OrH Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

22 January 2019

Introducing “Many Hands Taking Action”
Thank you to everyone who attended the special meeting in December – it was wonderful. Together we demonstrated a palpable commitment to create what’s needed to better distribute the work of the community throughout the community. Following through, the board is sponsoring Many Hands – an initiative whose success depends on it being owned by all of us.
 
Already a small group has started to develop the “How-To” guides for various holidays and two more groups are being launched – one to craft the expectations and norms for member contributions to our community, and another to explore the platforms to enable and share those contributions. Stay tuned for more information about Many Hands and how to get involved. 

Upcoming Services and Events
 
Shabbat Morning Torah Service
Saturday, February 2, 2019
9:45 AM - 12:15 PM, Fellowship Hall
 
BaMa'gal B'nei Mitzvah Group
Sunday, February 3, 2019
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM at SJCC for Mitzvah Day
 
Roots and Reflections
Sunday, February 3, 2019
9:45 AM - 11:30 AM, Member's home, RSVP to mindfulness@orh.ca
 
Chanting and Chocolate
Sunday, February 3, 2019
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Room 5
 
Guf Va'Nafesh: Mind-Body-Spirit Integration Class
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Room 5

Reconstructionist News

Reconstructionism Today
The latest issue of Reconstructionism Today can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/ydce3wxy . 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

* Expanding the Circle Family Play Date (for interfaith families), Jan 27
4 - 5:30 pm, SJCC Gymnasium. Bring your kids to play while you get to know other families in an informal setting. Pizza will be served. Free event!
Contact Maxine Miska for more information at 613-798-9818 x263 or mmiska@jccottawa.com
 
March of the Living Information Session, Jan 28, 7 - 9 pm at the SJCC, Social Hall. High school students and families are invited to join Eli Rubenstein, National Director of March of the Living Canada, along with past participants, chaperones and Federation staff for a community information session regarding the March of the Living Holocaust educational trip to Poland and Israel that will be departing in April 2020. Contact Lindsay Gottheil at 613-798-4696 x355 or lgottheil@jewishottawa.com
 
* Movie: “Shoelaces”,  Feb 2, 7 - 9 pm at Kehillat Beth Israel, 1400 Coldrey Ave. "Shoelaces" tells the story of a complicated relationship between an aging father and his special-needs son, whom he abandoned while he was still a young boy. Through the film's portrayal of a relationship full of love, rejection and co-dependency, it manages to shed some light and question the importance of human life, human connection and if life is even possible without either. Hebrew (with English subtitles). $10 members/ $12 non-members. For more info or to RSVP contact Deborah Zuker at rabbizuker@kehillatbethisrael.com
 
Mitzvah Day 2019. Join returning Chairs Jonathan and Naomi Mitchell for another wonderful day of mitzvot on February 3, 2019 from 9-11:45 am. Favourite activities of years past will return along with many new activities for all ages. Free breakfast. Register today at http://www.mitzvahdayottawa.com. ! If you would like to support Mitzvah Day with a donation, please visit www.mitzvahdayottawa.com/event-donations.html.
 
* Classic Israeli Film Series: "Operation Sunflower" (2014), February 7, 6:40 - 9 pm at the SJCC. The Embassy of Israel in Canada in partnership with Vered Israel Cultural and Educational Program and CICF are proud to present a winter series of classic Israeli films. 7pm - a short talk by Israeli Cultural Attache to Canada, Itay Tavor, followed by the film. Refreshments will be served. Contact: Ella at edagan@jewishottawa.com
 
* Movie: “The Yellow Ticket” - Feb 10, 2 - 4 pm, Temple Israel. A 1918 classic silent movie starring Pola Negri. Original sound track written and performed by Klezmatics co-founder Alicia Svigals (violin) with Merilyn Lerner (piano). Advance ticket purchase recommended. Adults $20; Students $10. Reserve at concerts@templeisraelottawa.ca
 
* Jazz Vespers for Valentine's Day at FirstU - Tuesday Feb. 12 2019, 7:30-8:30 PM, 30 Cleary Ave. A contemporary service featuring such standards as Night and Day, Someone to Watch Over Me, It's Only a Paper Moon, and Moonglow. You will also enjoy hearing some readings for Valentine's Day and live painting by Laurie Foster-MacLeod. Freewill donation accepted at the door.

* Movie: The Ancestral Sin, Feb 16, 7 - 9 pm, at Kehillat Beth Israel, 1400 Coldrey Ave. Declared a "documentary dynamite" in Israel, this award-winning film reveals the story of Israel's "development towns" as never told before: Testimonials and previously sealed transcripts reveal a method, an ideology and a cruel practice of law enforcement and decision makers behind the "population dispersal" policies in the first two decades of independence. Documentary in Hebrew (with English subtitles). $10/members; $12/non-members. For more info or to RSVP contact Deborah Zuker at rabbizuker@kehillatbethisrael.com
 
* Sarah Waisvisz’s solo show returns to Ottawa, Feb 18, 9pm at Arts Court.
Sarah’s show, Monstrous, will be performed for one night only as part of the undercurrents festival’s first ever Industry Showcase event, highlighting work developed through the festival’s play development program. Monstrous premiered at the undercurrents festival in February 2016 and has been performed in Montreal, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Athens GA, and the script has been published by Alt.theatre (13.3).

Heir to the traumatic histories of Africa, the Caribbean, and European Jewry, a woman interrogates who she is and who she could be while navigating family lore, genetics, conflicting histories, and the complexity of being biracial in our “multicultural” Canadian society. An interdisciplinary show for anyone who is also seeking belonging somewhere, somehow…

Tickets for Monstrous 

Community Opportunities
 
* Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation Scholarships and Grants
We are proud to offer scholarships and grants with the shared purpose of benefiting our community. The 2019 application process opens today for each of the following awards. GJ Cooper Scholarship Award, Ilana and Steven Rubin Scholarship Award, Norman Lesh Philanthropy Award, Women’s Collective Philanthropy (WCCP) Grant. For more info, contact foundation@jewishottawa.com, 613-798-4696 x252, or visit: https://ojcf.ca/programs_awards

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 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.

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.

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

Treasurer: Ari, treasurer@orh.ca
Secretary: Jean, secretary@orh.ca
Communications: David, communications@orh.ca
Learning: Michael, learning@orh.ca
Membership: Barbara, membership@orh.ca
Ritual and Volunteer Co-Coordinator: Sarah, member-at-large-sarah@orh.ca
Member-at-Large: Tom, member-at-large.tom@orh.ca
Member-at-Large: Sharon, member-at-large.sharon@orh.ca
Member-at-Large (until May 2019): Halina, member-at-large.halina@orh.ca
Past President (until May 2019): Monica, 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.