Newsletter - templeharzion.com · Tara Abrams President Stacey Silverberg Executive Vice-President Jeff Dessau Executive Director Carol Handelman Newsletter Editor, Layout and Design

NewsletterNewsletterJune/July 2017, Sivan/Tamuz/Av 5777 Volume 28 Number 10

IT’S WHERE YOU BELONG

Weekly Torah PortionsRabbi’s MessageExecutive MessageFarewell Rabbi GruberSusan Sermer RetirementGeneral MeetingVolunteer RecognitionShinshinim NewsPresident’s CircleDaytime Speaker SeriesLunch and LearnKaren Weiss RecognitionKamp Kol Bo ShabbatHoliday Gift ShowSisterhood NewsItaly TripSabbatical UpdateIce Cream ShabbatCommunity CornerSocial ActionIsrael Culture ClubTemple News/TributesJune/July Calendar

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Inside this issue...

Service Schedule

Monday to Friday • Except High Holy Days/FestivalsSundays and Statutory Holidays

7:15 a.m.

9:15 a.m.

Erev Shabbat (Friday night)

Shabbat Morning

9:00 a.m.10:30 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.10:30 a.m.

June 3, 10, 17 and 24 • Breakfast and Torah Study • Service June 17 • Temple TotsJuly 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 • Breakfast and Torah Study • Service

Daily Morning Service

7:30 p.m.

6:00 / 6:30 p.m.

6:00 p.m.6:30 p.m.

6:00 p.m.6:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.6:30 p.m.

6:00 / 6:30 p.m.

6:00 p.m.6:30 p.m.

6:00 / 6:30 p.m.

June 2 • Family Service June 9 • Seudah / ServiceJune 16 • Seudah • Kol Bo Shabbat ServiceJune 23 • Seudah • Garden Service June 30 • Service July 7 • Seudah • Garden ServiceJuly 14 • Seudah / ServiceJuly 21 • Seudah • Garden ServiceJuly 28 • Seudah / Service

June/July 2017, Sivan/Tamuz/Av 5777

7360 Bayview AvenueThornhill, Ontario

L3T 2R7

Phone: 905-889-2252Fax: 905-889-2258

Email

[email protected]

June/July 2017Sivan/Tamuz/Av 5777Volume 28 Number 10

RabbiCory Weiss

Sabbatical RabbiBenjie GruberRabbi Emeritus

Michael StrohCantorial Soloist

Tara AbramsPresident

Stacey SilverbergExecutive

Vice-PresidentJeff Dessau

Executive DirectorCarol HandelmanNewsletter Editor, Layout and Design

Courtney Bachar

This newsletter is a

publication of the Temple

Har Zion Communications

Committee and is published

11 times per year: January,

February, March, April, May,

June/July, August, September,

October, November, and

December.

Temple Har Zion is affiliated with the Union

for Reform Judaism.

* * * * *

* * * * *

REBECCA HUSSDaughter of Katherine

and Howard HussBat Mitzvah June 24, 2017

ADAM BERMANSon of Jill and Steven BermanBar Mitzvah June 10, 2017

CONGRATULATIONS ON BECOMING B’NAI MITZVAH

WEEKLYTORAH

PORTIONS

June 2 - 3

June 9 - 10

June 16 - 17

June 23 - 24 - Machar Chodesh

June 30 - July 1

July 7 - 8

July 14 - 15

July 21 - 22

July 28 - 29 - Shabbat Chazon

NasoHaftarah

Numbers 4:21-7:89 Judges 13:2-25

B’haalot’chaHaftarah

Numbers 8:1-12:16 Zechariah 2:14-4:7

Sh’lach Lecha Haftarah

Numbers 13:1-15:41Joshua 2:1-24

KorachHaftarah

Numbers 16:1-18:32First Samuel 20:18-42

2

ChukatHaftarah

Numbers 19:1-22:1Judges 11:1-33

BalakHaftarah

Numbers 22:2-25:9Micah 5:6-6:8

PinchasHaftarah

Numbers 25:10-30:1Jeremiah 1:1-2:3

Matot-MaseiHaftarah

Numbers 30:2-36:13Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4

D’varimHaftarah

Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22Isaiah 1:1-27


by Rabbi Benjie Gruber

RABBI’S MESSAGE

Shalom THZ members,

As you read these words, I will have aboutanother month left here at Temple. It hasbeen wonderful for me. It has been greatfor Tovi, Yair, Ella and Anna too.

We arrived in Toronto mid-October to afully furnished house (thank you, Lisa Margolese), including framed photographsof our family! (Thank you Tara Abrams forthat final detail.) We were also genuinelymade to feel welcome by the Temple HarZion congregation and office staff.

I could not have hoped or dreamed of abetter experience for me and my family. Iled services, taught Torah Study, spent someSundays at Beit Midrash morning services,prepared Divrei Torah with Bar and BatMitzvah children and their parents, visitedthe sick, comforted mourners, and even officiated at a wedding. And I loved thePurim shpiel! If you were there, you couldprobably tell.

I learned so much about being a ReformRabbi in Canada. Although I gave of myself, I got so much more back. I amtruly grateful to the THZ executive andboard, to the office staff, teachers, parentsand everyone I met. Everyone has beenwarm and welcoming. I am not surprised.It is known around the world that Canadi-ans are nice and polite, but this was aboveand beyond. What I felt, and still feel, isgenuine deep love and appreciation.

Yet, it cannot indeed be that everyone was,and is, happy with me. No rabbi is a fit for

everyone, and I am sure that some felt Iwas not (and that is a good situation) therabbi they needed during this eight-monthperiod. I am also sure that here and there I offended, annoyed and hurt people’s feelings. Therefore, I wish to apologize to those who were hurt by me in any way,at any time. S’licha from the bottom of myheart.

