Articles

Shirat HaHodesh: Matanot Ktanot (December 2022)
By: Beth Tzedec
Dec 9th 2022
Each month, our shinshinit Amit Mizrachi will share an Israeli song to inspire, engage and entertain us as we get ready to usher in Shabbat. December 2022 “Matanot Ktanot - little presents” by the incredibly talented Israel artist Rami Kleinstein is the perfect song for Shabbat,  It describes perfectly the atmosphere of Shabbat in Israel the way I see it and feel it. It...
Congratulations Reb Steve!
By: Beth Tzedec
Dec 5th 2022
On Monday, December 5, Rabbi Steven Wernick received an honourary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary in recognition of his achievements over many years of distinguished service. If you would like to make a contribution in honour of Rabbi Steven Wernick, please consider donating to the Rabbi Steven Wernick Discretionary Fund. To send Reb Steve a...
Working with a Dream Team - The Week's End (December 2, 2022)
By: Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin
Dec 2nd 2022
Dear Friends,  My morning gratitude practice is robust. I start immediately by thanking God for my family: my husband who is usually still asleep as I leave for minyan and my daughter who has made her way into our bed sometime during the night hours. As I walk the short distance to shul, I remember to be thankful for my short commute. And even after more than three years, I...
Beth Tzedec Congregation Stands with Israel
By: Beth Tzedec
Nov 23rd 2022
הבוקר התעוררנו לפיגוע כפול בירושלים שהביא לאובדן גדול בו תלמיד ישיבה בן 16 נרצח. ליבנו נשבר מהטרגדיה שגרמה למותו של הנער הצעיר, אריה שצ'ופק זכרונו לברכה. אריה היה תושב ישראלי קנדי. אנו מביעים צער עמוק בשם בית צדק לכלל...
The Gift of Hanukkah - The Week's End (November 25, 2022)
By: Rabbi Steve Wernick
Nov 22nd 2022
Thursday and Friday of this week are Rosh H̱odesh Kislev. That means there are only 18 more shopping days until H̱anukkah! What shall we get the kids?Advertising has started already. The Globe and Mail had a special holiday gift section recently. And my social media is inundated with personalized suggestions. For many from now until H̱anukkah, it’s shop until you drop, spinning through...
Sign Up for Our Weekly eNewsletter!
By: Beth Tzedec
Nov 22nd 2022
Beth Tzedec is a vibrant, engaging and BUSY community! Keep up-to-date with the events, programs and news by signing up for our weekly enewsletter. To add your name to the list, email Terri at thumphries@beth-tzedec.org.
Yitzhak in Meditation - The Week's End (November 18, 2022)
By: Aviva Chernick
Nov 17th 2022
In the midst of so much rich narrative in this week’s parasha, (the death of Sarah, the generosity of Rivka, the love discovered between Rivka and Yitzchak and the death of Avraham), we find the following pasuk…Genesis 24:63וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא...
Kavod Habriyot - The Week's End (November 11, 2022)
By: Yacov Fruchter
Nov 11th 2022
Despite the tragic end to the Sodom and Gomorrah story (spoiler: all the people die), it is one of my all time favourite biblical stories, and found within Vayeira, a Torah portion that has so many incredible stories. So what is sit that makes this powerful and interesting to Yacov (you might be asking yourself)? Upon hearing the plan to destroy these cities and their...
Shirat HaHodesh: Haboker Yaale (November 2022)
By: Beth Tzedec
Nov 4th 2022
Each month, our shinshinit Amit Mizrachi will share an Israeli song to inspire, engage and entertain us as we get ready to usher in Shabbat. November 2022The song "Haboker Yaaleh" by the very talented Israeli musician Ishay Ribo is optimistic and calming, "the morning will come and the sun will rise...". I chose this song for our first Shirat HaHodesh because spreading...
Life Journeys - The Week's End (November 4, 2022)
By: Daniel Silverman
Nov 3rd 2022
It was exactly 25 years ago this Shabbat that I celebrated my Bar Mitzvah. The protagonist of the Torah reading, Abram (later Abraham), is sent out on a journey by God to a place and into a future he does not know at the time of departure. So to, as I reflect on my own life and the changes in the world since 1997, have I – and all of us – been on our life journeys not knowing exactly where we...
Nimrod the Warrior - The Week's End (October 28, 2022)
By: Rev. Lorne Hanick
Oct 28th 2022
The post-diluvian genealogy of Noah and his sons after the flood is a dry listing of begats, save for a digression about Nimrod the son of Cush.“Cush also begot Nimrod, who was the first man of might on earth. He was a mighty hunter by the grace of the Lord; hence the saying ‘Like Nimrod a might hunter by the grace of the Lord.’The mainstays of his kingdom were Babylon, Erekh, Accad...
What It Means to be an Ezer - The Week's End (October 21, 2022)
By: Cantor Sidney Ezer
Oct 20th 2022
Perusing through the Bible as a kid, I was excited to find my family surname in English. It was in parashat Vayishlaḥ, which outlined the genealogy of Esau. Ezer is listed as one of the sons of Seir the Horite, the Horites being the original non-semitic settlers of Seir / Edom prior to the arrival of Esau’s clans (Genesis 36:20 ff). As an adult, however, I discovered that in Hebrew the name...
A Wake-Up Invitation to Our Hearts
By: Aviva Chernick
Sep 30th 2022
On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, I spoke about Teshuvah, Belovedness, and Pleasure. The night before, after ẖag dinner, my dear colleague Yacov gave me the slightest nudge about the language I use, reminding me to ensure that it should be clear to the people in the room what I mean. For instance, in my Jewish mindfulness circles, words like “belovedness” and “embodiment” are...
High Holy Day Tickets & Shul Entry Process
By: Beth Tzedec
Sep 23rd 2022
Our members-in-good-standing will fall into one of two categories below:Scenario 1: I have tickets alreadyFor members who have received their tickets, simply show them at the entry to our security guard to gain access to the shul. Scenario 2: I am a member-in-good-standing but I did not receive my tickets!For those who renewed/joined prior to September...
Connect - The Week's End (September 16, 2022)
By: Yacov Fruchter
Sep 15th 2022
When the new ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovely, presented her credentials to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 2021, she was accompanied by her husband Or Alon. While it was out of protocol, Or asked the Queen:  "What is one piece of life advice you can give us in light of your rich experience?"Or later shared, ''She thought about it, pondered and then...