OrH Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

21 April 2020

Lay-led Shabbat morning service
 
Join Shira on Zoom this Saturday, April 25 10:30-12 as she davens Pesukei d'Zimrah, Shacharit and Hallel, using the Reconstructionist siddur. The service will be a little more traditional, lots of singing guaranteed. Login from the OrH website.

Be a Zoom Trainer or Service Co-Host

Do you feel comfortable with Zoom? We are looking for folks who would be willing to co-host our services (operating the screen shares, answering the chats, etc.). We also would love if some of you would be willing to help guide members of the congregation to participate in zoom meetings, lead meetings, or set up and host their own meetings. 
 
For this Saturday morning, or for the general offer to do a “Basic” or Advanced” Zoom training, please be in touch with Shira at rituals@orh.ca
Once we have a few Trainers identified, we’ll set up course sessions - via Zoom, of course! With a little training, using this platform quickly becomes easy and comfortable.

Upcoming Services and Events
   
Lay-Led Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday, April 25, 2020
10:30 AM - 12:00 AM, via Zoom
 
Chanting and Chocolate
Sunday, April 26, 2020
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, via Zoom

Reconstructionist News

Reconstructing Judaism offers us a new Virtual Shabbat Box: https://tinyurl.com/qqdr4l9
The archive of back issues of Reconstructionism Today is available at: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/newsletter-archive


SAJ, the "flagship"/original/Kaplan's congregation is making these offerings open to smaller RJ communities like ours:
Monday – Friday 
8:00AM - Ma Tovu Wake Up Prayers, led by Rabbi Lauren - 20 minutes of reflection and meditation to start your day every weekday (Zoom ID: 555-616-175)

Tuesdays (every week) 
2:00PM - Text Exploration with Rabbi Lauren or Guest Teachers TBD  (Zoom ID: 790-811-981)
 
Thursdays
2:00PM - Philosophy of Prayer, with student Rabbi Sarah Brammar-Shlay (Zoom ID: 790-811-981) 
Sarah will teach her biweekly Shabbat class now on a weekly basis. Even if you have not participated yet, you are welcome to join the learning!

RitualWell is offering a series of 7 writing workshops for the Omer .

In The Ottawa Community
* = New item this week
 
Community Events and Announcements
 
The Gamliel Institute is a center for study, training, and advocacy concerning Jewish end of life practices.  Their (online) courses for 2020-2021, long and short, can be found at https://www.jewish-funerals.org/  They also have a new seminar series on the Spiritual Challenges of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The 18th Kavod v’Nichum North American Chevrah Kadisha and Jewish Cemetery Conference will be held through Zoom this year, June 7-10, 2020, Sunday through Wednesday.

April, May, June 2020 Short Courses
Grit and Grace: Meeting the Spiritual Challenges of Aging (Rabbi Dayle Friedman)
April 22, 2020, 8:00pm Eastern (one 90-minute class), USD$36
Seven Sacred Circles: Cultivating the Divine Feminine (Topic area is taharah) (Rabbi T’mimah Ickovits) April 29 and May 6, 2020, 8:00pm Eastern (two 90-minute classes), USD$72
You Shall Surely Bury Them?  The Jewish Community’s Cremation Challenge (David Zinner) May 20, 2020, 8:00pm Eastern (one 90-minute class), USD$72
"You Want It Darker” –The Death Awareness Practice of Leonard Cohen (Gary Goldberg) June 25, 2020, 8:00pm Eastern (one 90-minute class), USD$36

​​​​​​​
Message from Ottawa Chevra Kadisha and Jewish Memorial Gardens. Beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, and until further notice, we will only be conducting graveside funeral services. By limiting funerals to small graveside ceremonies, we are keeping our community protected while honouring and caring for families experiencing loss. We are also minimizing the exposure to our Chevra Kadisha volunteers and our dedicated cemetery team who play such a vital role in serving us in our time of need. As the COVID-19 crisis plays out, we will continue to monitor the situation, and will revert back to our usual practices as soon as it is deemed appropriate. Should a death occur in your family during this time, please contact Jewish Memorial Gardens at 613-688-3530 and select 'Option 1'. As always, both organizations are committed to working together to provide the best possible service to our community during this difficult period.
 
Respectfully,  
Tammy Torontow
Executive Director
Jewish Memorial Gardens

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

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.

Board of Directors

April Board Chair: Barbara, membership@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.