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter (1809-1883), the father of the Mussar movement (and agreat scholar) said, “A Rabbi who no onein the community disagrees with is not really a Rabbi, and a Rabbi who fears hiscommunity is not really a man.”

When I gave my first D’var Torah at THZin November, the portion was Noah. I saidthat while Rabbi Weiss was away for eightmonths, my job would be to make sure notto rock the boat - just to keep us all oncourse. I did not do this alone. We were notflooded (well, I am not in charge of thewinter we had), and I basically followed thecourse set by the wonderful leadership ofTHZ. It has been an honour and a pleas-ure. Many should be thanked, but the one I learned the most from, and who had tosuffer because much of what I was doinghere was new to me, is your amazing Can-torial Soloist, Tara Abrams. You can all bevery grateful to Tara. When I did rock theboat, she was there to tell me how to navi-gate. Of course, it was not Tara alone whohelped me fulfil my role at THZ. If I startmentioning names, this article would go onforever. Therefore, I hope to find time inthe next 30 days to thank all those peoplein person, face to face.

The most importantperson, and the onewho truly allowed meto succeed at my job, isTovi, my dear, wonderful and supportivewife. While we have been here, Tovi was afull-time mom and took care of everythingat our home. I could work, be patient andfocused, and be “rabbinical” only becauseTovi took care of everything else. As RabbiAkiva said of his wife, when many compli-mented him on his leadership and Torah,“Sheli veshelachem, Shela hu” - Mine andyours is hers (due to her). Toda Tovi. Everycompliment I get is really directed to Tovi.Complaints about me are solely mine.

I am very sad as I realize my time here isabout to end, but I am also very happy tohave had this opportunity to be a sabbaticalrabbi for such a wonderful congregation. Ihave many experiences and memories thatI will cherish, and know that I have mademany new friends.

As I prepare to return home to Israel,please know THZ has a special place in myheart. My life is in Israel. I am needed thereand I need to live there. I feel privileged to be living in the Jewish State after 2000 years of no such option. I am also honoured to be bringing the message ofReform Judaism to Israelis who are thirstyfor the kind of spiritual Jewish experiencethat you are all privileged to share at THZ.

Shalom,With love and respect,Benjie Gruber

Saying goodbye and thank you

3


EXECUTIVE MESSAGE

by Stacey Silverberg, President

Those who know me will tell you thatmy favourite movie of all time is The

Sound of Music. So much so that when itcame out, my mother had to hire a babysit-ter to go to the movie with me because shewas tired of seeing it. To this day, I cannotresist seeing this movie and hearing thesongs takes me back to my childhood. Today,as I sit here writing my final article as yourpresident, “So Long, Farewell” keeps pop-ping into my head, but I am not sayinggoodbye as I have the good fortune of stillbeing an active member as your incomingimmediate past president.

As I reflect on the past two years in this role,I look back with much pride on what we’vebeen able to achieve in this time and willcontinue to achieve as we go forward. Wehave had some incredible accomplishments,starting with the construction and dedica-tion of our new beautiful Debby KaplanSanctuary. At the same time, we were able tocontinue to invest in our Legacy fundthrough our fundraising efforts for this mo-mentous sanctuary renewal.

We took on other large projects such as ourpartnership with our neighbours to sponsorthe wonderful Elendari family so they couldsettle in Canada after escaping war-tornSyria. We learned so much through this ex-traordinary example of Tikkun Olam. Wefundraised to be able to bring the familyhere safely, and we have committed mem-bers who continue to help the Elendarifamily adjust to life in Canada and work to-ward independent living after their first year.We have much to be proud of. Equally so,we can be incredibly proud of the partner-ship between THZ and IMIC. We are ashining example to others that Jews andMuslims can not only co-exist but also part-ner, look for common ground and breakdown preconceived notions among both ofour communities.

We spent the first year of my term continu-ing to plan for Rabbi Weiss’s sabbatical so hecould rest, refresh, study and come backwith valuable ideas to help Temple HarZion grow. At the same time, we werelucky enough to secure Rabbi Gruber to fillin during Rabbi Weiss’s absence, and havinghim here along with his family ended upbeing a wonderful blessing. Rabbi Gruberwas a perfect fit to help us manage throughthe sabbatical, and he leaves THZ in good

standing (along with the superhuman effortsof our Cantorial Soloist Tara Abrams) forRabbi Weiss to return to us in July.

As part of my presidency, I wanted to tacklethree main areas that I had personally iden-tified as priorities for my term. I am sureyou’ve all heard these three words over andover – ATTRACTION, ENGAGEMENTAND RETENTION.

To that end, we had the intensive efforts oftwo task forces to evaluate our synagogue –one on Religious School and one on Mem-bership. I am pleased to report that positivechanges were made to the 2016/17 schoolyear due to the work of the task force. Thegoal was to evaluate our strengths and alsoto look for ways in which we could keep upwith the changing times in the Jewish sup-plementary school system. This was impor-tant as often our school is the feeder intoour other major area of evaluation – mem-bership. Our Membership task force spent agreat deal of time evaluating attraction, en-gagement and retention. After a careful as-sessment, the task force recommended thatwe hire a part time, dedicated and paid re-source to focus on our membership needs.It is no longer good enough to do this “offthe sides of our desks.” This is the time totake a calculated risk to attract new mem-bers and retain and engage our currentmembership. I am delighted to say that wehope to begin recruiting shortly and if wefind an appropriate candidate, that personwill ideally be in the role by early July. Thisall speaks to another word many have oftenheard me say – SUSTAINABILITY. I hopethat the efforts of these committees willcontribute to the sustainability and viabilityof our Temple for many, many years tocome.

With regard to other accomplishments, Iwould say that hiring a new Director of Ed-ucation to replace Susan after her successful15-year tenure was also significant. Due tothe efforts of this Search Committee, wehave appointed Ronit-Strobel Dahan, whowill be joining us in July. I am confidentthat she will be a fresh addition to ourschool and our professional leadership team– building on the success of the solid foun-dation Susan has left behind as her legacy.

