Whenever I read or study anything in the Torah having to do with the Exodus narrative, what fills my mind is The Ten Commandments. Not the tablets themselves or the list of laws written upon them. I am talking about Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956, three hour and forty-minute Technicolor classic, complete with Charlton Heston’s epic beard, Yul Brynner’s bald head and side ponytail, and Anne...

A large section of this week’s parashah devotes itself to the role and investiture of Aaron and his sons as the Kohanim. In intricate detail, the Torah describes the sartorial traits of every one of the priestly vestments. Although Moses oversees this inauguration process, his name is conspicuously absent. Parashat Tetzaveh is the only one in the last four books of the Torah in which Moses is...

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Beyond Measure, our quarterly update dedicated to our valued donors. In this newsletter, we aim to provide you with insights into the impact of your contributions and the latest news from Beth Tzedec.As we embark on this journey, I want to express my gratitude for your ongoing support. Your generosity enables us to continue our mission of inspiring and enabling...

I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. After a long pause due to the challenges posed by COVID, we are grateful and delighted to announce that we are about to resume the search for a second Cantor to join our community and collaborate with our beloved Cantor Ezer.This endeavor would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of a dedicated donor who has committed to...

From Sunday until Thursday, I was in California attending a Jewish mindfulness retreat with more than 50 rabbis and cantors. The theme for the week was the “Power of Speech”. We studied texts from the Zohar, the great Israeli poet Bialik and the Rabbi of the Warsaw ghetto. While the texts were chosen months ago, we were now reading in a post-October-7 world, and we lifted up our current...

Last Shabbat, in celebration of Shabbat Shirah, we sang. All weekend, we sang. We sang Friday night at Kabbalat Shabbat with Cantor Sidney and the HarmonEzers. We also sang Friday night at dinner with Cantor Audrey joining as a special guest. We sang Shabbat morning, again, with Cantor Sidney and the HarmonEzers. And….Saturday evening, 160 of us joined together, in the chapel, to sing for...

Alex Edelman is coming to Beth Tzedec!  Fresh from his SOLD-OUT shows on Broadway and in Toronto, Beth Tzedec will be hosting an exclusive evening of stand-up comedy and a fireside chat for ONE NIGHT ONLY.SUNDAY, APRIL 14th, 2024 6:30 PM VIP Reception 7:30 PM Main Show 9:00 PM Pub Networking Night (hosted at Beth Tzedec)General admission: From $45On Sunday, February 14, 2024, Beth Tzedec...

Beth Tzedec is thrilled to be welcoming two distinguished speakers this February.On Thursday, February 29, the congregation proudly presents A Conversation with Mitch Albom, featuring the globally acclaimed author, journalist, and philanthropist. With over 40 million copies sold worldwide, Albom's best-selling books transcend borders and languages. Register for an Evening with Mitch Albom...

Dear Friends, Welcome to the inaugural edition of Beyond Measure, a quarterly publication dedicated to keeping our valued donors abreast of the tangible impact of their contributions and the latest developments at Beth Tzedec. At the heart of this newsletter is a commitment to transparency and inspired story-telling, ensuring you are well informed about the events that shape our...

On Wednesday, January 10, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Beth Tzedec, engaging with about 30 community leaders to gather feedback on Canada's handling of Israel's war against Hamas. The meeting, which marked the first time the PM has personally consulted with the Jewish community since the October 7 attacks, provided a platform for local leaders, including Beth Tzedec lay and professional...

At Beth Tzedec, the value of connection is not just a word; it's a living essence that weaves through the very fabric of our community. Connections are formed on multiple levels—bonding with our Spiritual Leadership Team, cultivating meaningful relationships with our fellow congregants, connecting with the depth of Jewish tradition, and exploring our individual values for enriching Jewish life....

As director of Beth Tzedec’s Centre for Spiritual Wellbeing, Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin has experience working with community members who are feeling detached, alienated, or distressed about the challenges of the past number of years. Yet since October 7, the volume of outreach she has experienced has surpassed even the difficulties posed by the pandemic and the crisis of inflation. According to...

Shabbat Shirah is centered around two Biblical songs or poems of victory. This week’s Torah reading includes the Song of the Sea, sung by Moses and the Israelites after crossing the Sea of Reeds and witnessing Pharaoh’s pursuing army drown in the waters. This week’s Haftarah highlights Deborah the Judge’s song of victory after the Israelite forces under her leadership defeated the...

From the perspective of the biblical narrative and the haggadah, each plague upon Egypt is more severe than the previous one, and Pharoah is worn down until after the final plague, Israel is set free. The perspective of this weeks haftarah from the book of Ezekiel is different. There is only one plague. That is the first plague:“Thus said the Lord God: I am going to deal with you, O Pharoah...

While we just rang in 2024, and although Rosh Hashanah is nine months away and not typically on our radar at this present moment, there is a High Holyday liturgical connection in this week’s Torah portion Shemot that I would like to share. In Exodus 1:16, Pharaoh issues a barbarous order to the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys while letting the newborn Hebrew girls...