OrH Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

5 January 2021

Words of the Spirit
 
Soul: A Film for the Soul of this Moment
 
When I was a child, I had a favourite book of Jewish folk tales and stories, which I would love to read aloud to company. Apparently, my parents didn’t curb this propensity, which may have laid the groundwork for some of my current professional activities [insert winking rabbi emoji].
 
My all-time favourite section of the book was devoted to stories of Chelm. Whether or not I understood it as a real place or a fictional variant – both are true – I was captivated by the tales of the wise fools whose antics reflected profound faith tinged with the sensibility of the Three Stooges.
 
The foundational story is one of angels dispatched to earth to distribute souls, all kinds of souls, and scatted them about equally.  On the way, the angel carrying the sack of foolish souls was distracted by the sight of a beautiful flower. The sack snagged on a mountain peak, spilling all the foolish souls in one benighted little spot in Poland – the Yiddish-speaking town of Chelm.
 
This idea of souls with different qualities, and souls being scattered and planted across the planet, has stayed with me all my life. It offers a narrative framework for me to consider my place – in my family, in the world, in specific circumstances. It doesn’t reflect a full-fledged theology; it just packs an otherwise massive scope of intellectually ponderous theorizing into – well, into a neat little sack.
 
The people of Pixar must know the Chelm story. They don’t exactly depict angels in their newly released full-length feature film Soul, nor are the character in any way fools. Yet it does address the question of what creates our uniqueness, and how we manifest or live into our purpose in life.
 
This delightful and lively animated spectacle totally captivated my attention, both with the story line and beautiful images. At various junctures, I couldn’t help wondering how this very adult film would be received by children. And yet, if I think about my child self, captivated by the Chelm stories, I shouldn’t really wonder. Only the medium differs, really. After all, who isn’t, at some time in their life and perhaps over and over again, confounded by The Big Questions.
 
A social media post shows the image that resulted from a five-year-old, activating his tablet using the voice feature, asking: “how many days is in Corona going to be gone” [insert weeping rabbi emoji]. Big ups, though, for the glorious music, from my go-to genre so far this pandemic winter – jazz. Maybe Soul really is the right film for the moment.
 
I wouldn’t be surprised if many of my colleagues made use of this film and its themes in forthcoming educational and ritual events. It brings to mind movies like the Coen brothers’ A Serious Man, or the television series The Good Place. From different starting places and utilizing varied genres, all these works address Big Ideas About the Universe. They form a new kind of canon, a toyreh, as the Wise Fools of Chelm would have pronounced Torah, or perhaps more properly a rasheh, a commentary like Rashi’s, to explicate the otherwise impenetrable complexities of the sacred, and of our pre-knowable beginnings.
 
Soul is a great film for the moment for other reasons. While it offers a satisfying scene of redemption, it still signals that the journey to seek meaning is not over, and perhaps may never conclude. What persists is the quest to understand, to find our place, and to situate ourselves in our tiny little corner of the world while knowing that somehow, we are connected to all the souls of the planet, wherever they landed.
 
Let 2021 bring safety, hope, comfort, and justice to kol yoshvey tevel, all who dwell on earth.
 
- Rabbi Liz

OrH Annual Campaign Update

Dear Friends,
We are now one month into our annual fundraising campaign, and we are delighted to report that we have currently raised $32,279 – nearly 90% of our $36,000 campaign target! We are so grateful to all of you who have been able to contribute this year. This includes nearly 60 OrH Member households and 26 non-member households.

We encourage all those who have not yet donated to our campaign to please consider doing so. We can easily meet our goal with support from our remaining member households. No contribution is too small! Our fundraising is vitally important to sustaining our programming and supporting our rabbinical and education leadership.
 
Donating is easy: visit orh.ca/annual-campaign.html, where you can make a payment by credit card or PayPal with no added convenience fees. If you wish to pay by e-transfer or mail a cheque, instructions are on our donation page. 
 
Thank you for your continued support,
Your OrH Board of Directors

January Schmooze 'n Learn Café
 
On the second Sunday each month from 10:30-noon Rabbi Liz leads a Zoom schmooze for us to chat and catch up for the first 30 minutes, followed by an OrH member presentation on a subject dear to their heart. Join us at our first Sunday schmooze of the new year on Sunday, January 10, 2021. 
 
Topic: “Tales of the Unexpected: Your Family is Not Boring”
Speaker: Inger Weibust
 
Inger will share amazing stories from her years of explorations in Jewish genealogy. She has been a passionate amateur genealogist for almost 20 years. More information at www.orh.ca/schmooze.