At the same time, we’ve also had to makesome hard decisions over the last couple of

years and change isnever easy. Everychoice was madethrough the lens in thebest interests of Temple Har Zion; our lead-ership used an equal amount of head andheart in making those decisions – especiallythose that affected our employees. We hadto make personnel changes and structuralchanges in roles as well as difficult budget-ary decisions.

All of these more “significant” accomplish-ments I have specifically written about arewhat come to me right now, but the realityis that so much more is done each andevery day by a very committed group ofclergy, staff and lay leadership.

The past two years have been a privilege forme. I could not have done this role withoutthe support of the executive, board, clergy,THZ staff and our dedicated volunteers. Iam very grateful for each and every one ofyou and for the continued commitment youmake to Temple Har Zion – a place we alllove. I hope that in some small way I haveadded positively to the future of Temple HarZion. I feel that I have gained so much byundertaking this role. I have grown immea-surably, both personally and professionally.For this I remain indebted to the membersof Temple Har Zion for entrusting ourhome with me for the last two years.

I want to thank my family – my husband,Jordan, my two daughters, Aly and Jessica,and my mother, Sharon, for being so under-standing of my time commitments over thelast two years and supporting me at everyturn. We all have such a love for THZ and Iknow we will continue to be engaged inthis wonderful place – it’s where we belong.

Finally, I would like to say that it’s not“good-bye.” It’s “see you later” after Jordanand I go off to Italy to celebrate some per-sonal milestones and also the closure of myterm. I will return refreshed and renewedto support our new president Jeff Dessau inany way that I can. I have great confidencein Jeff and know that he will do an excel-lent job at leading this congregation.

L’hitra’ot.“Don’t cry because it’s over.

Smile because it happened.” -- Dr. Seuss

So long, farewell

4


FAREWELL RABBI GRUBER

5


SUSAN SERMER RETIREMENT

by Susan Sermer

Shabbat Shalom!

As you can well imagine, I have spent a fairbit of time leading up to this day reflectingback on the last 15 years of my tenure asDirector of Education here at Temple HarZion. One of the things I realized that wastogether with my three years as a TeacherTraining Coordinator for our madrichim,or student teachers, I have spent 18 years asa Jewish educator. Chai years. Chai. Life.

How did that happen, given how lifebegan? Growing up in communistCzechoslovakia, all I knew about Judaismwas that most of my extended family per-ished in the Shoah, and that it is best not tomention one’s Jewish background to any-one. It was not until a few years after arriv-ing in Canada, when I was 18 and startinguniversity, that I began to realize that I wasbeing drawn to explore my Jewish heritage.

Then came years of study – both universityand Judaism – followed by family and a career as an educator in the secular schoolsystem. In the meantime, Paul and I andour two girls found a Jewish home at Temple Har Zion, with Tanya and Julie attending nursery school, religious school,becoming B’not Mitzvah and Confirmed,and holding executive positions from Reli-gious VP to Social Action VP to Presidentboth at the Temple and regional levels ofour Reform Youth movement.

When the opportunity came for me towork here at Temple, it was a no-brainer.The job combines my love of educationwith my love for Judaism, and it has been aremarkable journey.

Much has changed over the years I havebeen the Director of Education – new Ju-daic curriculum; new Hebrew curriculum;new day for Beit Midrash; new location(here at Temple) for two of the three daysof our school. We now have an amazing Is-rael Engagement program; we have a Fam-ily Education program that is attended by

close to 100 per cent of families; we haveJudaic and Hebrew programs that work together seamlessly – thank you KarenWeiss for working with me on that. Whatremains steady amongst all the changes isthe incredible school and Temple family wehave here. Let me elaborate.

When I tell some of my colleagues in thecity that I have not had to hire any newteachers for years, they are amazed. Thesupplementary system is infamous for ahigh rate of staff turnover. Not Temple HarZion! We have an incredible teaching com-munity of dedicated, outstanding individu-als who go well above and beyond the callof duty to ensure that our children have apositive experience in the school whilelearning, forming lifelong friendships,growing into committed Reform Jews, andeventually becoming leaders in the com-munity. A midrash tells of God’s insistencethat “The teachers of youth, who performtheir work in sincerity and with joy, shallsit at my right hand.” God will one dayhave amazing company in our teachers.

Of course there is no school without thekey ingredient – students. And ours areawesome! No offence to anyone, but thekids are what I will miss most. Each one ofthem is unique, and brings his or her ownpersonality, skills, and charms to the group.I love interacting with them on all levels –serious as well as fun. And even when Ihave to be “the heavy” occasionally, I knowall will be well because of the love and re-spect we have for each other. The studentscould not be here learning and growing ifit weren’t for their parents encouragingthem, driving them, cheering them on. As Ihave quoted many times in the past, it takesa village to raise a child, and our village isdoing a great job.

The school, the programs, in fact the Tem-ple itself could not function without theincredible staff we have in the office. Thetwo executive directors I have worked with– Karen Grimm and Carol Handelman –

always have the big picture in mind and areready to listen and advise. Working in thefront office, Debby, Charlotte and Barb arealways helpful. Barb is the numbers geniusin the office. At budget time, she is notonly incredibly helpful, she is also – yearafter year after year – willing to listen tomy whining about how much I don’t enjoydoing this part of my job, and how I’dmuch rather be writing curriculum. (Myapologies to any treasurers past or presentwho may be listening.) Charlotte is thenewest member of our office staff and isthe one who assists me with school admin-istration. Her help, cheerful demeanour,sense of humour, initiative and willingnessto learn are admirable. She has been a fabu-lous addition to our team.

