OrH Newsletter

Weekly Member Newsletter

9 April 2019

Pre-Pesach Chametz Chow-Down and Pre-Seder Sing-Off! 

This Friday, April 12, it's our last chance before Passover for a Shabbat meal replete with challah, pasta, and other yummy chametz-filled recipes. We'll welcome Shabbat (at 6:30), eat together (at 7:30), and enjoy a Shira/sing-a-long, starting with some of your favourite songs of freedom. Bring your instruments, your voices and your copies of Rise Up Singing! Feel free to come for dessert and singing at 8:00 if you can’t make it for the service and/or dinner.

OrH Community Seder 2019
 
Or Haneshamah's Community Passover Seder will take place on Saturday, April 20 at 6:00 pm.
 
This year we will again run two parallel seders, both at the Unitarians, 30 Cleary Ave:
 
• A seder geared for families with children of all ages but open to anyone who would like a shorter seder of about an hour. Share the four cups and the four questions, enjoy the lively pace, a delicious meal, and all the familiar songs and customs.
 
• An immersive, leisurely seder led by Rabbi Liz. Dig into the perennial yet relevant questions around freedom, liberation, and identity. Engage the ritual practices and texts, imbued with contemporary resonance.
 
Registration is now open at www.orh.ca/passover-seder.html.
 
** Please register by Friday, April 12.** 

Upcoming Services and Events

Kabbalat Shabbat 
Friday, April 12, 2019
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM, Room 5
 
Pre-Pesach Shira/Sing-a-long
Friday, April 12, 2019
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Room 5

Many Hands Community Consultation
Sunday, April 14, 2019
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Room 5

Reconstructionist News

Reconstructing Judaism Statement on the New Zealand Mosque Attacks 
We have posted an official statement of the movement in response to the New Zealand mosque attacks on the OrH homepage. You can also access the statement at https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/news/statement-new-zealand-mosque-attacks

Reconstructionism Today
The latest issue of Reconstructionism Today can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/ydce3wxy. The archive of back issues is available at: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/newsletter-archive

In The Ottawa Community
* = New item this week
 
Community Events and Announcements
 
The First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa silent auction fundraiser is currently online at https://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/home.cfm?auctionID=13900. They have over 180 items up for auction including a bass guitar autographed by Paul McCartney. Online bidding closes at 11:30AM on April 3, but the Silent Auction continues with paper bidding sheets on Sunday April 7 and Sunday April 14 at FirstU, 30 Cleary Ave., at approximately 12 noon. The guitar and other items will be on display on those two Sundays. If you missed bidding on line, please feel free to come to the church on 7 and 14 April to join in the silent bidding. For more information contact Bob Armstrong on 613 680 3884 or by e-mail to timetalent@firstunitarianottawa.ca.

Classic Israeli Film Series. April 11, 6:40 - 9 pm. Refreshments will be served. 7pm - a short talk by Israeli Cultural Attache to Canada, Itay Tavor, followed by the film. SJCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt.

The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World - Author Talk with Ottawa native Sarah Weinman, April 23, 7:30 - 9 pm at the SJCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt. Contact Roslyn Wollock at rwollock@jccottawa.com

Community Opportunities

Friends of English Theatre of the National Arts Centre are organizing a trip to Montreal's Segal Centre for the Performing Arts for a performance of the award-winning play, Indecent by Paula Vogel on May 5, 2019. Indecent recounts the history of the controversial 1906 Yiddish play, Der Got Fun Nekome (The God of Vengeance) by Shalom Asch. Registration is $175. The package includes coach transportation from the Soloway Jewish Community Centre or Downtown, a buffet lunch, a ticket to the matinee performance and post-performance refreshment. Food served will be kosher. For more information visit https://tinyurl.com/y69a6uu6 or contact Fran at 613-726-9330 or fetnac@gmail.com or visit fetnac.org. Registration is April 1.

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.