The Beth Tzedec Men’s Club is pleased to sponsor our long standing scholarship program to assist young men and women who are pursuing programs of higher Jewish education. The criteria we use to judge each applicant is based on the following and should be given careful consideration when applying. The information provided with this application is the sole source upon which the...
Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (1820-1892), the Rabbi of Brisk, also known by the title of his work, Beit Halevi, was revered throughout Europe as a foremost scholar and Talmudic sage. Even more renowned was his kindness of heart and humility, which the following story relates.One day, he stopped by an inn in the middle of a freezing night and asked for lodging. He had no entourage with him. The...
Dear Friends, I spent last week at Camp Ramah. On Shabbat afternoon, I was given the opportunity to teach the Hanhallah, comprised of unit heads and other senior staff. I reminded them that the second paragraph of Shema falls in this week’s parashah, and it would be a superb opportunity to teach their campers that we kiss our tefillin when we mention them each day. In Devarim 11:18 we...
The Shabbat after Tisha B’av has a special name, Shabbat Nahamu. It get’s its name from the opening sentence of the Haftarah (Isaiah 40:1) , “Nachamu Nahamu ami – Comfort, comfort My People.” Both the Haftarah and the choice of the Torah Reading, V’Ethanah in which we read of the Ten Commandments and the recitation of the Shema are designed to provide us with comfort and...
Beth Tzedec stands in support with the Global Masorti/Conservative Movement's response to the Israeli government's changes to the Constitution. The Global Masorti/Conservative representatives in the Zionist movement are appalled by Netanyahu's capitulation to extremists and the passage of anti-democratic legislation.Read the full statement below or click here to download it.Global...
We are aware of fraudulent text messages appearing to come from Rabbi Steven Wernick. The message asks people to purchase gift cards on Reb Steve's behalf. The messages begin with this text: "Are you available? I have a request for you to manage discreetly." ... and they are signed as "House of Peace".We remind our members and the community that no one from Beth Tzedec...
This week, we begin a new sefer - a new book of Torah, Devarim - Deuteronomy. My dad had a quote he loved that he must have learned in high school German class - “Aller anfang ist shwer,” every beginninging is hard. This is the beginning of the book and also the beginning of the end of the Torah. In the sixth pasuk - verse, we readיְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ דִּבֶּ֥ר...
We are delighted to announce that Cantor Audrey Klein has started this week in her role as Beth Tzedec’s Director of Family and Young Adult Engagement. Cantor Klein is responsible for overseeing family programming and serving as the spiritual and administrative leader in this area. In her new role, she is developing personal relationships with a community of more than 800...
If you are renewing your Generations Membership click here>>HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS?Beth Tzedec Congregation is continuing its no-fee membership program for those under 40.Click here>> to confirm your no-fee membership now. Or keep reading below for more details about this breakthrough initiative in Toronto’s Jewish community. What possessed us to do such a thing? It’s...
As we end the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), there is a continued theme of the vulnerable Children of Israel wandering through the desert. We get this sense that they are becoming more and more comfortable with sitting with the unknown and also working on the skill of asking questions when we are unsure. Here we see an essential tool that Ryla and I are also constantly supporting our children...
We are excited to announce that David Shapero has started in his new role as Cemetery General Manager.David will have responsibility for the overall business and operational leadership of the Beth Tzedec Memorial Park. In this position he oversees all aspects including staff and volunteers, finances, and the maintenance and development of the facilities. David comes to Beth Tzedec...
This Shabbat begins the three
weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av, the major fast and day of mourning that
commemorates, among other things, the destruction of the first and second Temples
in Jerusalem. It is a period of diminished joy. In these three weeks, it is
customary not to have weddings, and in the eight days preceding the 9th of
Av, there are customs not to cut hair and...
The adventures of the Israelites in the Trans-Jordan as described in this week’s double-portion of Hukkat-Balak (Numbers 19-25) are interesting, but what has long held my fascination are the six poems that supplement the narrative. Our ancestors were poets before they were prose storywriters. Biblical scholars are agreed that the poems pre-date the narratives. In some cases, such as the Song of...
Beth Tzedec is proud to partner with organizations and projects that
support our values. When you make your annual membership contribution, we
encourage you to consider supporting these important organizations and initiatives.
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The Beth Tzedec Men's Club is committed to supporting our community, sponsoring exciting programs, courses...
The first verse of this week’s parshah contains a syntactic peculiarity. It begins with the phrase “Vayikaḥ Koraḥ” – and Koraḥ took. The rest of the verse then lists Koraḥ’s lineage along with that of Dathan and Abiram, leading men in the tribe of Reuben. In the Hebrew text, there is no direct object following the verb took. So, what exactly did Koraḥ...