These indeed are difficult times in which it is often so easy to head in the direction of fear, pessimism and doom and gloom when listening to the news on the radio, on TV or on social media. Social distancing between families, relatives, friends and neighbours also can lead to feelings of isolation. However with every downturn, misfortune or loss there also arises an opportunity and...

Friends, At this point, we are deeply familiar with the rabbinic understanding of sha’at d’khak, a time of crisis, and pikuah nefesh, the preservation of life—the mitzvah that pushes aside all other commandments. We are living these values as we practice social distancing, self-isolation and follow the mandate from governments and health experts to stay home and limit excursions to...

During sha’at d’khak, a time of crisis, we are tasked with finding new strategies and ideas for celebrating Pesah with our loved ones. We hope that this list of resources helps inspire and educate your family.The Rabbinical Assembly Pesah guide is a brief outline of the policies and procedures relevant to the preparation of a kosher for Pesah home. Find it here>>Apex Kosher Catering...

Social gathering, community celebration and family excursions may be curtailed for the short-term, but there are an incredible assortment of opportunities to virtually connect with art, music, literature, worship and wellness. Beth Tzedec staff has been surfing social media and web sources to compile a growing list of activities and opportunities to engage with community beyond our four...

Youth, Families and Seniors are all invited to join our Pen Pal Project at Beth Tzedec! Kids aged 3 to 13 will be paired up with a senior buddy to exchange weekly emails, learn about each other’s lives and cultivate spiritual nearness with safe social distancing. Younger children will be invited to send drawings, with their parents to help foster the relationship. Older kids who can...

We are entering a time of unprecedented personal restriction, and being good global and community citizens, we are all striving to do our part to both protect and support our families and communities. But even with the vast majority giving that extra bit of effort to aid and assist, there remains that very small minority who seek to profit and abuse the public good.We have been made aware of a...

The leadership of Beth Tzedec relies on the advice and counsel of public health agencies as it makes decisions on behalf of our community. With a deep concern for the health and safety of our members and staff, we have made the decision to close the Beth Tzedec offices until further notice. During this period, we remain accessible and are responding to voice mail and email messages as...

*Updated Wednesday, April 22, 2020As of this afternoon, we will be hosting daily services via Zoom at the scheduled times indicated on the Beth Tzedec calendar, with the exception of Friday Minhah, which will be hosted at 4:00 p.m. Daily Services and Streaming LinksBeth Tzedec's Spiritual Leadership Team hosts daily services via Zoom. Note that we currently do not stream Shabbat...

Dear Friends,Communal crises were not unknown to our ancestors. They discussed the challenges of maintaining Jewish life and observance during times of war, plague, famine and the like. These times are known as sha'at d’khak, times of crisis. And in each of those cases, based on the verse in Leviticus 18:5, that states "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does...

Today we are facing a difficult time. We have never experienced anything so shocking on a global level. We can’t shake the feeling that we are living in a historical event that will be remembered forever. People all around the world are scared, schools are shutting down, hospitals are overloaded. In Israel, the situation is not simple as well- 143 people were diagnosed with...

Hello everyone and Shabbat Shalom. About two weeks ago, an amazing thing happened in Israel. Bagatz, which is a part of the national court that contributes to balancing systems within the Israeli democracy, has announced that Israel has to make it legal for same sex couples to bear a child by means of the process of surrogacy. This happened after an unsuccessful appeal of a gay couple...

Beth Tzedec is an important centre for sustaining social and community well-being. During trying times, we look to experts in our community to provide guidance and direction to protect each other while continuing to offer spiritual support and growth opportunities for every member of our community. With recent news about the spread of COVID-19, we know that you may have questions about...

We have been advised by our friends at Beth Sholom that, out of care and concern for the community, Beth Sholom will be closed a thorough sanitizing due to the potential spread of COVID-19.If you attended Beth Sholom on Thursday, March 5 or Friday, March 6 and are feeling unwell, we recommend that you stay home and reach out to Toronto Public Health, via 311. We ask that all Beth Tzedec...

Gathering together as a spiritual community is one of the most important things we do at Beth Tzedec. In light of that, we would like to acknowledge concerns about health and germ-spreading and remind everyone of best practices. As our rabbis mentioned over Shabbat, they are no longer hugging or shaking hands to wish congregants a "Shabbat Shalom". Instead, join them in finding new ways...

As Chair of the Nominating Committee, in accordance with subsection 9.09(b) of the by-laws of Beth Tzedec Congregation, I call for nominations from the Members of Beth Tzedec Congregation to stand as candidates for election as Directors at the next annual general meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2020.    A Member wishing to be nominated as a candidate must submit her or his...