Each year we produce a wonderful booklet of prayer, poetry and reflections for the Days of Awe. This booklet is designed to inspire and enlighten us during the High Holy Days - adding to our Beth Tzedec Congregation experience. This year we have chosen Olam Hesed Yibaneh: We Build the World on Love, as our theme. So please - share your stories, poems and other artwork! Especially during...

"Okay, so there are many Arab countries in the Middle East and only one Jewish one. Why won’t they just leave Israel and live in one of those?’’ Last Thursday, we hosted our weekly program exploring of the most "politically incorrect" TV show in Israel, Sorry For Asking. This TV show interviews Israelis and asks controversial questions sourced from the public to minority Israeli...

Friends -In the face of sha'at had'hak, an extraordinary time of crisis, we turn to the core Jewish values that guide us as a kehillah kedoshah, a holy community. As we've repeated again and again over the course of the past few weeks, one of those values, pikuah nefesh, the preservation of life, is a bedrock principle of Jewish law, superseding most other obligations or mitzvot.The time has come...

Beth Tzedec is constantly striving to be a vibrant, inclusive community where members feel strongly connected to our congregation and to each other. A caring community involves more than just membership contributions. We want Beth Tzedec to foster relationships that motivate members to live meaningful and impactful Jewish lives that include taking responsibility for caring for our...

"It is hard to find a bad word to say about Omer, or a good word that you can’t say about him. He was such a good person, one of those rare good people which is hard to find, full of good intentions, who would not harm a fly. Omer was very shy, and you could even have seen it in his loving brown eyes. You couldn’t ever ignore his charming smile. He was so ambitious and intelligent...

Dear Friends, As always, we hope that you are healthy, safe and managing the multitude of emotions that crises such as these inevitably produce. We are here for each other and are continuing to reach out to our community to check in, connect and care. Please contact us if there is something we can do to make this moment a little bit easier for you. BT All Access continues to be a...

This Holocaust Remembrance Day was different. It didn’t feel the same without the ceremonies, without seeing everyone in the street wearing white, without the feeling you get walking in the street, feeling like time is frozen. For me, it was different for another reason, it was the first Holocaust Remembrance Day in 10 years that I didn’t get to visit my grandfather, Avraham. My...

In the 10 years since I joined the Beth Tzedec board, the person I have turned to for advice most often has been my father, Paul Rothstein. With his 60 years of history at Beth Tzedec and having been a past president, my dad has been a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. The best advice he ever gave me was to trust my gut – if a decision didn’t feel right, then it probably wasn’t....

Dear friends,   I hope you had a meaningful Passover. It certainly was memorable! How many Zoom jokes did you share? What dayanu, it would have been enough, of thankfulness did you add to the traditional list? When Elijah came to your door, did you let him in? Did you make sure he was masked and gloved? Did he look like Bette Midler? (Did you watch the Saturday Night...

Dear friends, The current pandemic has brought up real issues and challenges for many of us. Collectively we are dealing with the reality of staying home for a long stretch of time, without a definitive end date. Individually, we bring to this moment of time a slew of individual circumstances. For a plethora of reasons, COVID-19 is not enriching our well-being. Some of us are trying...

Sit Down to a Stress-Free Shabbat DinnerOur friends at Apex Kosher Catering are offering weekly Friday night dinners at an affordable price for pick up or delivery. The menu changes weekly, so be sure to check back often for your favourite meals.To view the latest menu, click here >>

On Tuesday, April 7, Beth Tzedec's rabbis were featured on provincial and national news networks to discuss the life during the international Covid-19 pandemic.Rabbi Steven Wernick was interviewed on CBC News Network and CBC's The National, discussing how religious institutions are practicing social distancing and spiritual nearness in these challenging times. To view his interview, click...

To say that we are living in unprecedented times would be an understatement. I am writing to you from my home office, a room that I have barely left in the last three weeks. I cannot imagine that there is a family in our kehillah left untouched by COVID-19, health-wise or financially. As we look for a light in the darkness, it is easy to spiral into anxiety and despair. I know that it...

Yom Hashoah V'HagvurahCross-Canada Virtual Holocaust Remembrance Day CommemorationMonday, April 20 at 7:00 pm – The unfortunate cancellation of in-person Yom Hashoah gatherings across Canada has presented an unprecedented opportunity. This year, from coast to coast, we will join together for an online Holocaust Remembrance presentation unlike any other. The program will include greetings...

We hope all the members of our Congregation and the community are coping well in these difficult times.The leadership and staff at Beth Tzedec are working hard to keep you up-to-date with information and protocols related to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the importance of strict physical distancing over Passover. This year, it means staying home and conducting seders only with members of your...