Six years ago we brought a new compo-nent into our congregation – shinshinim.These teens have brought Israel to us in away we non-Israeli old folks never could.Yehonatan and Mor, Oded and Stav, Asafand Noam, Neta and Dan, Ayellet and Ita-mar, and arriving in August – Idan and Raz– were and are an absolute pleasure towork with. I consider them extended fam-ily, and see the ones who are back homeand serving in the army every time I amlucky enough to be in Israel. And now thatthree of the young people I mentionedabove have finished their army service, itwill be fascinating to watch where the nextstage of life takes them.

I have had the incredible honour andprivilege to work closely with four rab-bis – Rabbi Stroh, Rabbi Shekel, RabbiWeiss, and Rabbi Gruber. Each one ofthese rabbis has unique gifts and talents,and I have been able to learn muchfrom each and every one of them. FromMartin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig toIsraeli poetry and everything in be-tween, these four have helped widen myhorizons beyond what I could haveimagined, and I will forever be grateful.I want to say about these teachers ofmine what Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai

By the time you read this in the June/July Newsletter, I will be officially retired and hanging out with my adorable grandson and his parents in Jerusalem. Below is the text of the speech I gave at my honouring at the May Family Service.

It’s been swell


said about his teacher Rabbi Hillel: “If allthe heavens were parchment and all thetrees were quills and all the seas were ink, itwould still be impossible for me to writedown even a small part of all that I learnedfrom my teachers.” Thank you – I promiseto continue learning.

One great ambition of my life was to have agood singing voice – doesn’t have to befabulous, I just wanted to be able to carry atune without feeling self-conscious. That isan ambition that will clearly never be ful-filled. So I have lived vicariously throughTara and Eleanor, enjoying their musicaltalents. My mother, alavha hashalom, whowas the sweetest woman on earth (some ofyou may remember her) used to say thatTara has the voice of a beautiful bird.Eleanor’s piano playing and perfect pitchhave been legendary in our musical homesince she and I planned our now thirty-something daughters’ Bat Mitzvah celebra-tions together – the beginning of abeautiful friendship.

Last but definitely not least, I want to say ahuge thank you to my family. It is not pos-sible to have a successful career with longand sometimes unpredictable hours, involv-ing evenings and weekends, without a sup-portive family. They have all been amazingover the years. I do have to acknowledge

that my husband Paul has taken the bruntof the neglect. No wonder he has SwissChalet and Mama Pizza on speed dial!Thank you, Paul; thank you, Tanya and family; thank you, Julie and family – you are the best anyone could ask for, and I love you all very much!

As the end of May approaches, people askme if I am excited about my impending re-tirement. My answer always is – yes, butwith some mixed feelings. I will miss all theaspects of my work I spoke about earlier. Ido, however, have great hope for the futureof education at Temple Har Zion. RabbiBradley Shavit Artson, in his book Gift ofSoul, Gift of Wisdom, says the following: “Education is of course about training theintellect, but it is also about instilling values,building character, and cultivating wonder.One of the most valued goals in educationis learning menschlichkeit, the idea… ofbeing the best one can be. To be a menschis a life-long journey involving every aspectof our being: our intellect, our knowledge,our relationships, our very souls.” HarZion’s children, teens and young adults whoare products of our system are mensches inevery sense, and I have no doubt we willcontinue to produce mensches for manyyears to come.

As far as the other end of the spectrum of

the mixed feelings – I am definitely lookingforward to being able to do things I haven’tbeen able to do: My books-to-read list islong; my house could use some TLC, thereare courses I’d like to take; movies and playsto see. But more than anything I am look-ing forward to spending more time withmy family. As you know, most of my familyis here in Toronto and it will be great to beable to hang out with them more. I hope tospend more time in Israel with my olderdaughter and her family; in case you hadn’theard, my eight-month old grandson Noamis the most adorable baby on this planet.Grandparenting Ethan, Carly, Jordan, Dana,Oded and Noam is an indescribable experi-ence, and I look forward to experiencing itmore intensely.

Thank you for this amazing evening. Thankyou to all who had a part in organizing thisgreat celebration. In particular, thank you tomy wonderful friend Brena Taylor, to mywonderful daughter Julie Sermer and mywonderful colleague and friend Carol Han-delman for spearheading this event – I ammore touched and moved than I can say.Thank you all for being here tonight. Thisis definitely not goodbye – Temple HarZion is my second home and I plan to bearound a lot.

Shabbat Shalom.

SUSAN SERMER RETIREMENT

7


SHINSHINIM NEWS

Meet our new Shinshinim

We would like to introduce Idan andRaz, our new Shinshinim for next

year! Please watch this wonderful video (linkbelow) they have created to introduce them-selves to you!

Idan comes from Eilat and travelled toToronto last year and again this April withDiller Teen Fellows, where he is a guide. Hehas a twin brother, who will also be a Shin-shin, in Israel. Idan is full of energy and is ex-cited to share it with us!

Raz lives in Raanana with her parents andtwin siblings. In her free time, Raz is a guide

with the scouts and also makes time eachweek to visit a Holocaust survivor; giving hercompanionship and help in her home. In her

soft, sweet way, Raz has so much to offer usabout her experiences in Israel and Poland,where she did an exchange program. We areso excited to have them join us next year.They will be enriching our congregationwith their own unique Israeli perspectives.

We are delighted to announce that theGreene family will be hosting Idan begin-ning in August! We are still looking for twomore fabulous families willing to open theirhomes to these wonderful youth. If you are interested in discussing the program fur-ther please contact Jodi Rachman Patel at 905-763-2138 or email [email protected].

by Jodi Rachman Patel

Our Shinshinim for next year: Idan (left) andRaz (right).

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE SPEAKER SERIES

Video link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B37huPT48yyrX19GdDhwZzhOaHM/view

8

Sunday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m.


