In the 10 years since I joined the Beth Tzedec board, the person I have turned to for advice most often has been my father, Paul Rothstein. With his 60 years of history at Beth Tzedec and having been a past president, my dad has been a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. The best advice he ever gave me was to trust my gut – if a decision didn’t feel right, then it probably wasn’t....

Dear friends,   I hope you had a meaningful Passover. It certainly was memorable! How many Zoom jokes did you share? What dayanu, it would have been enough, of thankfulness did you add to the traditional list? When Elijah came to your door, did you let him in? Did you make sure he was masked and gloved? Did he look like Bette Midler? (Did you watch the Saturday Night...

Dear friends, The current pandemic has brought up real issues and challenges for many of us. Collectively we are dealing with the reality of staying home for a long stretch of time, without a definitive end date. Individually, we bring to this moment of time a slew of individual circumstances. For a plethora of reasons, COVID-19 is not enriching our well-being. Some of us are trying...

Sit Down to a Stress-Free Shabbat DinnerOur friends at Apex Kosher Catering are offering weekly Friday night dinners at an affordable price for pick up or delivery. The menu changes weekly, so be sure to check back often for your favourite meals.To view the latest menu, click here >>

On Tuesday, April 7, Beth Tzedec's rabbis were featured on provincial and national news networks to discuss the life during the international Covid-19 pandemic.Rabbi Steven Wernick was interviewed on CBC News Network and CBC's The National, discussing how religious institutions are practicing social distancing and spiritual nearness in these challenging times. To view his interview, click...

To say that we are living in unprecedented times would be an understatement. I am writing to you from my home office, a room that I have barely left in the last three weeks. I cannot imagine that there is a family in our kehillah left untouched by COVID-19, health-wise or financially. As we look for a light in the darkness, it is easy to spiral into anxiety and despair. I know that it...

Yom Hashoah V'HagvurahCross-Canada Virtual Holocaust Remembrance Day CommemorationMonday, April 20 at 7:00 pm – The unfortunate cancellation of in-person Yom Hashoah gatherings across Canada has presented an unprecedented opportunity. This year, from coast to coast, we will join together for an online Holocaust Remembrance presentation unlike any other. The program will include greetings...

We hope all the members of our Congregation and the community are coping well in these difficult times.The leadership and staff at Beth Tzedec are working hard to keep you up-to-date with information and protocols related to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the importance of strict physical distancing over Passover. This year, it means staying home and conducting seders only with members of your...

I’m going insane at home right now. Can you relate? At some level I guess you can. The result of the COVID-19 situation is that you have to stay at home most of the day, if not the whole day. You can’t see any of your friends and colleagues, and you can only see your family. If that’s not enough, you have to see those same people, that have this special way to get on your nerves in a way...

On Friday, March 13, the day after the province of Ontario extended public school closures by two weeks beyond March break due to COVID-19 concerns, I sent an email to the families in the Beth Tzedec Congregational School advising them that we would be moving our learning online as well. Our dedicated teachers and I used the March Break week to brainstorm, troubleshoot and plan for...

To better accommodate our members during Pesah, we have made revisions to the service schedule for the next two weeks.   Minhah on Wednesday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 14 will be hosted online at 4:00 p.m., before the hag begins. Shaharit on Sunday, April 12 will hosted online at 8:45 a.m. Shaharit on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14 will be hosted online at 7:30...

The Beth Tzedec community continues to inspire me. My colleagues, friends, lay partners and others are working hard to check in with our congregational community and identify the support they need at this difficult time. In the last two weeks, 80 of us have called more than 1200 Beth Tzedec households to ask how everyone is coping. We have called:  560 households with someone...

Remembering the Holocaust: A D'var Israel from AlonaApril 24, 2020 – Shinshin Alona Laufer shares memories of her grandfather and shares what she learned from his experiences as a survivor of the Shoah ... To read her D'var Israel, click here>>. New Programs with Our Shinshinim, Gal and AlonaApril 20, 2020 – Gal and Alona, Beth Tzedec's shinshinim, may have had to cut their time...

People tend to question some of the things that they hear. We want to make sure that we are right, that we checked all the options and then conclude what makes the most sense. That’s who we are. It is natural. 2,300 years ago there was a consensus that the earth was flat, until the Greek philosopher Aristotle doubted it and was the first to prove that it was wrong.  You can see...

COVID-19 LOANTo help our community deal with the financial fallout of the pandemic, Jewish Free Loan Toronto has created a new emergency Covid-19 loan. For more information, click here>>