OrH Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

24 July 2018

Greetings from the Shalom Group!
The Shalom Group has loads of good news to share with you since the Alsahar family’s arrival in Ottawa just over a month ago. Shadi and Asmaa and their three young children have been adjusting well to their new lives in Canada. A town home has been found for the family to move into on August 1st. Each member of the family has had their English language abilities assessed, and Shadi is currently enrolled in English language lessons. The children will be taking swimming lessons at the neighbourhood swimming pool this summer. The Shalom Group would like to thank the members of our wonderful community who provided financial assistance, allowing for this humanitarian effort to come to fruition. To read more about the Alsahar family’s experience in recent weeks go to: https://www.orh.ca/supporting-syrian-refugees.html. 

Shabbat in the Park
Enjoy a summer Shabbat service outdoors! Join our community on Saturday, July 28, as we gather at the bandshell at Andrew Haydon Park to celebrate and explore growth, camp-style, through the traditional structure of our Shabbat morning service. After the service we will enjoy kiddush and a vegetarian pot-luck picnic lunch together.
 
Andrew Haydon Park is located at 3169 Carling Ave. Meet at 10 am by the river behind the bandshell (and in the bandshell if it is raining). Bring your lawn chair and games. Invite family, friends, and neighbours to join in. See you there!

Upcoming Services and Events

Shabbat in the Park
Saturday, July 28, 2018
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM, Andrew Haydon Park, 3169 Carling Ave.

Reconstructionist News

Join the Tikkun Olam Commission
Reconstructing Judaism's Tikkun Olam Commission is currently seeking new members who are passionate about social justice and reflect the diversity of the movement. For more information visit https://tinyurl.com/yaxdewqk.

Reconstructionism Today
The latest issue of Reconstructionism Today can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/ydhpr4ja. The archive of back issues are available at: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/newsletter-archive. 

In The Ottawa Community 
* = New item this week 

Community Events and Announcements

Mark your calendars for Lorne Mallin’s monthly Chanting and Chocolate gathering at Temple Israel on Monday, July 30, 7:30-9pm. Join in sacred Hebrew chanting with beautiful melodies and spiritual intention to open the heart and connect with the Divine. Lorne Mallin is joined by Ottawa musical friends. Hebrew knowledge is not required – chant sheets are provided. After the chanting, enjoy tea and home-baked, triple-chocolate brownies. $10 suggested donation to help Ugandan orphans to go to school. Contact Lorne at lorne.mallin@gmail.com or 604-222-3379.  

Get Involved! Opportunities for Community Involvement
Are you looking to get involved with OrH activities? We are always in need of helping hands with event planning and other activities. All are welcome, including High Schoolers who are looking for community volunteer opportunities. Please contact info@orh.ca or visit the OrH home page (look for the Get Involved! banner). 

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 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.

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.

Rides to Services and Events
Will you need a ride to services and OrH events? Are you able to offer a ride to services OrH events? We encourage members to be generous with their offers of rides. Please contact  info@orh.ca  with your name and area of the city you are coming from.

Visiting or Studying in Toronto or Montreal?
If you or your children will be in Toronto or Montreal, they are very welcome at our sibling congregations. We have reciprocal memberships with both Darchei Noam (Toronto) and Dorshei Emet (Montreal). Likewise, we welcome their members to our services, programs, and High Holy Day services. For security reasons we ask to call ahead to make arrangements for the High Holy Days.

A Caring Community
Members are encouraged to contact the rabbi or any board member to let us know about your pastoral care needs, or the needs of another member, whether related to a new or an ongoing circumstance. These may include such situations as a pending hospitalization, a change in health, relationship, or employment status, other life transitions, or the death of a loved one. Through knowing what is happening in each other’s lives, we give each other, including our rabbi, the opportunity to perform acts of gemilut hasadim/loving kindness, the hallmark of a caring community.

We Are Listening
How do you feel things are going in our community? Do you have ideas about programs or events that we should pursue? What aspects of Or Haneshamah do you feel are working well, and what do you think can be improved?  In the interest of making OrH the best community that it can be, the board and rabbi invite you to submit comments and feedback at any time. Please send your thoughts to  feedback@orh.ca  or directly to any member of the board (email addresses below).

Board of Directors
Interim President (until Dec 2018): Monica, president@orh.ca
Treasurer: Jacob, treasurer@orh.ca
Interim Secretary (until Dec 2018): Martine, secretary@orh.ca
Communications: David, communications@orh.ca
Learning: Michael, learning@orh.ca
Membership: Barbara, membership@orh.ca
Member-at-Large (Shabbat-Around-the-Table): Jan, member-at-large.jan@orh.ca
Member-at-Large (Hesed/Caring Committeee): Jean, member-at-large.jean@orh.ca
Member-at-Large (Membership): Sharon, member-at-large.sharon@orh.ca
Interim Member-at-Large (until Dec 2018): Halina, member-at-large.halina@orh.ca
Past President: Paula, past-president@orh.ca

 
Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton:  rabbi@orh.ca
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.