Take a Look Here!

Nefesh b’Nefesh is holding a series of meetings here in Toronto to inform the public what is available to them to assist in the move to a new life in Israel.

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

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.

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

Currently 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

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           

President

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

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.

Join 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
President

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.

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

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Josh Greenhut
[email protected]
416.570.5741