Friday, September 9
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Rosh Hashanah Friday, September 15 - Sunday September 17
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Kol Nidre & Yom Kippur Sunday September 24 - Monday September 25
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B’Mitzvah of Anton and Juliet Cellarius Saturday, September 30
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Volunteer appreciation Shabbat Saturday, November 4
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General Membership Meeting & board election Sunday, November 26;
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Chanukah Celebration Thursday, December 14
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New Member Welcome Shabbat Saturday, February, 3, 2024
For a complete list of Jewish dates of significance, click this link.
For summary information about Jewish dates of significance, click this link.
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