Kehillat Shaarei Torah Invitation

Open Letter from Kehillat Shaarei Torah

kehillat shaarei torah logo

Dear Members of the Shaar Shalom Community:

As some of you may still be looking for a warm, welcoming, traditional community to spend this year’s High Holidays, and perhaps eventually even join; we would like to invite you to come try out Kehillat Shaarei Torah, an intimate, friendly synagogue at Bayview Ave. and the 401.  Our members come from a wide range of backgrounds, birthplaces, and religious outlooks, and we value community, friendship, meaningful prayer and learning opportunities, and camaraderie. 

You are most welcome to come visit us any shabbat or weekday morning; and we have designated three upcoming days as special “welcome to our friends from Shaar Shalom” days.  Please join us for shabbat services and kiddush on June 17 and/or August 5; we would be so happy to meet you.

In addition, we have a very popular end-of-the-summer barbecue on Labour Day Weekend, Monday September 4.  This is our best-attended annual event after High Holiday services, so it’s a good chance to meet most of our members!  We only ask that you RSVP if you would like to come to the BBQ, so we make sure we have enough burgers and franks on hand. 

Please be in touch with our Executive Director, Alan Domb, at [email protected] or 416-229-2600×3 or our Rabbi, Joe Kanofsky at [email protected] or 416-229-2600×2 with any questions about our synagogue that you may have.

We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you soon!

Sincerely,

the Board of Directors,
Kehillah Shaarei Torah


 


Why the crowds keep growing at The Song Shul

See the Great Thing Happening at the Song Shul

Song Shul

 

 
  • Cantor Simon Spiro and the fabulous Toronto Festival Singers
    (You’ve never heard anything like it) 
  • Music Mini-yan
    (For little ones)
  • Davening in-the-round
    (So easy to sing with us)
  • The Shabbat Starbucks Coffee Lounge
    (For not-so-little ones)
  • A compelling and to-the-point Staccato Sermonette
    (If you don’t hit oil after 8 minutes, stop boring) 
  • Best kiddush in town
    (with gourmet cheesecake for Shavuot) 
  • The whimsical Torah Bubble Parade
    (You saw it here first!) 
  • The happy feeling in the air!
    (THIS is how a shul should feel!)

See for yourself and The Song Shul will become YOUR shul!

 

 

Time Flies

Category : News

Have You Joined a Shul Yet?

 

As most members and GTA synagogues are aware, the expiry date is November 30, 2017 to be eligible for the offers Shaar Shalom has arranged with these synagogues. We have been advising our membership periodically to approach shuls, speak to the leadership and make your decision. It is our hope that all or most of our membership will find new spiritual homes.

To this effect, many GTA shuls have held special events as orientations and opportunities to ask any questions you might have. You don’t have to wait for any of these special events. Feel free to drop in at a Kabbalat Shabbat, a Shabbat morning service or join one of the interest groups to see how the membership reacts to you and you to them.

We are approaching the summertime. Many people will be going on vacations, to summer homes but planning for the upcoming High Holidays has traditionally been the time when we re-enrolled in our shuls.

This countdown clock is a reminder of how many days you have until the offer expires. This has been an 18 month process and we are anxious to finalize the administration of Shaar Shalom, have a final audit and general meeting and surrender our charter, which will be done on or before June 30, 2018. So please keep this date in mind and join a shul sooner, rather than later.

Those who have made the choice have all been so pleased at how seamless we have made this process.  We, at Shaar Shalom, work with the folks in the other shul offices to manage the paperwork for you. You sign the form confirming you are joining a shul and we provide your shul profile to the new shul, saving you the stress of completing all the information about Hebrew names, dates, and yahrzeit dates.


