OrH Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

5 May 2020

Omer-Counting + Havdallah
 
Sarah Waisvisz will lead us in a creative Omer-counting + Havdallah ritual to accompany us in these 3 weeks leading to Shavuot Shavuot. Join this Saturday evening at 8:30PM. When we gather via Zoom, we will first perform the Havdallah ritual. Then we will recite the Omer counting blessing and discuss the Sefirah or "attribute" that is associated with that day. Sarah will then lead a short guided creative practice where you can write or draw your way through an exploration of that attribute.
 
Join the meeting here or log in to Zoom and access Meeting ID: 859 1822 7238, Password: 224945. If you would like to phone in, please visit the OrH website for full details.

Save the Date: OrH Annual General Meeting

Please join us on May 24 at 7:00 pm via Zoom for our Annual General Meeting. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. We will be electing new members of the Board, reviewing the past year, and approving our annual budget.

Well-Wishes from Unitarians
 
Our friends at the First Unitarian Congregation have warmly extended their well-wishes to our community in this difficult time. In a recent message to the Board, they note, “It is so good to read your newsletter and see, that like us, a few locked doors are not putting any stop to nurturing our beloved communities or stoking the passion for our mission. Wishing you all at OrH wellness in body, mind and soul, please pass this on from all of us here at FirstU Ottawa.”

Upcoming Services and Events
   
Guf Va'Nefesh: Body-Mind-Spirit Integration Online
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, via Zoom

Omer-Counting + Havdallah
Saturday, May 9, 2020
8:30 PM - 9:30 PM, via Zoom
 
Bat Mitzvah/Shabbat Morning Torah Service
Saturday, May 16, 2020
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, via Zoom
 
Omer-Counting + Havdallah
Saturday, May 16, 2020
8:30 PM - 9:30 PM, via Zoom
 
Yoga Shabbat
Saturday, May 23, 2020
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, via Zoom
 
Annual General Meeting
Sunday, May 24, 2020
7:00 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 Shalom Foundation and the Center for Yiddish Culture invite all Yiddish lovers to a three-week virtual meeting with Yiddish language and with Jewish history, literature, culture and art, which will take place through the ZOOM platform on June 29 – July 17. 
Our year’s long tradition and experience related to the Warsaw seminar has been enriched this year with an online teaching and learning so that despite unfavorable conditions everyone can immerse themselves in the language and cultural world of Yiddish through intensive classes, as well as tutorials, lectures and workshops. From the comfort of your own home, but surrounded by participants from all over the world and under the guidance of the best specialists, we will once again delve into the extraordinary world of history and tradition associated with the language and culture of Ashkenazi Jews. Contact: zumerkurs@shalom.org.pl. Details: http://jidyszland.pl/en/letnie-seminarium/
 
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.

May, June 2020 Short Courses
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​​​​

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

May Board Chair: Sharon, 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.