OrH Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

4 February 2020

The Awe in the New Year of the Trees

In anticipation of our annual Tu B'shevat seder taking place on Sunday, February 9, we are reprinting a Words of the Spirit column written in January 2016.

What is the most awesome, inspiring, jaw-dropping moment of all? This may be as close to a universal accord as one can find. Surely the answer must be: the birth moment.
The moment a baby comes into the world; the first tender slips of a bud; the emergence of infant mammals; the transformation of the chrysalis. To be present for such moments can inspire those who witness them to transcendent heights.

But it’s unsustainable, impractical, and well-nigh impossible to live in those moments full time. We go about our lives, our work, our relationships, our activities, knowing that once in a while – if we are lucky and are paying close attention – we can observe such sacred beginnings.

We find ourselves, deep in winter, in the month of the Jewish New Year of the Trees, Tu B'shevat. At this time of the year the trees seem to the eye to be life-less. Where do we find a connection to this observance? In what sense can we engage that transcendent awe-power in the full grip of frozen times? 

A Hassidic teacher, Rabbi Yisrael of Chortkov, says: 

When a person is down on her fortune and has lost all hope, she should ponder a tree in winter. Its leaves have fallen, its moisture has dried up, it is almost a dead stump in the ground. Then, suddenly, it begins to revive and to draw moisture from the earth. Slowly, it blossoms, then brings forth fruits. A Person should learn from this not to despair, but to take hope and have courage, for she too is like a tree.

If the lack of awe is despair, then hope must be the bridge between winter and spring, between lifelessness and revival, between the droopy patches of missed opportunity and the spring-y moments of bounding adventure.

Awe always is - in the universe, and in our very near surroundings. To seek it is to connect to the everyday blessings of humans, trees, and all that lives. 

May the spring season that is to come be met by the spring within, one that recognizes the perpetual blessings of sky and tree, life and change, growth and hope.

-Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton

Heartlines
 
A reminder that the OrH community is invited to take in the world premiere of Heartlines, a new play by Or Haneshamah member Sarah Waisvisz. There are only three shows at Ottawa’s Undercurrents Festival: Thursday, Feb 6 @ 7:00pm, Saturday, Feb 8 @ 9:00pm, and Sunday, Feb 9 @ 1:00pm followed by a talk-back. Tickets and more info at undercurrentsfestival.ca/shows/heartlines-2/.

Tu B’shevat Seder
 
Celebrating renewal of growth, envisioning a healthy, world-wide tree canopy – who else would have come up with such a visionary winter-time festival but the Jewish Mystics of Sefat?
 
Join us for our annual Tu B’Shevat pot-luck seder on Sunday, February 9 at 6:30 pm. It’s always a good time of the year to plant seeds of the spirit in community!
 
We enjoy all our rituals around the table with our Seder - sharing four cups, deepening from white to red, while blessing and munching on three types of fruits and nuts. We’ll also sing songs, plant seeds of parsley and radish for your Seders in the spring, and explore which “cup” is the one that matches each of us the best!
 
Along with these traditional and rituals, this year’s OrH Tu B’shevat seder will highlight all the hopes and visions we hold for a Green future.
 
In addition to your potluck contribution, please consider bringing something from one of the “Seven Species”: wheat, barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates, olives, dates. Or, bring some extras of these items: Fruit or nut with a hard shell (bananas, almonds, walnuts, oranges, pineapple); Fruit or nut with a hard center (avocado, peach, date, cherry); Fruit soft in and out (grape, strawberry, fig). Sign up with your potluck contribution here: https://tinyurl.com/ry9gphf

Upcoming Services and Events

Guf Va'Nefesh: Mind-Body-Spirit Integration Class
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Member’s home, Kanata

Tu B’shevat Seder
Sunday, February 9, 2020
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, NOW Room

Limmud Shabbat
Saturday, February 15, 2020
9:45 AM - 12:15 PM, Room 5
 
Learn to Leyn
Saturday, February 15, 2020
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Room 5
 
Roots and Reflections
Sunday, February 16, 2020
9:45 AM - 11:30 AM, Member's home, RSVP required to mindfulness@orh.ca
 
Update on Reconstructing Judaism
Monday, February 17, 2020
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Location TBA

Reconstructionist News

The latest issue of Reconstructionism Today can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/vavswtl . The archive of back issues is available at: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/newsletter-archive

In The Ottawa Community
* = New item this week
 
Community Events and Announcements
 
*Community Service Awards. Do you know an awesome volunteer? Please nominate them for special recognition! The Jewish Federation has four awards to recognize our community’s outstanding volunteers. Members of the Jewish community are invited to nominate worthy individuals.
Visit https://jewishottawa.com/volunteering/community-service-awards for nomination forms, instructions and info about these awards: Freiman Family Young Leadership Award, Shem Tov and Student Leadership award. Nominations will be accepted until March 31, 2020.
 