DAYTIME SPEAKER SERIES

LUNCH AND LEARN

TEMPLE TOTS

9


KAREN WEISS RECOGNITION

KAMP KOL BO SHABBAT

10


HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW

by Phylis Coles

At Temple Har Zion, we are blessed withwomen who continually care for others and give of them-

selves. We can never thank them enough. These women makechoices that benefit all of us.

Demands are constantly made upon us by ourselves, our families,our communities and the world at large. As each demand presentsitself, we rise to the occasion and perform as best as we can andusually with an open mind and a willingness to succeed. It istherefore easy for us to keep very busy and remain unaware of ourown personal feelings. Let us not forget ourselves. Try to maketime to reflect on what you can do for yourself.

Try to take a few minutes each day or each week to think aboutyourself, what you would like to do and how you can become aneven happier person by enjoying each day more. Perhaps it isabout doing some volunteer work. Perhaps it is finally getting toread a book or two. Perhaps it is just taking some quiet time toreflect on the day and yourself. Maybe it is just making sure youhave a hot cup of coffee or tea each morning or even just puttingyour feet up for 10 minutes during a busy day. Our goal as womenshould be to strive for things that will make us feel more self-ful-filled.

Good luck to each of you in making a change or two in your dailyschedule so you will have a better day – every day. Treat yourself.You deserve it!

Phylis Coles, THZ Sisterhood Treasurer

Appreciate yourself

SISTERHOOD NEWS

11


ITALY TRIP


RABBI WEISS SABBATICAL UPDATE

by Rabbi Weiss

It’s hard to believe my sabbatical is com-ing to an end! I’ve accomplished so

much, and yet not nearly as much as Iplanned. My translation of Esther is done,and my dissertation work is well underway(I knew I couldn’t complete it all—thatwork will continue on). My horn “chops”are back, and I’ve really enjoyed makingmusic with our local concert band.

I have worshipped at a number of differentshuls, both here and in Cincinnati, andwhile it’s not polite to take notes during a service, I have some ideas in my head—things we might try out and things Iwould never do! Rabbis going to othersynagogues is part investigation and partjob hazard—it’s hard not to over-analyze,but I’m getting a little better at it. Inspeaking to my colleagues after each serv-ice, I think we all agree—there’s no placelike home.

I suspect for most clergy and universityeducators who are blessed with sabbaticals,

there is often a feeling of “the best laidplans…” Spending a quarter of my time inCincinnati surrounded by remarkable Jew-ish minds and the largest Jewish library inthe country has been enriching, to say theleast. Working with a rabbinic coach tobetter understand my rabbinate and myleadership style has been enlightening.Curling in the Friar’s Briar in Victoria wasa good way to spend time with non-Jew-ish clergy colleagues (we came in 6th!)and learn about the commonalities we allshare. Falling and hitting my head on theice during the second last week of playtaught me (retroactively) that I need head-gear next season (don’t worry—no con-cussion, just lots of headaches andbackaches).

But my tie collection hasn’t gotten unclut-tered yet. I didn’t hike the Appalachiantrail, write a great symphony or learnpuppy-training skills. I didn’t make it toIsrael this year, as my research needs keptme closer to home. When it’s time for me

to go, I would love tobring a Har Ziongroup—so let meknow if you’re interested. Our time in lifeis limited, and I’ve learned that no matterhow much we want to get accomplished,sometimes we have to admit we did ourbest and will keep plugging along at the“to do” list of life until our time is done.

Meanwhile, I miss all of you! I’m reallylooking forward to returning, and hearingabout your year—the ups and downs, thesadnesses and celebrations, the learningand the hopes you have for our Har Zioncommunity. Please let me know if youhave things you need to share and talkabout—when I’m back in July, I want tocatch up with everyone. My office will beopen, and I’ll be waiting. It’ll be good tobe with my big, extended Har Zion familyagain! I’m ready to come home.

L’Shalom,Rabbi Cory Weiss

Ready to come home

13

CHESED CHAPPENINGS


COMMUNITY CORNER

14

The Surprising Side of Ballet with Katherine BarberMondays: June 5, 12 and 19 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Miles Nadal JCC, 750 Spadina Avenue

June 5: Ballet Laughs: Romance, escapism, beauty, athleticism -- those are ballet's acknowledged fortes. But comedy? Surprisingly,there are more hilarious moments in ballet than you might expect. June 12: Ballet Goes Pop: Ballet isn't always performed to classical music. From ragtime to the Rolling Stones, from the AndrewsSisters to Sinatra, some of ballet's most enjoyable repertoire has been inspired by popular music. June 19:The Joy of Dance: The most joyful moments in the ballet repertoire, which will make you feel as elated as the performers. Cost: $16. For more information, contact Lisa Roy at 416-924-6211 ext. 155.

Pape Avenue Cemetery Walking TourSunday, June 11, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Pape Avenue Cemetery, 311 Pape Avenue

The Pape Avenue Cemetery was established in 1849 and is Toronto's oldest Jewish cemetery. It is now owned by Holy BlossomTemple. Buried in this cemetery are many of Toronto’s earliest Jewish residents. By examining their individual lives, both the hardships and the triumphs of this formative period are revealed. The tour also explores the art and tradition embedded on theseearly Jewish burial stones.Cost: $15. Register on the UJA website. For more information, contact Donna Bernardo-Ceriz at 416-635-5391.

Second Helpings Please! An Evening to Savour the FlavourWednesday, June 14, 2017 from 7 to 10 p.m.Location: TBD

An evening filled with good food, wine tasting, music, auction and more! It the relaunch of the famous Jewish cookbook SecondHelpings Please!This cookbook was first printed April 1, 1968 and has been in the homes of Jewish mothers, grandmothers, andcooks for the past 49 years. It is time to share with the next generation, L’dor Vador. Join us for an evening of hands-on cooking demonstrations, wine tasting and pairing, live music, and auction. Act To End ViolenceAgainst Women is a Jewish organization inspired by Jewish values. We support victims of domestic abuse in our Jewish Community. For more information, contact Tracy Zepp at 905-695-5372 or [email protected].

