Words of the Spirit Hurricane Harvey, Floods, and Social Responsibility Exactly 12 years ago, as the effects of Hurricane Katrina were soaking into our consciousness, many faith-based messages ensued, along with information about where to send donatWords of the Spirit Hurricane Harvey, Floods, and Social Responsibility Exactly 12 years ago, as the effects of Hurricane Katrina were soaking into our consciousness, many faith-based messages ensued, along with information about where to send donat
Or Haneshamah - Ottawa's Reconstructionist Community |
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Words of the Spirit
Hurricane Harvey, Floods, and Social Responsibility Exactly 12 years ago, as the effects of Hurricane Katrina were soaking into our consciousness, many faith-based messages ensued, along with information about where to send donations for relief. Among my colleagues, we discussed how to share pastoral messages without ignoring our politically-informed awareness about the human failings that led to the scope and impact of that particular disaster, which was regarded as anything but “natural.” One rabbi referenced the traditional second paragraph of the Shema, which sounds a warming that the ignoring of covenantal commitments leads to dire ecological consequences. This: “I can’t think of anything that speaks more clearly to our current global situation” still sounds very contemporary in 2017. And even if this disaster seems more “natural,” the persistent denial or downplaying of climate change on the part of political and corporate actors means that coastal areas continue to be vulnerable, and vast swaths of the global population will continue to find their world turned upside down. As we respond with generosity to the overwhelming impact of Hurricane Harvey, and as rains continue to soak the Texas coastal areas, we remain committed to sharing our Jewish and biblically-based consciousness around stewardship of Creation, the restoration of the covenant following “Noah’s flood,” and our sense of responsibility to all humanity. - Rabbi Liz Charity Navigator, a non-profit that rates charities for effective use of donations, has a list of the best places to donate, including local food banks and Humane Societies. Click www.houstonjewish.org for contributions through the local Jewish Federation. For an alliance of progressive organizations that will be advocating directly for people impacted hardest by the storm, click here. |
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Days of Awe 5778/2017 The High Holy Days will begin soon. For a complete list of services and rituals at OrH for the month of Tishrey, including details of special youth programming for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and information for visitors to attend OrH services, please visit http://www.orh.ca//high-holy-day-events.html. |
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MHI Seeking Volunteers OrH is a member organization of the Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI), a great organization that provides access to affordable housing in Ottawa. MHI is currently seeking some volunteers for the Property Maintenance Team. The team is comprised of four regular volunteers who assist with various tasks at its three older properties. Two of them were built more than sixty years ago and require frequent work. Two kinds of projects dominate the agenda: the first is to assist the Property Manager by doing various maintenance tasks as required. In this case, the variety of work is immense, from reattaching a door, to repairing a table in a laundry room, to installing polyvinyl on stairs, to repainting a stairwell, etc. This work is mostly done on Thursdays. The second kind of work is the preparation of units for rental when people move out. This is a top priority and all other projects pause to get this work done, as it is always pressing to get the unit ready on time, and to minimize loss of income incurred during the preparation period. This usually entails anywhere between 40 and 80 hours for one unit. The MHI maintenance team largely organizes themselves via e-mail and do not hold meetings, unless it is to assess a particular situation and have a discussion on site about how to go about a particular project. The Property Manager is an amazing person, very experienced, with immense regard for MHI volunteers: he accommodates this team whenever possible. If getting involved actively, using your hands to help provide and maintain affordable housing, appeals to you, please contact Danielle Dugas, Property Maintenance Team Leader at MHI, 613-236-4182, greenblatt.dugas@gmail.com. Projects are ongoing, and volunteers are welcome throughout the year; however, Help is needed especially between October 1-15. |
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Upcoming Services and Events
Shabbat Morning with Torah Service Saturday, September 9, 2017 9:45 AM - 12:15 PM, Fellowship Hall, Unitarians Shaharit service of morning blessings and songs, including Torah service, a participatory discussion of the day’s portion, followed by Kiddush/pot luck luncheon. First Meeting of Machaneh Shabbat Saturday, September 16, 2017 9:45 AM - 12:45 PM, Room 3, lower level The first Machaneh Shabbat Camp of 2017-18 takes place Saturday, Sep. 16. Those who are curious and thinking about having your children participate are welcome to drop in and see what it's all about. Enrollment is ongoing. More information can be found on the Machaneh Shabbat page or by contacting educator@orh.ca. Selichot Saturday, September 16, 2017 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, Fellowship Hall of Unitarians Selichot is the evening service that previews High Holy Day melodies and themes, and invites us to focus our spiritual preparations as we enter into the days of awe as we wrestle with its big issues. Highlighted by prayers to inscribe ourselves in the “Book of Life,” the Days of Awe bring us face to face with the consideration of the legacy we wish to leave behind. The brief Selichot service will foreshadow the music of Yom Kippur, feature the changing of our Torah mantle and ark curtain, and conclude with the sounding of the shofar. Bring a dessert to share. |
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In The Ottawa Community * = New item this week Ottawa Jewish Archives photo exhibition. You are cordially invited to attend Exhibition Vernissage on Wednesday, September 6 at 7pm, 2nd floor, Soloway JCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt. To mark Canada's 150th anniversary, a photography exhibition is being presented by the Ottawa Jewish Archives. The exhibition, Face to Face - Vis à Vis, highlights the contributions made by 24 notable Jewish Ottawans to Canada's public service and political landscape. RSVP to Rachel at rabenhaim@jewishottawa.com or call 613-798-4696 x 236. |
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Donations to OrH
Donations are a significant part of the funding for activities and rabbinic support in our community. You can direct your contribution to different areas of Or Haneshamah’s activity:
Donations toward ongoing congregational operations: - General donations, which fund programming, rabbinic leadership, and essential administrative costs.