"El Lissitsky": Artist, Architect, Revolutionary, February 9, 10:30 am - 12 pm at the SJCC. Ian Ferguson will explore the life and extraordinarily varied oeuvre, of the Russian avant garde artist El Lissitsky. In addition to official work alongside such artists as Chagall, he served as an important bridge between Soviet artists and their counterparts at the Bauhaus and the West.
Contact: Roslyn at rwollock@jccottawa.com
 
Music of the Heart, February 10, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm, at the SJCC. Join classical guitarist and vocalist Andrew Mah and violinist Anna Baksheeva as they present a program of music of the heart. Included are pieces composed by John Dowland, Edward Elgar, Giacomo Puccini and Jerome Kern, all in the spirit of romance. $15 Contact: Roslyn at rwollock@jccottawa.com

Soloway JCC Winter Israeli Film Series
Film series with short talk by Orly Erlich, Consul at the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa and Ohad Kaynar, Charge d’affaires, Deputy Head of Mission.
January 16: Turn left at the end of the world
February 19: Zero Motivation
March 19: Peace after Marriage
Doors open at 6:40
Sponsor: Vered Israel Cultural and Educational Program, SJCC, The Embassy of Israel, CICF
Soloway JCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt.

* “Limping Toward the Promised Land: How the Bible Pioneers Inclusion,” February 20, 7 - 8:30 pm. Tamir and its partners invite you to a community-wide lecture. Dr. Ora Horn Prouser will be joining us in honour of JDAIM (Jewish Disabilities, Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month), which occurs every February. Dr. Horn Prouser is the CEO and Academic Dean at The Academy for Jewish Religion, a pluralistic rabbinical, cantorial and graduate school in Yonkers, New York and author of Esau’s Blessing: How the Bible Embraces Those With Special Needs. Cost $18. For more info contact Jodi Green at 613-725-3519 x115 or jodigreen@tamir.ca. Soloway JCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt.

* “Esau’s Blessing: the Bible’s Embrace of Those with Special Needs,” February 21, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Join Dr. Ora Horn Prouser, Tamir and KBI for a Shabbat dinner in recognition of JDAIM. Building on her Thursday night lecture, Dr Horn Prouser explores how our founding families supported each other to success even when challenges were evident. Attendance at Thursday night is not required. All are welcome. 5:15 pm services (optional), 6:30 pm dinner, $30 adults, $18 children. Catered by A Dashing Pinch. Contact Jodi Green 613-725-3519 x115 or jodigreen@tamir.ca. Kehillat Beth Israel, 1400 Coldrey Ave.

“More than Just Mosaics: The Ancient Synagogue at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee.” A lecture by Jodi Magness, Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism, Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Sunday, February 23, 19h00 (7:00pm), SJCC – Social Hall, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt.

*J-Fellows Leadership Development Program for Young Adults. Session 2 - “Effective Communication”, February 27, Dinner @ 6:15 pm, session @ 7:15 pm. Join Industrial Psychologist Lisa Miller for an interactive workshop on improving your communication skills inside and outside the workplace. This session will incorporate the concepts of emotional intelligence and assertive communication, essential skills for successful workplace communication. For young professionals in their 20's and 30's. Free professional headshots will be taken onsite with professional photographer Razan Shomer. Program is free of charge, but on-line registration required at https://fs22.formsite.com/sbeuteljewishottawacom/wvbdnlat0a/index.html

International Women's Day Celebration Party, March 7, 7 pm, SJCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt. The first annual party bringing together Israeli and Jewish women of the Ottawa community to celebrate International Women’s Day! A fun evening of dancing, delicious Israeli food, drinks and lots of great entertainment. You won’t want to miss this party of the year - Israeli style!  Tickets are $50 each and are limited – for more info or to buy tickets via etransfer contact Israeliwomeninottawa@gmail.com.  