Stories of Spadina Walking TourSunday, June 18, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.25 Bellevue Avenue, Toronto

Travel back in time to an era when Kensington Market was a thriving Jewish village teeming with kosher bakeries, synagogues, andsocial clubs. On this tour, Jewish Toronto's past—biographies of its former inhabitants, the sounds, the smells, Yiddish language, and religious, social, and political attitudes—is brought to life. Visits to the architectural gems that remain in the area today are supplemented by photographs from the holdings of the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre as vivid reminders of a once vibrant community.Cost : $15. For more information, contact Donna Bernardo-Ceriz at 416-635-5391.

2017 Senior Art Showcase and SaleMarkham Seniors Advisory Committee101 Town Centre Blvd in The Great Hall

Wednesday, June 14: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Thursday, June 15: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., meet the artists with the Mayor and Council. Light RefreshmentsFriday, June 16: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June is Seniors Month. Come and support our local artists at this showcase of works from Markham’s Senior population. The talentis amazing. Buy the original. For more information, email [email protected].


t 905 882 8722 t 905 886 3770f 905-882-5494

Dr. L. Podolsky & Dr. H. Rosen7-8 Green Lane, Unit 7Thornhill, ON L3T 7P7 www.dentistryongreenlane.com

The Golden Rule

As I write this piece we are readingthe double Torah portion Achare

Mot/K’doshim. K’doshim opens withGod telling Moses to say to the whole Israelite community that they shall beholy, “for I, your God, am holy.” And thenGod lays out how our society will do thatstep by step by having fair dealings inbusiness and law and by taking care ofthose who need protection. But the partseen as the most basic way for us to havethis just world is found in the phrase “love your neighbour as yourself ” (Leviti-cus 19:18). A version of this Golden Rule,as it is known, is included in most of themajor religious traditions in the world. Itis used to illustrate how we can build ajust and better world if we treat each

other as we too wantto be treated. Thisposter was the passionof Paul McKenna. Ittook five years of research, which includedconsultations with experts in each of the 13 faith groups and with a host of graphic designers. More than 100 people were involved in the project. Ironically, it was first published four months before 9/11.

Since then, a wealth of educational materialhas been developed on the basis of con-cept of the Golden Rule, as a tool for interfaith dialogue and creating a betterworld. Mosaic Interfaith will be invitingPaul to speak at this year’s Peace Meal on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017.

by Fran Isaacs

SOCIAL ACTION

National Social Action CommitteeThe National Social Action Committee (NSAC), along with CIJAand Ve’ahavta is developing the Canadian Jewish ReconciliationNetwork. Our team will coordinate the various activities of Cana-dian Jewish organizations working in partnership with Indigenouscommunities. It is hoped that this will be a cross-country initiative.

The purpose of the network is to• coordinate and strategize the activities, events and best practicesof Jewish organizations working toward reconciliation

• drive education, understanding, partnerships between Jewish andIndigenous communities and stand in solidarity with Indigenouspeoples in Canada

• build positive relationships with Indigenous people and communities

A practical result of this collaboration will be the development ofa website that will further coordinate and expand our efforts. Thewebsite will act as a foundational support to respond to interest,act as call to action and offer event opportunities, along with a list

of speakers and facilitators who will be available to come to yourcommunities. There will be resources for educators, synagoguesand community groups, recommended films, books and podcastsas well. Design has already begun on the website and we look forward to seeing its implementation by the end of June 2017.

Save the date

Mosaic’s annual program in honour of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be held on January 14, 2018.



Please join us for breakfast, Torahstudy and services every Shabbatmorning, beginning at 9 a.m.Shabbat services begin at 10:30a.m., followed by Kiddush. This isthe perfect way to end the weekand revitalize the spirit for thenext week’s challenges. Come joinus at Temple Har Zion for prayer,study and bagel breakfast!

Shabbat Torahstudy

THZ SPECIAL ISRAEL CULTURE CLUB

Sponsor our weekly e-blastFor just $50 per week, you can sponsor our weekly e-blast! We will include a personal message, no larger than a businesscard, or an advertisement relating to your business. It will appear at the bottom of the e-blast. Sponsoring with a personal (non-business) message will mean that you will receive a charitable donation receipt.

All donations will go to the Temple Har Zion Fund. For further information please contact Barbara Barnartt in theTemple office at 905-889-2252 ext. 107 or email [email protected].


TEMPLE FAMILY NEWS

TRIBUTES

BIRTHS

Laura and Denis Farbstein in honour of the birth of their grandson Avery Carter Gold

Barbara and Martin Greenglass in honour of the birth of their grandson Adam Tyler Greenglass

Ora Harris and Michael Hutchins in honour ofthe birth of their grandson Koen Harris Abrams

BAR/BAT MITZVAH

Jill and Steven Berman in honour of their sonAdam becoming Bar Mitzvah

Katherine and Howard Huss in honour oftheir daughter Rebecca becoming Bat Mitzvah

MARRIAGES

Cheryl Ackerman and David Saslove in honour of the marriage of their daughterRachel Saslove to Joel Bair

Finnie Jesson and Aaron Sidenberg in honourof their marriage

OTHER

Susan Sermer in honour of her retirement

CONDOLENCES

Our sincere condolences are extended to thefollowing families:

Jeffrey Freedman for his sister Natalie Brown Sarah Greene for her grandmother Helen RisenJondavid Mendelsohn for his mother Eilene

MendelsohnRabbi Michal Shekel for her father Jacob Shekel

NEW MEMBERS

A warm Har Zion welcome to our newmembers:

Julia and Alan Spergel

TEMPLE HAR ZION FUND

Paula Bernstein in appreciationAllen Chankowsky in honour of his son Ethan

becoming Bar Mitzvah Shelly and Ilan Cukierman in observance of

Yahrzeit in memory of Shelly’s father Morris BakBrian Eckler to Shae Eckler in memory of her

sister Irene SteinbergBarbara and Sid Finkelstein; and KarenGrimm to Rabbi Michal Shekel and ProfessorCarl Ehrlich and family in memory of their father,father-in-law and grandfather Jacob Shekel

Karen Grimm to Joyce Zweig in memory ofher brother-in-law

Naomi Ziegler and Andrew Hazen in memory of Naomi’s father Manfred Ziegler

Melissa, Aaron, Nathan and Emily Kline toStacey Silverberg in honour of her birthday

Shari and Todd Silverberg to Stacey Silverbergin honour of her special birthday

Stacey, Jordan, Aly and Jessica Silverberg;Adele and Claude Heiman; and Lisa andJeff Dessau to Jodi Starkman-Mendelsohnand Jondavid Mendelsohn and family in memory of their mother, mother-in-law andgrandmother Eilene Mendelsohn

Lillian and Norman Sirota in memory of Norman’s mother Rose Sirota

Brena and Tom Taylor to Mark Morrow for aspeedy recovery

Glyn and John Wolpert in memory of John’s father Solly Wolpert

We thank the following for their sponsorshipof a Congregational Kiddush, Seudah,Oneg and/or Breakfast:

Paul Beard in honour of his daughter Carly’sReaffirmation

Maxine Bernholtz in memory of her husbandBen Bernholtz

Barbara and Howard Biel in memory of Barbara’s mother Sonya (Sonnie) Zigelstein and Howard’s mother Lillian Biel

Elaine and Edward Birnbaum and family inmemory of Edward’s father Saul Birnbaum

Marie and Steve Borlak in memory of Steve’suncle Sidney Starkman and his grandmotherSarah Borlak

Rodell and Warren Covent in memory of Warren’s father-in-law Leo Birnbaum

Claudia Dihel in honour of her daughter Olivia’sReaffirmation

Sue-Ellen Ender in memory of her fatherBertram Danson

Edyse and Norm Fisher in memory of Norm’sbrother Jerry Fisher

Arlene and Allan Fishman in memory of Allan’sfather Louis Fishman and Arlene’s father Sol Riff

Debra and Martin Ginsherman in memory ofDebra’s mother Lilyan Anne Lean

Shelley and Ken Glick in memory of Shelley’sgrandmother Beatrice Richman and her great-aunt Rae Eckler

Myrna Glowinski in memory of her husbandMel Glowinski

Wendy and Earle Gotfrit in memory of theirdaughter D.J. Gotfrit

Karen Grimm in memory of her brother ShellyMeyerson

Adele and Claude Heimann in memory ofClaude’s father Bill Heimann

Naomi and Saul Joel in memory of Naomi’sparents Sarah Ruby and Peres Percy Benjamin

Andrea and Paul Kalmin in honour of theirdaughter Emily becoming Bat Mitzvah

Debby and Lawrie Kaplan in memory ofDebby’s grandfather Fred Gitelman

Helen Posluns Kerbel and Jeff Kerbel inmemory of their son Zachary Kerbel andHelen’s grandfather Samuel Casselman

Helen Kopstick in memory of her mother SarahBennett

Evelyn and Ubby Krakauer in memory of Evelyn’s father Moses Katindig

Fran Malach in memory of her husband HowardMalach

Fran Malach in memory of her father-in-lawMorris Malach

Myrna and Stephen Marcus in memory ofStephen’s father Lorne Alter

Beverley and Jonathan Matthews in memoryof Jonathan’s father Nathan Matthews

Deborah and Neil Naftolin in memory of Deborah’s father Gerald Siegel

Harriet Noik in memory of her father BenjaminTanzer

Karin and James Phillipson in memory ofKarin’s mother Marcelle Jacobson

Tova Nardea and James Reitan in memory of Tova’s father Rafael Nardea

Eleanor Rice in memory of her aunt KatyRosen

Marjie Zacks and Joel Rosenberg in memoryof Marjie’s mother Adelyn Zacks

Judi and Bobby Ross in memory of Judi’sgrandfather Fred Gitelman and Bobby’s grandfather Alter Myers

Barbara and Roland Ross in memory of Barbara’s father James Spergel

Cheryl Ackerman and David Saslove in memory of Cheryl’s aunt Katy Rosen

Lillian Siegel in memory of her husband Gerald Siegel

Judy and Ian Silver in honour of their son Jeremiah’s Reaffirmation

Melissa and Mark Stupp in memory of Mark’scousin Jack Stupp

Brena and Tom Taylor in memory of Tom’s fatherWylie Taylor, Brena’s grandmother BeatriceRichman and her great-aunt Rae Eckler

Brigitte Waisberg in memory of her parentsSonia and Bernard Waisberg

Sharon and Jerry Wiesenfeld in memory ofJerry’s mother Anna Wiesenfeld

Joyce Zweig in memory of her husband Stephen Zweig

ARTHUR AND DVORABROWN CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Melissa and Corey Adler and family; andMarcia Craft to Jodi Starkman-Mendelsohnand Jondavid Mendelsohn and family in memory of their mother, mother-in-law andgrandmother Eilene Mendelsohn

Samantha, Shelly, Ari and Max Bacher; andLisa Goodman, Jaimie and Gabriel Fleming to Wendy, Michael, Dustin and JakeBerman in memory of their grandmother andgreat-grandmother Evelyn Rolin

Samantha and Shelly Bacher to Dana and Eric Kamin honour of their son Sydney becoming Bar Mitzvah