Synagogues in Germany

International Exhibition at the Paul H. Cocker Gallery, Ryerson University

March 16 – April 21, 2017
Paul H. Cocker Gallery, Ryerson University
325 Church St, Toronto, ON

Synagogues in Germany CatalogueCurrently on the Canadian leg of a major international tour, this large and interactive multimedia exhibition from Germany has made its way to Toronto following a show at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

The work represented in this exhibition began following the 1994 firebombing of a Lübeck synagogue, the first attack on a Jewish house of worship in Germany since 1945. Architectural research at Darmstadt Technical University has resulted in elaborate 3D digital reconstructions of more than 25 of over 1000 synagogues destroyed on Kristallnacht. Visitors can explore a selection of these digital models from one of the ten different computer workstations on which they are installed. Along with associated placards, photographs, text panels, books, and three documentary films, these reconstructions speak to the nature and significance of cultural loss as an instrument of genocide. They also visually document the extraordinary architectural variety and historical importance of the buildings destroyed by the Nazis, and in so doing contribute to commemorative work ongoing in the wake of the Holocaust by providing a source for reflection on what the historical destruction of Jewish culture means today. 

The exhibition will be open weekly: 

Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

Extended or alternative hours for group visits can also be arranged. Admission is free. 

The exhibition and related programming have been made possible thanks to the generous assistance of the Federal Republic of Germany / the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), the German Consulate General – Toronto, Ryerson University, the University of Manitoba, and the Paul H. Cocker Gallery.

For more information and more images, including information about how to arrange group visits, please contact the communications and archive specialist: [email protected].

Press Release Format with images


Top Ten Reasons

To Join Petah Tikva Anshe Catilla Congregation

Top Ten Reasons to Join Petah Tikva

Click on the image to get to the flyer from Petah Tikva, the first Sephardic synagogue in Toronto.

Petah Tikva’s mission is to provide their members with a Sephardic synagogue that follows the customs of the Jews of Northern Morocco.  They offer daily services, educational and social programs in a warm and welcoming environment.  Petah Tikva Congregation is family-oriented and committed to building a strong and caring community rooted in Torah values, mitzvoth and chesed.


Why Shaar Shalom Members Chose Beth David

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Beth David sanctuary

Beth David Continues to Welcome Shaar Shalom

If you haven’t quite decided on a new shul, please consider the reasons why many former Shaar Shalom members have made Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am Synagogue their new spiritual home:

  • An Egalitarian Conservative community where members of all ages “Participate, Learn and Grow”
  • Led by an exceptional Clergy team: Rabbi Philip Scheim, Cantor Marshall Loomer and Ritual Director Michael Rubin
  • Located at Bathurst & Sheppard (plus auxiliary High Holy Day services in Richmond Hill); with 850 members, we’re not too big but not too small!
  • Traditional service structure with 3 daily minyanim; women take part in virtually all aspects of prayer
  • Extensive programs and activities for all ages, including dozens of adult education programs, Shabbat morning youth and teen programs, family events celebrating all the chaggim, and casual community Shabbat dinners, to name a few
  • Lots of groups: Yedidim, Kadima and USY, Young Professionals, Brotherhood, Sisterhood and Club Chaverut (for seniors)
  • Honoured to be the new home of “Shaar Shalom Singles at Beth David
  • Lots of wonderful volunteers and plenty of volunteer opportunities
  • Proudly affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
  • Special 3-year introductory rates for Shaar Shalom Members starting this year at $180 (single) and $360 (family)

Please visit www.bethdavid.com/shaar-shalom for more information. We invite you to contact our Executive Director Anita Bloom at 416 633-5500 to discuss joining Beth David.

