OrH Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

2 July 2019

Volunteers Needed
 
We are in urgent need of volunteers to help move boxes, bookshelves and 
other small items from Room 9 to Room 5. In addition, Unitarians is going 
to be finishing the floors on the main level, and we need to move our 
mobile Torah stand from the storage room near Fellowship Hall via the 
elevator to Room 5 on the lower level. We estimate that this will take a 
couple of people less than an hour. This needs to be done sometime this 
week, and no later than July 6. If you can help, please email info@orh.ca.

Guf Va'Nefesh

The summer sessions of Guf Va'Nafesh – Body-Mind-Spirit Integration – wil be held at Tana's home in Kanata. Please contact Tana for directions. Classes are the first Wednesday of each month and explore the connections between body and mind. Participants will engage in gentle movement, verbal and non-verbal interaction, conscious breathing styles and visualization. The classes explore personal and inter-personal development in a Jewish context, translating concepts to direct, embodied experience, towards a deepening of personal fulfillment and community connection. Led by Tana Saler. For more information visit: www.orh.ca/gufvanafesh

Shabbat in the Park

Enjoy a Shabbat service outdoors at beautiful Rockcliffe Park on July 20. Join our community as we gather 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.
Meet at 10 am at the Pavilion. Parking available at lot P2 and P1, a bit further south of the Pavilion. Bring your lawn chair and games. Invite family, friends, and neighbours to join in. See you there! 
For information contact info@orh.ca

Jewish Jumpstart
 
OrH is participating in the Jewish Federation of Ottawa's Jewish Jumpstart program, which will heavily subsidize new OrH memberships for Jewish families and individuals who are currently unaffiliated and have not been a member of an Ottawa congregation for at least three years. This is a wonderful opportunity to recruit new OrH members. Please spread the word to friends and acquaintences. More information about the program can be found at jewishottawa.com/giving/jumpstart. 

Alsahar Family Celebrates One Year in Canada

As many of you know, a number of OrH members have been closely involved with members of KBI and Agudath (the Shalom Group) in the sponsorship and settlement of a Syrian family in Ottawa. The Alsahar family arrived a year ago this month and have been spending the last year learning English and acclimating to their new home. They are adjusting well and the children have had a successful year at school. 

The most important task at hand right now is for Shadi and Asmaa to find some part time work. Asmaa is an accomplished seamstress and would love the opportunity to take on any sewing projects, alterations, etc. that you may have. Shadi can help you with any kind of home repairs, painting, gardening, driving etc. If you run a local business, perhaps you could consider offering Shadi a part time position.  

If you have any household jobs you can offer the Alsahars, have a possible position in your business, or have ideas to share, kindly contact Shari Silber at 613-769-9308 / slsilber@gmail.com. Your efforts to help the Alsahars would be extremely appreciated. 

Introducing JTeen
 
OrH is happy to be partnering with Kehillat Beth Israel, Temple Israel, and Ottawa Torah Talmud in support of a new teen engagement program: JTeen. The Grade 8-10 classes will be led by local clergy and educators, including Rabbi Liz. The Grade 11-12 program will be led by Rabbi Kenter of KBI. Both will meet Sunday evenings at KBI. For more information visit orh.ca/jteen.

Lost and Found

The Unitarians found a bag with cash, a bank card, and other items which they believe belongs to an OrH person. Please contact Bob Armstrong at 613 725 1066 if you think it might be yours.

Upcoming Services and Events

Guf Va'Nafesh: Mind-Body-Spirit Integration Class 
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
At Tana's home in Kanata. Contact her for more information. 

Shabbat in the Park
Saturday, July 20, 2019
10:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Rockcliffe Park Pavillion

Reconstructionist News

The latest issue of Reconstructionism Today can be found at: tinyurl.com/y2tcdukv . The archive of back issues is available at: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/newsletter-archive

Learn to Read Hebrew in Two Weeks. Tamar Kamionkowski, professor of Bible at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, is offering a FREE online Hebrew course: you will learn how to pronounce every Hebrew letter and vowel. By the end of the course you will be reading from the prayer book and the Bible in Hebrew! Devote 10 minutes three days a week and you'll be able to sound out any Hebrew word in two weeks. Visit https://kamionkowski-bet-midrash.teachable.com/p/the-hebrew-alphabet-and-how-to-read

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.

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

Treasurer: Ari, treasurer@orh.ca
Secretary: Diana, 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
 
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.