OrH Newsletter

Biweekly Newsletter

23 November 2021

We Like This Season a Latke

Forgive us… But there is nothing quite like a good pun to begin a newsletter. We have so many wonderful things to discuss: our annual fundraising drive (please donate!), some festive candle lighting, details on how we make our decisions about in-person events, Shabbat celebrations galore and an initiative to help a refugee family move to our wonderful city. Gimmel a chance, and you’ll love this update as much as we do.

Our Annual Fundraising Campaign is Now Open!

​​​​​​​Each year we ask our community to contribute what they can to our annual fundraising campaign. While our members already contribute generously through their membership costs, many people don’t realize that membership renewal only covers about half of our yearly expenses. Donations to our annual fundraising campaign are the reason we are able to provide such excellent programming all year round. 

This year, to honour the 32nd anniversary of Or Haneshamah's founding, we are asking for a goal of $32,000. In Hebrew, the number 32 is written "לב" or "lev", which is also the Hebrew word for heart. If you are able to give to our campaign, please give with your heart.

You're invited to pay what you can. To help you decide how much you would like to contribute, we have put together a list with examples based on the average costs of Or Haneshamah's expenses. Your donations could help us with essential things like supplies, honorariums, and even rent. You may also donate a custom amount if you so wish. All donations made are eligible for an official donation receipt. Donate to our campaign here, or follow the link on the front page of our website. Please log into your account prior to donating. Payment will be accepted by credit card, etransfer, or cheque. If you have any questions, or need help making a donation, please don’t hesitate to contact us! 

Reopening Advisory Committee -
How We Approach In-Person Events

As case counts go down and vaccination rates go up, we look forward to in-person events, for holidays, Shabbat, and learning. To do this safely, the Board has convened a Reopening Advisory Committee, composed of 5 health professionals within the Or Haneshamah community and chaired by the Rituals Coordinator. This group meets as needed and provides recommendations to the OrH board, who makes decisions to protect the health of our community. While we would all love to know when we can go back to "normal" shul life, the only thing we can know for certain is that the situation is always changing. With that in mind, we can share some of our basic principles as we move forward:

• Anyone (including children) participating in an indoor activity at Cleary Ave must be fully vaccinated, i.e. 2 weeks past their second dose.
• With rare exceptions for a person leading an event, everyone remains masked even indoors.
• At this time, eating indoors still represents a high risk of transmission.
• We use an online tool created by MIT which takes into consideration room size, air circulation, and activity level, among other factors, in order to evaluate risks and determine capacity limits.
• Even as we plan in-person events, we will continue to offer hybrid access (for online participants) as much as possible. 
• The Board will consult with the Reopening Advisory Committee, the Rabbi and the Educator as circumstances change and whenever we need to reassess our guidelines.

We will have more information about our reopening approach on the website shortly, and we will work to keep our communication clear and up-to-date. Questions can be directed to rituals@orh.ca.

Fundraising to Co-Sponsor a Syrian Family

Did you know that Or Haneshamah is co-sponsoring a Syrian family? Since the summer, we have been attending meetings with representatives of the 1st Unitarian Church and Syrian family members who live here in Ottawa. Two members of the church have agreed to take the lead on preparing the application to bring nine family members to Canada. They are expecting to have the application completed by early December. As a group, we have to show that we have 80% of this money or $44,000 when the application is submitted to the Federal government later in December of this year. The family here in Ottawa have already raised $30,000. That is extraordinary! The 1st Unitarian Church has committed $10,000 of their funds, so we are well along the way to raising what is needed. OrH has said that we would try to raise $10,000 in total. But here is our immediate modest goal – raise the remaining $4,000 to ensure that the Joint Committee has the 80% needed to complete the application. The Unitarians have agreed to receive funds donated by us and to issue charitable receipts. Would you be able to donate to help this family? Please write to communications@orh.ca to be emailed the donation instructions. Any amount helps.

Exploring Judaism 

If you are seeking to deepen your understanding of your Jewish heritage, or to explore Judaism as a spiritual and religious tradition you wish to embrace, you’ve found the right learning opportunity - as you are, whoever you are, or wherever you are. Led by Rabbi Liz, and featuring plenty of interaction among students, this course leads participants through the major value concepts and practices of Judaism. We wrestle with fundamental questions while learning from and studying with each other.

1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month - 7pm - 8:30pm

2021 - November 18, December 2nd, December 16th

2022 - January 6th, January 20th, February 3rd, February 17th, March 3rd, March 17th, April 7th, April 21st, May 5th, May 19th, June 2nd & June 16th (15 Sessions)

LOCATION : Zoom

FEES: OrH Full Members and Student Members: $180, Non-OrH Members or Associate Members: $360. You can register here.

Virtual Tours of Israel

It is a difficult time to travel internationally, but our congregation has been offered a special opportunity: virtual learning tours of Israel. These tours were created during the pandemic for communities that are unable to travel, but who still wish to “visit” and learn. While normally these tours have an admission cost, these fees have been generously covered for any OrH members who would like to sign up. Starting December 1st, members can enjoy these tours and the content will remain available until Passover. More info to come, but you can check out this video for an idea of how these tours are put together. 

Upcoming Services and Events

Outdoor Hanukkah Celebration! (in person with Machaneh Shabbat)
Saturday November 27 10am to 12pm
Outdoors in the ‘backyard’ of our Cleary Ave home. This will be a wonderful Hanukkah activity for the whole family, with loot bags, songs, a scavenger hunt and a (wrapped) treat exchange. Families are invited to 'pitch a tent' and bring cozy blankets so that we can sit with our bubbles and be warm and toasty while we celebrate. If you would like to participate in the treat exchange, please bring a treat (for example, cookies in a ziplock bag) to share with others. Masks will be required unless you are eating or drinking with your family bubble. We can’t wait to celebrate with you! Please RSVP to educator@orh.ca so that we can keep track of numbers.