- Donations in honour of, or in memory of, a person or event. All such donations are acknowledged through the Or Haneshamah card program, which sends notices of donation and a personalized message to a designated recipient.
Targeted donations:
- Dedication of ritual objects and books. We are currently seeking donations of $54 for each new copy of our Machzor (high holiday prayer book). Donations will be recognized by bookplates that may be in honour of, or in memory of, a person or event.
- Gita Taub Education Fund, which supports educational programming and access for members who would otherwise be unable to afford participation in Or Haneshamah or other valuable activities. Our present focus for disbursements from the fund is OrH’s new Machaneh Shabbat (Shabbat Camp) for primary school-aged children, which launched in September.
- Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund. Donations that the Rabbi gives to people in need or to support charities the Rabbi deems important.
Please make any of the above donations through the website by clicking on the "Donate" menu item.
Or Haneshamah Endowment Fund
- Established in May 2016, the Endowment Fund is a pool of financial assets that is invested to provide a reliable and ongoing source of income for our community's activities. Annual payouts from the fund go into Or Haneshamah's general revenues. Donations are made through the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation (OJCF) online at www.ojcf.ca or by telephone at 613-798-4696 ext 274.
Thank you for your generosity and support of OrH!
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Potluck Protocol Our community’s long time practice is to welcome egg, dairy and fish on the potluck table. Please label your meal contributions with all ingredients to help people with food allergies or sensitivities; also advise kitchen staff whether dish is to be served hot or cold. |
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Rides to Services and Events Will you need a ride to services and OrH events? Are you able to offer a ride to services OrH events? We encourage members to be generous with their offers of rides. Please contact info@orh.ca with your name and area of the city you are coming from. |
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Visiting or Studying in Toronto or Montreal? If you or your children will be in Toronto or Montreal, they are very welcome at our sibling congregations. We have reciprocal memberships with both Darchei Noam (Toronto) and Dorshei Emet (Montreal). Likewise, we welcome their members to our services, programs, and High Holy Day services. For security reasons we ask to call ahead to make arrangements for the High Holy Days. |
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A Caring Community Members are encouraged to contact the rabbi or any board member to let us know about your pastoral care needs, or the needs of another member, whether related to a new or an ongoing circumstance. These may include such situations as a pending hospitalization, a change in health, relationship, or employment status, other life transitions, or the death of a loved one. Through knowing what is happening in each other’s lives, we give each other, including our rabbi, the opportunity to perform acts of gemilut hasadim/loving kindness, the hallmark of a caring community. |
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We Are Listening How do you feel things are going in our community? Do you have ideas about programs or events that we should pursue? What aspects of Or Haneshamah do you feel are working well, and what do you think can be improved? In the interest of making OrH the best community that it can be, the board and rabbi invite you to submit comments and feedback at any time. Please send your thoughts to feedback@orh.ca or directly to any member of the board (email addresses below). |
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Board of Directors President: Paula, president@orh.ca Treasurer: Jacob, treasurer@orh.ca Education: Heni, learning@orh.ca Communications: David, communications@orh.ca Secretary: David, secretary@orh.ca Membership: Janet, membership@orh.ca Member-at-Large: Jean, member-at-large.jean@orh.ca Member-at-Large: Jan, member-at-large.jan@orh.ca Past President: Mark, past-president@orh.ca Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton: rabbi@orh.ca Members are welcome to contact Rabbi Liz, or any member of the board, regarding pastoral needs.
Or Haneshamah 30 Cleary Ave., Ottawa, ON, K2A 4A1 613-239-4988 www.orh.ca info@orh.ca |
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** Disclaimer Regarding Community Event Postings ** Or Haneshamah frequently receives requests to post notices of upcoming events in the community at-large. These events run the range from cultural, educational, and in some cases explorations of topical political issues. In the interest of providing information to our congregation about the diversity of interesting events in the Ottawa community we will post notices of these events in our regular newsletter.
We recognize also that from time to time we are requested to post notices of events which are highly controversial in nature and reflect a wide range of opinions among our congregation on particular issues. We are, however, of the opinion that it is appropriate for us to post events taking place in the community which may challenge us, which may cause discomfort, and which may cause us to reflect on some of our beliefs. Our openness to post notices for a wide range of community events, however, does not mean that we have abdicated our responsibility to show discernment and to distinguish between those events which demonstrate an open-minded and thoughtful approach to specific issues and those which do not appear to reflect such values. So, we will make judgments about what notices we believe are appropriate to post and those which we believe will not contribute to a thoughtful and balanced exploration of ideas and issues.
Will we make mistakes along the way? Probably. But the possibility of errors of judgment does not mean that we can excuse ourselves from the responsibility to show judgment in posting notices about events in the community and we promise to do so with openness tempered by a sense of responsibility.
In agreeing to post any notice of an event in the community, Or Haneshamah does not endorse, support or promote any perspectives, positions or ideas expressed in the events which are posted in our newsletter. |
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Or Haneshamah - Ottawa's Reconstructionist Community 30 Cleary Ave. Ottawa, ON K2A 4A1 |
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