Upcoming Services and Events

Machaneh Shabbat
Saturday, January 9, 2021
9:00 AM (Machaneh Aleph), 9:30 AM (Machaneh Bet) – 10:30 AM, Zoom  

Schmooze 'n Learn: Jewish Genealogy
Sunday, January 10, 2021
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Zoom 

Machaneh Shabbat
Saturday, January 16, 2021
9:00 AM (Machaneh Aleph), 9:30 AM (Machaneh Bet) – 10:30 AM, Zoom  

Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday, January 16, 2021
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Zoom  

Chanting and Chocolate
Sunday, January 17, 2021
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM Zoom  

Reconstructionist News

OrH Members may be interested in some upcoming Recon events:
 
“God?: A Reconstructionist Conversation” - 2021 Virtual Day of Learning
Sunday, January 24, 2021, starting at 12:30 pm EST.

Schedule (all times are Eastern)
12:30 p.m. Welcome
12:45 p.m. God Café introduced by its creator, 4th Year Reconstructionist Rabbinical College student Sarah Brammer-Shlay, followed by small group discussions
1:45 p.m. Workshop Sessions
Teaching About God in a Reconstructionist Educational Setting
God in Pastoral Encounter
Praying With Your Feet
Praying Without God
God Through Our Hands/Hiddur Mitzvah (One of the panelists will be OrH Member Sarah Waisvisz) 
3:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: God? A Reconstructionist Conversation
4:30 p.m. Virtual Cocktail Hour

To register: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/20782/
Questions: Jackie Land  or Lani Moss. If you need help registering for the event, please reach out to Rachel Forth . 
 
How To Be An Inclusion Hero (Recon Community Live)
Sunday, February 7, 2021, 2:30 pm EST
Presenter: Kehillat Sukkat Shalom - Columbus, OH
Presenter email: joaniecalem@gmail.com
Come join JEOrg, the Jewish Educators Organization (Columbus, OH) in honoring JDAIM, Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (February!) This year’s intergenerational event will be online of course. Come learn how to be an inclusion hero and defeat exclusion. Interactive activities for all ages. To register for this event, please email Joanie Calem, Education Coodinator, at joaniecalem@gmail.com. Click here to receive event details.
 
Neurodiversity and Inclusion: Lessons from Covid 19 and from the Torah (Recon Community Live)
Sunday, February 21, 2021, 7:00 pm EST
Presenter: Kehillat Sukkat Shalom - Columbus, OH
Presenter email: joaniecalem@gmail.com
In honor of JDAIM, Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month, (February!) please join us for an online conversation with Prof. Samuel Levine, Professor of Law, Director of the Jewish Law Institute, and founder of the Disability Rights and Inclusion Project at Touro Law Center, on the topic of: “Neurodiversity and Inclusion: Lessons from Covid 19 and from the Torah.” To register for this event, please email Joanie Calem, Education Coodinator, at joaniecalem@gmail.com. Click here to receive event details .

Reconstructing Judaism is changing the location where digital prayerbooks are stored. The new links are now hosted on the Reconstructing Judaism website and should be much more stable and accessible. These links are not visible on the main website. Although the old links will remain active for the time being, we strongly encourage you to switch to these new links as soon as possible. 
 
Daily Prayerbook
Shabbat Vehagim
Prayers for a House of Mourning
Machzor

The archive of back issues of Reconstructionism Today is available at: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/newsletter-archive

In The Ottawa Community
* = New item this week
 
Community Events and Announcements

* Join Rabbi Joshua Lesser for a queer approach to the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's course, Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character through Mindfulness and Middot, an eight-week, online and live program designed to help us respond more often as our best selves, even in challenging times. During this course, you’ll learn how to access and practice eight core character traits (middot), ranging from loving connection to mindful speech. Rabbi Lesser will be offering weekly guided practice sessions on the materials and practice through a queer lens. Full details and registration info are available here. The program begins the week starting Sunday, January 10; the registration deadline is Thursday, January 7. 
This special edition of Awareness in Action is for anyone interested in a queer, LGBTQ+ aligned approach to practicing mindfulness and middot. In eight weekly, live practice sessions, Rabbi Lesser will apply an intentional queer lens to the program materials and sacred texts. This approach will support participants in integrating the practice more deeply, and bolstering the change they wish to manifest in themselves, their communities, and the world. All gender identities and sexual orientations are welcome.