Virtual Hanukkah Party
Sunday November 28 7 - 8pm
Zoom
It’s the Hanukkah party of your dreams. We’ve got music, a Hanukkah joke contest, a group candle-lighting and some Hanukkah trivia. We can’t wait to see all your Hanukiahs glowing bright!

Shabbat Torah Service
Saturday December 4 10am-noon  
via Zoom from Cleary Avenue
Our Torah service on the first Saturday in December will include chanting from Parshat Mikketz along with reading marking the 6th day of Hanukkah as well as Rosh Hodesh (the new month of) Tevet, as we celebrate Bnei Mitzvah. Members and guests are welcome to join in via Zoom for this Shabbat morning Torah service and simcha.
 
Shabbat Limmud – Marking Human Rights Shabbat
Saturday December 18  10:30am-noon   
via Zoom  
Join with Rabbi Liz as we sing, chant, listen, and reflect on the deep intersection between Judaism and Human Rights. The International Declaration of Human Rights was signed on December 10, 1948. Since 2008, congregations and havurot across North America have joined with Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights in observing the date.

Reconstructionist News and Events

*Watch/Listen: ‘The Sun Will Shine Again: A COVID-19 Musical Meditation’  
Cantor Elizabeth Sternlieb brings a musical meditation to address the isolation of COVID-19. Remember to breathe and stay in the moment. Sourced from Ritualwell 
Read: ‘Tamar the Hidden’
“Maybe the Torah is really Tamar’s story,” Ellen Dannin proposes. “But for Tamar, there would be no Jewish people.” Sourced from ReconstructingJudaism.org 

#GivingTuesday: Shining a Light on Justice
Saturday evening, November 27 - Tuesday, November 30
Join Reconstructing Judaism online as we shine a light on justice as part of #GivingTuesday. On Saturday evening, we'll kick off our events with havdalah. We'll also host short virtual learning sessions on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with Reconstructionist leaders. All sessions are free and open to all! Register here.
Saturday Evening, November 27
7 p.m. EST - Musical Havdalah with Solomon Hoffman

Sunday, November 28
10 a.m. EST - Neurodiversity: A Jewish Approach with Rabbi Amber Powers
2 p.m. EST - On Hanukkah and the Use of Force with Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum

Monday, November 29
10 a.m. EST - The Story of Judith with Rabbi Jessica Lott
2 p.m. EST - Light One Candle for Justice with Rabbi Lily Solochek

Tuesday, November 30
8 a.m. EST - The Cabin of Candles with George Kelley
11 a.m. EST - A Balm for All Wounds: Etty Hillesum's Wisdom for Dark Times with Hila Ratzabi
2 p.m. EST - Session with Amanda Mbuvi, Ph.D.
4 p.m. EST - Bolstering our Courage to Pursue Justice: Resilience Practices from Birkhot Hashakhar/Morning Blessings with Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D.
6 p.m. EST - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Rabbi Sandra Lawson
9 p.m. EST - Session with Rabbi Seth Goldstein

November 14 @ 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. PST (4 p.m. - 6 p.m. EST)
The Tower of Babel: People’s Choice or Public Nuisance?
Join University Synagogue to find out why the Tower was the last straw and watch the drama unfold! Professor Oren Izenberg will introduce the story, followed by Professor Laurie Levenson and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky presenting the evidence and arguing the case in a thought-provoking and entertaining debate over the legal and ethical questions at stake. Finally, you, the jury, will decide this important biblical case. Click here for more information and to register for this event.

Convention 2022 
B'Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together
Convention Registration opens Sunday, September 26!
Come gather together from March 23 – 27, 2022 for B’Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together. Over these four days, both in person and virtually, we will learn from and with experts, scholars and lay leaders. We will engage in conversations, ask questions, and listen. We will pray together, sing together, dance together and celebrate all that we do every day in our communities to reconstruct Judaism. Our convention will take place in the versatile spaces of the beautiful Hilton McLean Tysons Corner hotel, located in the Chesapeake region. Reserve a hotel room for our convention at a special rate.

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

* Jewish Education Through Torah
One Word at a Time: A Virtual Event about Mental Health
December 8 7:30 - 9 pm
A discussion with Michele Viner, author of "A Few Words About Mental Health" and Sarah Caspi, Executive Director of Jewish Family Services.
The book is written for those struggling with mental health issues, and those who love and support them. Written through the eyes of a mother, this book does not speak to the medical aspect but to the emotional journey, and is written to inspire and encourage. Free event. Donations are appreciated and will go to Cornerstone for Women. With a $25+ donation, receive a copy of the book. Register here.

* Rare Book Workshops: Themes and Variations in Jewish Printing and Book History.
Wednesday, November 24, 1pm
Zoom
The Jewish Public Library’s rare book workshop facilitators will share the research and stories that will telescope 500 years of Jewish books into 3-one-hour sessions. Register here.

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

Chair: Carolyn, president@orh.ca 
Treasurer: Elijah, treasurer@orh.ca
Secretary: Nicola, secretary@orh.ca
Communications: Andrea, communications@orh.ca
Membership: Myrna, membership@orh.ca
Learning: Diana, learning@orh.ca
Ritual/Many Hands: Shira, rituals@orh.ca ​​​​​​​
Interim Member-at-Large: Lyn


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.