Samantha, Shelly, Ari and Max Bacher toJudy Silver in honour of her receiving her masters degree from HUC; to Jodi Starkman-Mendelsohn and Jondavid Mendelsohn andfamily in memory of their mother, mother-in-law and grandmother Eilene Mendelsohn; toDavid Roth and Rick Bacher in memory ofDavid’s father Seymour Roth

Max Bacher to Lexie Fried for a speedy recoveryFaga and Milton Clapham to Paul Hellen in

honour of his special birthday

CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Debby and Lawrie Kaplan to Susan Sermer inhonour of her retirement

Jean Karnovsky in observance of Yahrzeit inmemory of her grandparents Minnie and JacobShapiro; her father Kalman Streisfield; and herfather-in-law Ben Karnovsky

CANTORIAL SOLOIST’SMUSIC FUND

The Mendelsohn family to Rabbi Benjie Gruber and Tara Abrams in appreciation

Brena and Tom Taylor to Cheryl Ackerman andDavid Saslove in honour of their daughterRachel Saslove’s marriage to Joel Bair

Gail Wynston to Jean Karnovsky in honour ofher special birthday

The Temple Har Zion Choir; and Robynand Mitchell Rozen to Finnie Jesson andAaron Sidenberg in honour of their marriage

June/July 2017, Sivan/Tamuz/Av 5777 19

TRIBUTES

DAVIS YACHT GARDEN – GAN MOSHE FUND

Gwen Yacht to Sarah Creed in memory of herpartner Alan Lasalle; to Eleanor Wisenberg inmemory of her husband Lou Wisenberg

MARVIN KOPSTICK LEADERSHIP FUND

Susan and Ben Aronowitz to Paula and JeffFreedman and family in memory of Jeff ’s sisterNatalie Brown

Marcia Craft; and Bunny and Ken Saul toHelen Kopstick in honour of her special birthday

Lisa and Jeff Dessau to Wendy and Michael Bermanand family in memory of their grandmother andgreat-grandmother Evelyn Rolin

Helen Kopstick to Carol Austin in honour of herspecial birthday; to Roneen and Arnie Weingartenin honour of the marriage of their granddaughterMicha to Sean; to Bernice and Laurie Litman inhonour of the marriage of David and Donna

Joyce Zweig to Jodi Starkman-Mendelsohn and Jondavid Mendelsohn and family in memory oftheir mother, mother-in-law and grandmother Eilene Mendelsohn

MUSIC FUND

Arlene and Allan Fishman; Janis and GarySoren; Paula and George Mintzberg; andElaine and Steven Bassin and family toBarbara and Vince Petty and family in memoryof Barbara’s mother Faye Levey

Ruth and Avie Dunsky to Marilynne Sokoloffin memory of her mother Faye Levey

Margie Keshen; Linda and Paul Waldman;Past Presidents Shar’aron Chapter;Miriam and Harvey Freedman; andSandie and Rob Derbyshire to the Leveyfamily in memory of Faye Levey

Fran Weisberg; Janet and Murray Finkelstein; Joyand Bernie Silverman; Phyllis Caplan; Ruthieand Harvey Presement; Esther and LabelSteinberg; Sylvie and Shel Geller; and Bessieand Len Kaufman to Marilynne and Jerry Sokoloffand family in memory of her mother Faye Levey

PRAYER BOOK FUND

Tara, David, Emily and Ryan Abrams to StaceySilverberg in honour of her special birthday

The 2016-2017 Beit Midrash Teachers toSusan Sermer in her honour

Sheila and Gerry Zeidenberg to Paula and Jeff Freedman in memory of their sister and sister-in-law Natalie Brown

RABBI MICHAEL AND CELIASTROH ADULT EDUCATIONPROGRAM FUND

Adele and Claude Heimann to Rabbi MichalShekel, Professor Carl Ehrlich and family inmemory of their father, father-in-law andgrandfather Jacob Shekel

SANCTUARY RENEWAL FUND

Debby and Lawrie Kaplan to Paula and JeffFreedman in memory of Jeff ’s sister NatalieBrown; to Larry Bell and family in memory ofLarry’s sister Fagey Shessel

SCHOOL FUND

Sara and Len Bates to Susan Sermer in her honour and appreciation

Adele and Claude Heimann to Susan Sermerin honour of her retirement

Alexandra Prasow and Aurora Heshka to theHuss family in appreciation; to Ethan Chankowskyin honour of his becoming Bar Mitzvah

Jacob and Hannah Rozen and family to JulieSermer in appreciation; to Sarah Greene in appreciation

Hannah Rozen and family to Susan Berger inappreciation

Jacob Rozen and family to Elissa Weber in appreciationSusan Sermer to Shelly Bacher in appreciation;

to Brena Taylor in appreciation; to Julie Sermerin appreciation

SISTERHOOD FUND

Carol Austin to Finnie Jesson and Aaron Sidenberg in honour of their marriage; to Jodi Starkman-Mendelsohn and Jondavid Mendelsohn and familyin memory of their mother, mother-in-law andgrandmother Eilene Mendelsohn

Marcia Craft to the Temple Har Zion Sisterhoodin appreciation

Marcia Craft; Bunny and Ken Saul; andJoanne and Barry Fisher to Carol Austin inhonour of her special birthday

Karen Grimm to Debby and Howard Wortzmanin honour of the birth of their grandson LevChaim Osher

Naomi and Saul Joel to Debby and HowardWortzman in honour of the birth of theirgrandson Lev Chaim Osher Heilbronn

Sheilah and Morty Litwin to Norman Rosenin honour of his special birthday

Sharon and Shalom Prasow and family toSidney Finkelman and family in loving memory of Betty Prasow

YOUTH DEVELOPMENTFUND

Frances Halperin to Andrea and Paul Kalmin in honour of their daughter Emily becoming Bat Mitzvah and in appreciation; to Madeleneand Michael Levy in honour of their granddaughter Emily becoming Bat Mitzvah

20

Recognizing Karen

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