Families
Family programs are always a cornerstone of Beth Tzedec. With dedicated staff to engage families of all ages, we hope to remain a go-to synagogue for Toronto’s Jewish families. Whether at fun new events like our Teddy Bear Seder, Camp Hi-Ho experience, or regular services like our Short and Sweet Family Service, we are working on bringing you the most memorable and unique opportunities we can.
Shabbat
Our popular Short and Sweet Monthly Family Service is an abridged Shabbat service that is family friendly and includes large amounts of child participation. It is led by Daniel Silverman, our Director of Education and Family Programming. A dairy luncheon is served after each service with lots of opportunities for schmoozing!
Throughout the year, our monthly Family Friday Night Dinners, generously supported by the Gertner family, give intergenerational families with kids of all ages the experience of a wonderful Kabbalat Shabbat service followed by a kid friendly Shabbat dinner. It is an experience not to be missed!
Holidays
At Beth Tzedec, there are lots of opportunities for families to celebrate and mark the holidays together. On the High Holidays, we offer a number of Family High Holiday Services and Experiences that allows parents and children to worship and engage together. Some of the year’s holiday highlights include Sukkot and Simhat Torah Programming, the Purim Carnival and our H̱anukkah celebration.
Other Experiences
We offer so many ways to engage with our community. Our Friday Pre-Shabbat Baby Class helps our youngest community members learn about Shabbat songs and practices. Our Family H̱esed Experiences give families the chance to give back and make positive change in our world. There will be many more programs and events throughout the year, and some of the best ideas come from community members, so please be in touch!
Singing is Believing: Koolulam-Style Workshops
The world is a stage ... and life is a song!
Internationally acclaimed performers and vocalists Maya Pennington and Karen Goldfeder share their talent and expertise with these unique, Koolulam-inspired vocal workshops. Adults, seniors, teens, tweens … everyone is welcome!
What is Koolulam: Koolulam—like Toronto’s Choir! Choir! Choir!—is a social-musical initiative aimed at bringing together people from all corners of the diverse, multi-cultural Israeli society. The idea is to stop everything for a bit and just sing – together.
For a 'taste' of Koolulam, Choir!Choir!Choir! and Maya Pennington in action, check these links below:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhj_aKQkBY&vl=en - Koolulam video of "Believer" by Imagine Dragons
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fBM6a3Gzh0 - Koolulam video of "Revolution of Joy" in the Jezreel Valley
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqvKDCP5-xE - Koolulam video of "One Day" by Matisyahu
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxzR9Z-kG6Q
- Koolulam video of "Al Kol Eleh" from Israel's 70th Independence Day celebration
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRfJ6-qkr4 - Choir! Choir! Choir! video of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" with Rufus Wainwright
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQebMHpE2nI - Choir! Choir! Choir! video of Weezer's "Holiday"
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwF0W6C-jw0 - Choir! Choir! Choir! video of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BDAFT9IuxI - Maya Pennington performing "Peacocks Rap"
Maya Pennington
Native Jerusalemite; globetrotter; studied notes before letters; Majored
in baroque flute, singing, biology and English in high school - and later, in
vocal jazz and multi-disciplinary composition at the Jerusalem Academy of
Music; toured the world with the international a capella group "The Voca
People" for four years; devout genre-hopper.
Currently teaches in the Jerusalem "Hasadna" conservatory and heads
several eclectic projects (a comedic musical duo called "Guy &
Doll"; a multi-instrumental duo called "Two Girlz Cookin",
centered around unexpected mash-ups; a solo act called "Maya Pennington
& the HIVE" focused on familiar songs arranged artistically).
Maya studied Yiddish and taught music at the Intensive Summer
Program at Vilnius University for the two years iand is co-producing
an artistic documentary film about her relationship with Lithuania and
her mamme-loshen.
Maya is very excited to return to
Toronto for the second time after having had such a meaningful and moving
experience during the high holidays at Beth Tzedec last year.
She looks forward to creating a special and beautiful experience together with
any and all community members who will be part of this year’s special vocal
workshop.
Karen
Goldfeder
Karen is a mezzo soprano, loves
performing music of all kinds, and her career to date encompasses opera, jazz, folk,
oratorio, minimalist, pre-baroque, South Indian, musical theatre, and R&B. She has performed, toured and recorded with many
professional choral ensembles including New York Virtuoso Singers, Voices of
Ascension, New York Treble Singers, the Bard Festival Chorale, and the Gregg
Smith Singers.
Her contemporary opera credits include John Adam’s Death of Kinghoffer and Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny Songspiell . Solo appearances include the Monteverdi Vespers of 16010, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, the Stravinsky Mass, and the Pergolesi Stabat Mater.
Karen's compositions and arrangements have been performed by the New York Treble Singers, C4, the Marble Collegiate Church Sanctuary Choir, the Choir of St. Francis of Assisi, The Great Neck Choral Society, Kiitos: a vocal quartet, The Gregg Smith Singers, and The Todd Reynolds String Quartet.
Her jazz resume includes appearances with Abbey Lincoln, Julian Priester, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jay Clayton, Jeff Watts, Benny Green, Frank London, Dave Fiuczynski's Screaming Headless Torsos and Bobby McFerrin -- with whom Karen also works as a member of the teaching team for the vocal improvisation method called Circlesongs.
Event Details
- For Information:
- Synagogue Office
- Phone:
- 416-781-3511
- Cost:
- No charge
Categories
- Everyone
- Music
