We're So Excited to Meet You!
We are Or Haneshamah: Ottawa's Reconstructionist Community.
Stay awhile and check out what we have to offer!
Or Haneshamah is a vibrant, egalitarian and inclusive Reconstructionist Jewish community with an open door, open hearts and open minds. We welcome LGBTQ+ people, interfaith and multifaith families, and anyone looking to develop more of a relationship with Judaism or Jewish practices, regardless of personal history. If you are searching to belong to or return to Jewish connection and spirituality, we encourage you to come check us out!
OrH welcomes Jews, spiritual seekers, and their loved ones from all corners of the globe and from all cultural traditions and backgrounds. We are actively working to be an antiracist community that reflects and lives into our commitment to social justice and racial justice.
Upcoming Events
Check out the calendar for a full list of events.
August 12, 2021
Healing the World
OrH Endorses the UN International Decade for People of African Descent
Or Haneshamah, the Reconstructing Judaism synagogue in Ottawa, Ontario, formally endorses the UN International Decade for People of African Descent. We recognize that structural and attitudinal racism not only harms people of African descent, but also diminishes everyone’s humanity.
As Jews, we affirm the values of Tikun olam/Geulah (healing the world/redemption), Tzedek (justice/righteousness/social justice), Emet (truth/integrity), Hesed (caring), Rahamim (reaching out toward others in support and solidarity), Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life), and Teshuvah (acceptance of responsibility for wrongs done, including those done to people of African descent, and committing to change our behaviour).
As a congregation, we commit:
• to educate our congregation about the historical and ongoing structural and attitudinal racism which blights the lives of Black people,
• to adapt our religious and secular practices to better value, include, and welcome Jewish and non-Jewish people of African descent, and
• to take action to end structural and attitudinal racism.
Two States and Beyond
Introducing a Joint Israel Commission Policy Resource for Reconstructionist Communities, Rabbis and Cantors
The Joint Israel Commission (JIC) of the Reconstructionist movement invites you to take part in an upcoming webinar that will introduce a new resource for our congregations and rabbis, Two States and Beyond. Two States and Beyond is a short bibliography summarizing and hyperlinking to a variety of recent articles discussing and debating different visions for how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the discourse about Israel/Palestine has evolved over the past few years, there is a growing need to be able to understand and discuss the variety of proposals for resolving the conflict that are gaining influence. This resource is intended to help our congregations and rabbis bring the tools of a Reconstructionist approach to bear upon these issues.
Register here to take part in the webinar on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at 1 pm Eastern time, with members of the JIC for the purpose of introducing the resource and discussing different possibilities for how Reconstructionist communities can use it. The resource will be shared with registrants during the webinar, and then made available on our website following the webinar.
Click here to view the document and access the various articles it contains via hyperlinks.
News from the Bimah
Read Rabbi Liz's musings on current events, spiritual practices, Reconstructionist philosophy and Jewish thought!
Or Haneshamah Public Newsletter
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