Risen Leaves: A Rare Books Workshop from the Collection of the Jewish Public Library. The JPL has a number of special collections but one of the most valued ones are the Rare Books. The earliest of the 1,500 books is an incunabulum printed in 1481 (about 20 years after Gutenberg),  and while the array of books ranges from early Hebrew grammars, Talmuds, kabbalistic works, liturgical texts, history, and early antisemitic tracts, there are also unusual tracts dealing with religious vestments, architecture, and travel. Three of the JPL’s librarians will discuss these books, the history of printing (as well as Hebrew printing), and share some of the strange stories and scandals that underscored the production of these works. Tuesday, March 24, 1:30-3:30 pm, First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, Fellowship Hall, 30 Cleary Avenue, FREE ADMISSION. To register: Email: adultlearning@firstunitarianottawa.ca Phone: 613-725-1066.

*The Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation accepting applications for four awards. Deadline for all applications is April 17, 2020: GJ Cooper Scholarship Award, Norman Lesh Philanthropy Award, Women’s Collective Philanthropy (WCPP) Grant, Ilana and Steven Rubin Scholarship Award. More info at https://ojcf.ca/programs_awards

Ottawa Tour to Israel: Celebrating Women’s Voices, May 17-27, 2020. Join an exceptional group of women on this educational and thought-provoking tour to Israel. Tour covers inspirational speakers on topics such as Ethiopian Jewry, civil rights, and Israeli health innovation. It also includes events with Palestinian Member of Knesset, Aida Touman-Sleeman, and a panel of experts discussing Palestinian and Jewish/Israeli perspectives on political and social issues. We will celebrate Rosh Chodesh with Women of the Wall and among other activities visit a Bedouin Weaving Centre and Dead Sea spa. Eight spaces remain to share in this exciting tour. For the itinerary, please contact: Yaffa Greenbaum at yaffa.greenbaum@gmail.com (613-266-6677) or Paula Agulnik at agulnikpaula@gmail.com (613-298-7520).


Community Opportunities

Are you off to warmer climes this winter? No? Good! Jewish Family Services needs your help to fill in for our Snowbird Volunteer Drivers. An elderly women requires a short ride to and from her home in Craig Henry to Loblaws College Square. You would pick her up around 4:00 PM, drop her off at the store, and return two hours later to help her bring the groceries into her home. This woman needs our help on the following Thursdays:  February 6 & 20; March 5 & 19. If you can help on one, some, or all of these days, please contact George Sladowski, Volunteer Coordinator, at 613-722-2225, ext. 350, or email gsladowski@jfsottawa.com. 

Calling all artists! Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation is looking for new card designs! The Jewish calendar is filled with a rich variety of holidays. From upcoming Tu Bishvat, on Feb. 10, which marks the new year for trees, to Purim in March and Passover in April, there are always occasions to send a Tribute card. Please send us a high resolution image of your original artwork - suitable to be printed on 5" x 7" cards. Consider images suitable for celebrations, sympathy, encouragement, wishes for good health, as well as Jewish holidays. All chosen designs will carry the artist's name and will be featured on our website, on social media, and in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.  For more details visit our website. To submit your design, email Nathaniel at nfinestone@jewishottawa.com.

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, including: general donations to fund programming, rabbinic leadership, donations in honor or in memory of a person or event, or dedication of ritual objects. We also welcome donations to the Gita (Tova) & Zvi Taub Memorial Fund, the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, the Or Haneshamah Endowment Fund. Federal employees or retirees can also give to OrH through the Annual Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign. Information on all these programs and how to give can be found at this link, or by clicking on the "Donate" tab on the main menu of the OrH website.

Wearing of Scented Products
Out of concern for our fellow members and guests who have chemical sensitivities, and out of respect for the commitment of the First Unitarian Congregation to ensure that the space we share be fragrance-free, the Board respectfully requests that OrH members and visitors refrain as much as possible from wearing scented products, such as perfume, cologne, and hair or body sprays, at OrH services, events and activities. We appreciate your attention to this issue and for supporting our commitment to be an inclusive and welcoming community.

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.

Board of Directors

February Board Chair: David, treasurer@orh.ca

Treasurer: Ari, treasurer@orh.ca
Secretary: Joanie, secretary@orh.ca
Communications: David, communications@orh.ca
Membership: Barbara, membership@orh.ca
Member-at-Large: Sharon, member-at-large.sharon@orh.ca
 Member-at-Large: Timna, member.at.large-timna@orh.ca

Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton: rabbi@orh.ca
OrH 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

** 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.