Kind regards,

 barry-levine_sig

 

 

Barry Levine           

President

 

PS: mark your calendar for Shabbat Unplugged on Saturday, January 28th from 2 pm to 6 pm!


beth-david-bima

10 Reasons to Make Beth David Your Home

Beth David Sends Shaar Shalom Members Warmest Wishes

for a Sweet, Happy and Healthy New Year

As you finalize your shul membership decision in the near future, please consider 10 reasons to make Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am Synagogue your new spiritual home:

  1. An Egalitarian Conservative community where members of all ages “Participate, Learn and Grow”
  2. Located at Bathurst & Sheppard with auxiliary High Holy Day services in Richmond Hill; with 850 members (families and singles), we’re not to0 big, not too small, just right!
  3. Led by an exceptional Clergy team: Rabbi Philip Scheim, Cantor Marshall Loomer and Ritual Director Michael Rubin
  4. Traditional service structure with 3 daily minyanin; women take part in virtually all aspects of prayer
  5. Extensive programs and activities for all ages, including dozens of adult education programs, Shabbat morning youth and teen programs, family-oriented events celebrating all the chaggim, and casual community Shabbat dinners, to name a few
  6. Programs for Very Young Families, Yedidim (Grades 1-5), Kadima (Grades 6-8) and United Synagogue Youth (Grades 9-12), active Brotherhood, Sisterhood and Club Chaverut (for seniors) and much more
  7. Lots of wonderful volunteers and plenty of volunteer opportunities
  8. Honoured to be the new home of “Shaar Shalom Singles
  9. Proudly affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
  10. Special 3-year introductory rates for Shaar Shalom Members starting this year at $180 (single) and $360 (family)

Please visit www.bethdavid.com/shaar-shalom for more information. We invite you to contact our Executive Director, Anita Bloom at 416 633-5500 to discuss joining Beth David.

sukkahJoin us for Sukkah Decorating and Brunch on Sunday, October 16th at 10:00 AM!

Wishing you and your loved ones a Shanah Tovah Umetukah,

barry-levine_sigBarry Levine
President

beth-david-program-button


Special Thanks from DJC

Category : Notes of Thanks

The Danforth Jewish Centre Sends Message of Gratitude

The allocation of Shaar Shalom’s possessions was a painful process but knowing that transferring our loved ritual items to shuls who need them and will allow them to practice Judaism in other neighbourhoods made the transition meaningful and fulfilling.

Danforth Jewish Centre Thanks Shaar Shalom

Josh, Greenhut of the Danforth Jewish Centre recently wrote to Mel Fishman to express his gratitude.

Mel—

On behalf of the DJC Board and our whole community, I want to say how humbled we were by the generosity of Shaar Shalom. As I expressed to Seymour Hersh, we’ve been saddened to see Shaar Shalom close its doors, and are honoured to carry on its tradition of prayer, study, and good deeds in our own way. I know you and your wife were instrumental in getting so many of the objects and supplies to us, and we are deeply grateful. 

What’s the best way to express our gratitude? Is there anything else I can do to ensure your community and those who made the decision about where to distribute Shaar Shalom’s effects to feel the love, and show impact they have had on our own community? We really feel so blessed.  

Warmly, 

Josh Greenhut
Chair, DJC Board

Josh Greenhut
[email protected]
416.570.5741


City Shul Receives Torah from Shaar Shalom

Category : News , Notes of Thanks

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein of City Shul is Honoured to Receive Shaar Shalom Torah

City Shul Header

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein _Barry BarnesRabbi Elyse Goldstein recently forwarded their newsletter to us to show just how thrilled their shul is to receive a Torah from our congregation. This ensures that the legacy of Shaar Shalom will go on in the City Shul as elsewhere. Select the link to read Rabbi Goldstein’s newsletter.

Additionally, the City Shul plans to dedicate the Torah, Chanukat HaTorah, on November 19th, 2016 and is inviting those from Shaar Shalom who would like to experience this dedication to their Shabbat service. Mark your calendars.

Saturday morning, Nov. 19, 2016 at 10:00
Wolfond Centre, 36 Harbord St.
Toronto


Building Sold

Category : News

Update After Building Sold

Below please find a link to a letter from Barry Barnes, President, as to the progress made as a result of the sale of the building. The letter addresses the work that has been accomplished to date and what still lies ahead of us.

Letter Re Sale of Building


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