In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the minister Arthur Dimmesdale, tormented by guilt, stands on the scaffold at night, shrouded in the mist and darkness. The mist reflects his inner turmoil and the secrecy surrounding his sin of adultery with Hester Prynne. In T.S. Elliot’s The Wasteland, London is shrouded in “brown fog,” representing the spiritual confusion of...

The Talmud (Taanit 5b) tells the story of a weary traveller who, after wandering through the desert, finds a remarkable tree. Its fruit is sweet, its shade comforting, and a stream flows beneath it, offering refreshment. The traveller enjoys the tree’s gifts and, before departing, wishes to bless it. But how? The tree already possesses everything it needs: sweet fruit, cool shade, and...

For the last three weeks, I led a series of Song Circles. What is a song circle, you might ask? The most obvious answer is that it is a group of people gathered to sing, and they do so while sitting in a circle. The facilitator brings a collection of songs and shares lyrics. In our case, lyrics were provided in English and Hebrew with both translations and transliterations - we want to make...

WHY SHOULD I REMEMBER BETH TZEDEC IN MY WILL?You care deeply about Jewish continuity and want to see Judaism flourish in your community. Beth Tzedec serves our community today and will continue to serve generations into the future. A legacy gift ensures that our synagogue remains a vibrant center of Jewish life for years to come.I AM NOT A WEALTHY PERSON. CAN MY GIFT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?Yes, every...

At the beginning of Parashat Vaeira, God appears to Moses having now heard the moaning of the Israelites over their bondage in Egypt. God promises Moses to fulfill the covenant established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The language God uses in describing the upcoming liberation of the Israelites contains a series of five verbs: וְהֽוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת...

I wear around my neck a charcoal-coloured dog tag that says the words: “My heart is held hostage in Gaza”.Since October 7, this quote has felt so accurate for many of us. We live our lives: go to work, study, spend time with family, listen to music and try to experience joy, but something is missing. The word for heart in Hebrew is lev. When God’s angel speaks to Moshe from the burning...

Dear friends,  At the end of December, I stepped away from the shul for just over a week but did not venture far. Mostly I was home, only two doors away from the shul. My family took some time to discover Toronto activities that were foreign to us. On Boxing Day, at our daughter’s suggestion we went to Little Canada. For those unfamiliar, Little Canada is a unique...

HAPPY 70th ANNIVERSARY BETH TZEDEC CONGREGATION!!כל הכבוד“A view of the past, a vision for the future,”Beth Tzedec’s founders were bold, strategic visionaries, combining congregations of Beth Hamidrash Hagadol and Goel Tzedec and heading up Bathurst St. to the outskirts of the city. They built a new ‘modern’ home with an eye to the future. In Hebrew, 70...

Here’s a new way we’re making manifest the Beth Tzedec value of CARING–introducing ChazaKits!Beth Tzedec is the place where we share our lives’ journeys–the ups and the downs. We’ll all go through them, no one’s immune. We’re introducing a way to help our friends and families get through the most intense and challenging times: a collective Beth Tzedec hug in the form of a box with...

Parashat Vayigash and the Theme of New Beginnings Parashat Vayigash centers on a dramatic turning point in the story of Joseph and his family, offering profound insights into the power of new beginnings. After years of pain and estrangement, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, transforming their fractured relationship into a unified bond. This moment sets the stage for a...

BETH TZEDEC CONGREGATION - UPDATE TO BY-LAWS (MAY 25, 2021)BackgroundAt the May 25, 2021 Annual Meeting, a by-law amendment was introduced and voted favorably upon to address the circumstances where disciplinary actions may be considered for a violation of congregational policies. For context, although the Board of Directors had previously approved a Harassment Policy indicating that the...

Beth Tzedec Bulletin - Winter EditionThe latest edition of the Beth Tzedec Bulletin is available for download. Let's celebrate, learn, pray and connect as a community with the many opportunities offered throughout our quarterly catalogue of programs, events and articles.Don't miss any of the news and excitement, including:Shabbat Shirah Weekend (page 2);Annual High Holy Day Appeal...

Over the past 14 months, Beth Tzedec has taken significant steps to protect our community and maintain a safe and welcoming space for all. In the face of rising antisemitism worldwide and the devastating attacks of October 7th, the importance of these measures has never been clearer. The reality we face is sobering: since October 2023, our security costs have grown by more than $120,000,...

In Parashat Vayishlach, we read the story of Jacob wrestling with an unfamiliar being, most often understood as an angel of God. After this tussle, Jacob is renamed Yisrael (Israel), meaning “one who struggles with God.” A name change in the Torah often implies a change in character. Here, Jacob (Yaakov) is no longer simply the ‘deceiver’—one who would trick his own brother out of his...

Upon waking from his dream, Jacob delights:  אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃ Surely God is present in this place, and I did not know! In his book titled “God Was in This Place and I, I Did Not Know,” Rabbi Lawrence Kushner points out that earlier on in Jacob’s...