Beth Tzedec Congregation, The Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto, Holy Blossom Temple, and Toronto's greater Jewish community are anticipating another tremendous gathering on the evening Thursday, April 11, at 7:30 pm.

The fall event, Part I of "The End of the Shul as We Know It?" with Professor Jonathan Sarna was so well received.  There was an impressive representation of professional and lay leadership from across the city and across the Jewish spectrum.  The ideas expressed in the keynote address as well as those expressed by the two panelists - Rabbi-Professor Marty Lockshin and Rabbi Miriam Margles - triggered ongoing conversations among the leadership of Toronto's synagogues and Jewish organizations. 

We anticipate Part II will be equally challenging - even provocative.  Our keynote speaker will be Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, the Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor of Liturgy, Worship and Ritual at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. In 1994, he co-founded Synagogue 2000, a trans-denominational project to envision and implement the ideal synagogue "as moral and spiritual centre" for the 21st century.  With his book, "Rethinking Synagogue:  A New Vocabulary for Congregational Life", Rabbi Hoffman is training an entire generation of lay and professional leaders to take up the challenge of synagogue transformation.

Professor Hoffman's address will be followed by responses from two local rabbis, Rabbi Aaron Levy who is the founding rabbi of Makom, and Rabbi Michal Shekel, who is the Executive Director of the Toronto Board of Rabbis.

They will comment on the rapid changes in the Toronto Jewish Community and how synagogues are and are not yet meeting the needs of Toronto's Jews today.

We hope to see you this Thursday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Holy Blossom. For more information, click here.