We express our profound sorrow and sadness in learning of the murders of six hostages – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi. We join with Israelis and the Jewish people globally in expressing our condolences, love, and support to the families amidst the horror of Hamas' ongoing brutality and violation of...

“The road is long with many a winding turn that leads us to who knows where. But I’m strong, strong enough to carry him. He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother.” These lyrics, from a 1969 song by the English rock and pop band The Hollies, are based on a story from a Boys Town orphanage in 1918. Back then, a boy named Howard Loomis was abandoned by his mother at Father Edward J....

Although we are in Canada, I am sure that many of you have been keeping tabs on the upcoming U.S. election, perhaps even watching the televised national conventions. As an American citizen living abroad, I can’t help but turn some of my focus home, thinking about the future of my country and its impact on the world.Aside from my love of the show The West Wing, I would not consider myself a...

Michael (Mickey) Kaplan has been a member of Beth Tzedec (Goel Tzedec) for 83 years. He is retired now from his accounting practice and spends his time travelling, oil painting and enjoying his family. He and his wife wife Phyllis (nee Miller) were married at Beth Tzedec 60 years ago.My name is Michael Kaplan, and I would like to tell you about my family and its long-standing relationship...

Members can help by donating to the 2024 Annual High Holy Day Appeal. In recent years, Jewish community organizations have grappled with escalating security expenses due to global events and rising threats. The events of October 7, 2023, however, have had a particularly profound impact on Beth Tzedec, compelling the congregation to significantly bolster its security measures to ensure...

Dear Friends, When my husband and I realized that we spoke about current events too much at home, we designed an ice cream/beach/shopping nine-day summer getaway to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for our family. Our goal was to show our daughter that after October 7th, Israel is safe and the people there are living their lives.  Before we left, we warned her over and over again that it would be...

HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS?Beth Tzedec Congregation gives FREE membership for those under 40. Join today.Click here>> to confirm your free membership now. Our mission is to inspire members to live meaningful Jewish lives, so we've lowered the barrier for young Jewish adults in Toronto who want to belong to a thriving kehillah like ours. If you are RENEWING your...

Na’aleh - Let’s Rise As you may know, my work at Beth Tzedec has involved many threads woven into a rich tapestry, work that I am enjoying very much. One of those threads is of contemplative practice. A few examples of where we have experienced contemplative and meditative practices together are during Torah, Shabbat, and the Counting the Omer Through a Mindfulness Lens series,...

Na’aleh - Let’s RiseAs you may know, my work at Beth Tzedec has involved many threads woven into a rich tapestry, work that I am enjoying very much. One of those threads is contemplative practice. A few examples of where we have experienced contemplative and meditative practices together are during Torah, Shabbat,, and the Counting the Omer Through a Mindfulness Lens series, Returning - High...

Crossing the Jordan RiverIn parashat Matot, the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Dan refuse to move across the Jordan river into battle against the Moabites with the rest of Israel. Unimpressed with their selfish attitudes, Moses replied to the Gadites and the Reubenites:הַאַֽחֵיכֶ֗ם יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאַתֶּ֖ם תֵּ֥שְׁבוּ...

Beth Tzedec Membership Office is Open!It's easier than ever for members to access, update and renew their membership online. Take a few moments to explore your member account HERE, confirm your information is correct and up-to-date and renew your commitment to Beth Tzedec.For those members under age 40, renew/reconfirm your NO-FEE Generations Membership HERE. (If you would like to...

The theme of the first year of my Rabbinic Leadership Fellowship with the Shalom Hartman Institute is Jewish Peoplehood. Muchofour discussions centered on boundaries, who is in, who is out; how those boundaries began to shift at the beginning of this century and how the tragic events of October 7 brought many of them crashing down.We surveyed classical and contemporary sources searching for...

As I wrap up my month in Israel, I want to share with you two moments from this past week when Bilam’s accidental blessing of the Jewish people, “Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yakov - How good are your tents” came to life.Reb Steve and I joined hundreds of people in the Takhana Rishona on Sunday. The old Jerusalem train station was transformed into an open-air cultural centre, including incredible...

“When the Canaanite king of Arad… learned that Israel was coming… he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive.” (Numbers 21:1) This week’s Torah reading, Hukkat, discusses the Israelites’ journey through enemy territory as they prepared to enter the land of Israel. They wage war against those nations who do not permit them to pass through their land. The...

Chevre,It’s sometimes hard to believe that I have been learning at the Hartman Institute now for two weeks?! The Rabbinic Leadership Initiative Fellowship is intense. This summer’s themes are Jewish Peoplehood and Israel Today and Tomorrow. The days are long and the learning intense, but the scholarship is top notch, challenging, and inspiring. I feel especially blessed to be learning with a...