While Robert Frost encounters two equally trodden paths in the forest and knowingly accepts that one day he’ll lie about choosing the one less traveled, many of us, throughout our lives, repeatedly encounter unequal paths and always choose the more obvious, and arguably easier, route. How often, if ever, did we take risks? How frequently did we not follow the direction set out by those...

Is Passover your favourite Jewish holiday?  If you’re in charge of the cooking, the cleaning or making a seder, the answer is probably no; but if you’re a child or teenager, you might say yes (by the way, if you are a child or teenager reading this column, I’m very impressed!). I believe that Pesah is our most child-focussed holiday. There’s lots of singing, many ways to...

A number of years ago, I hired a delightful woman, born and raised in Ireland. She always wore a smile and her work ethic was positively motivating. Though not Jewish, she remarked on how similar the Jewish people were to the Irish in our attitudes towards family and the significance of life. We traded stories about grandparents, family gatherings (there was always food involved) and even...

On November 21, Beth Tzedec was proud to co-host the special From the Heart event, together with The Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation. The event was co-chaired by Beth Tzedec members Bernie Abrams and Norman Bacal, both of whom have been active supporters of the Shaare Zedek Hospital. The evening’s theme of tzedec rang out in the opening remarks of Rabbi Adam Cutler and the...

The arrival of January marks the midway point through our year and, as always, the time has passed incredibly quickly. I hope that you are well and that you have managed through the past few difficult weeks, with the ice storm, the resultant power outages and the extraordinary cold. At Beth Tzedec It is always busy at our Synagogue, and the closing weeks of 2013 were no exception. The From...

In 1994, the Birthright Israel program was created. This is a free 10-day heritage tour of Israel for Jewish young adults, aged 18-26. As I write this, my step-daughter Ariel is with Birthright. She left from New York, and upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport she posted the following on her Facebook page: “On Israeli soil. That was one of the most emotional, surreal plane landings ever. I’m in...

As we turn the page on 2013, we begin the planning cycle for programs to be launched next September. Part of our process involves gathering data on attendance. Usually the first indicator of satisfaction, compiling the many snapshots of how many came to what, provides a picture of the usage of our building and its place in the community. A Community Destination for Jewish Living, active...

I’m not sure where the month of October went, but I hope yours was a good and productive one!  Like many of you I expect, I spent the start of October recovering from the earliest-possible High Holy Days, before delving back into “normalcy”.  The USCJ Centennial In mid-October, our Chair, Dena Libman, and I accepted an invitation to attend the Centennial...

Forty-eight golfers and a dozen others attended Copper Creek Golf Club on May 31. Funds raised will be used to help fund Synagogue events and projects.The Men's Club is grateful for the support of the donors and organizers who made this inaugural event an outstanding success.

Good evening. Good Yom Tov. Shabbat Shalom. I am honoured to have the opportunity tonight to address you as the President of this wonderful congregation, one last time. When I was a child, in the thick of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Circuit, on several occasions, I heard the senior rabbi at Temple Sinai, Jordan Pearlson (alav hashalom) open the service the same way every Friday...

We are thrilled to announce that the BT Congregational School has been awarded funding from the Toronto WOW! Project for the launch of three exciting programs for this year.We are immediately introducing a newly developed holiday-themed curriculum for Grade 3 focussed on experiential learning. Students will be engaged in individual and group projects designed for many different learning styles...

It is our great pleasure to honour this year’s Kallat Torah, Ruth Warner Hyman, and H̱attan Bereisheet, Paul Rothstein, at our Simẖat Torah services and luncheon. Ruth and Paul have demonstrated outstanding dedication to our Beth Tzedec community and now join our distinguished list of honourees. Ruth Warner Hyman—Kallat Torah Ruth Warner Hyman, business owner, teacher and...

Despite Rav Baruch’s reminder in June that there were only 10 weeks left until the High Holy Days, I remained convinced that there was plenty of time to enjoy the summer. As I finally sit down to write this column, it is clear that summer has come to an abrupt conclusion, and the High Holy Days are upon us. Now is the time to take stock of the year that is ending and focus on the one...

Every person of every generation has a stake in what  happens at Beth Tzedec. Much more than just a place to experience Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, your shul is where so much of Jewish life emanates. From a baby naming to a bat mitzvah, from a marriage to a golden anniversary, Beth Tzedec is the place where you come to celebrate and share life cycle moments, smahot or events of great...

A new future King of England has been born in the country of my birth. I am English, although I haven’t lived full-time in the UK in decades. Since 1980, I have traveled the world as a singer and as a cantor, and in the words of Johnny Mercer, “There’s such a lot of world to see.” I have lived in Canada since 2005. After repeatedly renewing my work permit, I am now in the process...