* Bikur Cholim Conference. During this COVID time, OrH members have more need than ever to learn skills to Jewishly comfort those who are sick—other OrH members, our friends, and in the broader Ottawa community. We urge you to consider registering for the Bikur Cholim (comforting those who are sick) conference or individual sessions which run every two weeks between January 4 and May 10. The presenters are excellent, the price is low ($72 US for the 10 sessions, $36 US for 3 sessions, and $18 US for single sessions).  https://www.jewish-funerals.org/2021-bikur-cholim-conference/#pgm.
Bikur Cholim (comforting those who are sick) is an important mitzvah. During Covid it has become a challenge, yet it is even more important now. Bikur Cholim provides a healing antidote to restrictions on human interaction. Both the comforter and comfortee have the potential to be spiritually uplifted. We’ve put together a 10 part Bikur Cholim series with some of the best experts in the field. Join us every other Monday starting January 4 at 7pm EST. You’ll find information about each session and the presenterson our web site. Or you can click hereto go directly to registration. $72 for 10 sessions. Scholarships available.
David Balto and David Zinner
www.Jewish-funerals.org/bikur

* A Jewish-Arab Israeli Political Party in the Making? Sunday, January 17, 2021, 13:00 EST.  Presented by the International Progressive Jewish Network. Speakers: Rula Daood, Avraham Burg, Yona Yahav, David Enoch; moderated by Dania Masalha-Shahbari. To RSVP and more information: https://www.jlinknetwork.org/events.

Invitation from KBI to demonstrate on behalf of the Uyghurs. This year, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, members of Kehillat Beth Israel (KBI) demonstrated every weekday afternoon opposite the Chinese embassy on St. Patrick Street on behalf of the oppressed and
persecuted Uyghur population of China. At the conclusion of the week they decided to continue the demonstrations and protests on a weekly basis – they continue to meet and demonstrate one day a week, on Thursday afternoon.  They have also reached out to other faith communities to join them in this stand and their numbers have grown over time.
The mistreatment of the Uyghurs, including forced labor and “re-education” camps, is reminiscent of the Jewish experience with concentration camps of the Second World War, in the opinion of campaign organizer Andre Brantz, which inspired him to start the protests in September. Since then, a committee of the Parliament of Canada has described the Uyghur persecution as a form of genocide.
This week, the Guardian newspaper published an article by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis: "As chief rabbi, I can no longer remain silent about the plight of the Uyhgurs."  The subtitle is: "An unfathomable mass atrocity is being perpetrated in China.  The responsibility for doing something lies with all of us."
(https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/15/chief-rabbi-silent-plight-uighurs-atrocity-china)
We invite all members of the Ottawa Jewish community to join us on Thursday afternoons at 3 PM opposite the Chinese Embassy on St. Patrick Street.  It is our hope and our prayer that this action, taken in conjunction with other political and economic actions, will raise awareness and will lead to the end of these atrocities.

Special Notice for Holocaust Survivors: Any survivor who has received the one-time Hardship Fund compensation payment from Germany through the Claims Conference may now be eligible for two supplemental payments, beginning in 2021. The Claims Conference will mail a personalized application to you, based on the address they have on file. If you have moved since the time you received the Hardship Fund, you will need to notify the Claims Conference. The Claims Conference has all the information about the Supplemental Hardship Fund on their website including all the contact information you, or someone acting on your behalf, will need. The Claims Conference website is: www.claimscon.org  If you require additional information and, or support please contact Jewish Family Services 613 722-2225 x 311 (English), or x 326 (Russian)

The City of Jerusalem: Ideas and Images, an art history course developed by Dr. Loren Lerner at Concordia University, is now available for free at https://jerusalemjournal.concordia.ca/jerusalem_ideas_and_images.html

The latest episode of Meet the Author is now live! In the current episode, Ruth Panofsky, a professor of English at Ryerson University where she specializes in Canadian literature and culture, discusses her recent edited volume (The New Spice Box: Contemporary Jewish Writing). Her interviewers are Catherine Caufield (Concordia University of Edmonton) and Jesse Toufexis (University of Ottawa). Enjoy, and stay tuned for more episodes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwQ0n44_48  

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

January Board Chair: Elijah, elijah@orh.ca ​​​​​​​
Treasurer: Ari, treasurer@orh.ca
Interim Secretary: Kathy, secretary@orh.ca
Communications: David, communications@orh.ca
Membership: Barbara, membership@orh.ca
Learning: Diana, learning@orh.ca
Ritual/Many Hands: Shira, rituals@orh.ca ​​​​​​​
 Interim Member-at-Large: Elijah, elijah@orh.ca  
​​​​​​​Interim Member-at-Large: Carolyn, carolyn@orh.ca

Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton: rabbi@orh.ca
OrH Members are welcome to contact Rabbi Liz, the Hesed team (hesed@orh.ca),
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.