Saturday, June 10, 2023
Friday, June 9, 2023
Being currently in the biblical Book of Numbers, Bamidbar, I was recently reflecting on a well-known Midrashic adage inspired by its tales: shiv’im panim baTorah, “there are seventy faces to expound on Torah” (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15).
In other words, the ways that Torah, in the broadest sense – wisdom, learning, teaching, relationships, worship, and so on – is manifested in a community, is multi-faceted, because it can unfold in so many different, wonderful ways.
We can extend this to our outlook on Jewish life, as well, as we revel in its joys, it’s complexities, and it’s diversity, at all ages and stages.
If we look within our own sacred community, there is such a variety of ways coming up, even as the summer descends upon us, that we can glean Torah from one another.
Before that, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our spectacular Pride Shabbat this past Friday evening. The phenomenal community spirit of inclusion was deeply meaningful, and a sight to behold. We thank all who made it happen, particularly co-chairs Andrew Cohen and Daniel Penciner, our Director of Development Shira Lester, and Director of Membership and Community Engagement Abigail Nemzer. Check out all the fun postings on our Facebook page
On the horizon, we will be honouring our Shinshinit Ella Payorski, who has taught us so much about Israel and developed close bonds, particularly with our YEC children, over her time with us this past year in Canada. We are celebrating with her a Bat Mitzvah this Shabbat, a symbol of her own Jewish growth and learning, at our Family Service, and look forward to her being with us in the Main Sanctuary on June 24, before she heads to Camp George for part of the summer and returns to Israel to begin her army service in an elite intelligence unit. Truly remarkable.
Speaking of Camp George … we are looking forward to holding a fun Pop-Up Shabbat for our Holy Blossom Camp George families on June 23 before sending them off to Maple Lake.
Finally – our last major Dorot program for the 2022-2023 year, is taking place on June 20 and is a special collaboration with Gillian Helfield’s “What I’m Watching” film group. We’re so excited to explore the multiple iterations of the movie “A Star Is Born”, and to focus on its intergenerational appeal and unique Jewish flavour.
At Holy Blossom, Torah is always being taught, and always being learned, whether it’s from our youngest to our oldest, whether it’s through our relationships with each other and the values we espouse, or through the myriad of creative and dynamic opportunities on offer.
To seventy more faces, and to a wonderful summer!
We are delighted to share that we will be welcoming a new member of Holy Blossom Temple’s Senior Leadership Team in the new role of Director of Outreach & Next Gen Engagement. Taylor Baruchel will join Holy Blossom Temple to lead this important area. She will start part-time this coming Monday and will be with us full-time after the Victoria Day weekend.
Together with the Board of Directors, we are thrilled to have been able to advance in creating a new Directorship to serve our younger families and young adults and those who will join us. This initiative has been supported in honour of Rabbi Splansky’s 25th anniversary at Temple. This new position will help us to realize Rabbi Splansky’s vision for Holy Blossom Temple’s future, which includes bringing this essential cohort into sharp focus as a top priority for the years ahead.
Taylor comes to us most recently as Program Coordinator and Lead Educator at Introduction to Jewish Life (Toronto’s conversion program under the auspices of the Reform Rabbis of Greater Toronto) as well as Chaplain Intern, providing spiritual and pastoral care at Baycrest Health Sciences. Prior to moving to Toronto, Taylor spent four years in various leadership positions of increasing responsibility at the Hillels of Georgia where she made a profound impact on the Jewish student body through outreach and engagement. Hailing from Montréal, Taylor was involved in the Jewish Community in a number of ways including as a board member at Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom and through her volunteer work programming for the equivalent of our Young Adult Division (YAD) here at Temple. Taylor holds a BA in Religious Studies and a Master of Arts: History & Philosophy of Religion both from Concordia University, a Master’s Concentration in Israel Education from The iCentre for Israel Education (in Chicago), and a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). She will receive her Rabbinic Ordination from HUC-JIR in a few short weeks in Los Angeles.
Having a Rabbi in a staff position, as opposed to a pulpit position, is new to Holy Blossom Temple, although it is very common among other large congregations across the Reform Movement. The fact that Taylor Baruchel will soon be Rabbi Baruchel will make her outreach and engagement work even more effective. She will bring depth to her outreach initiatives and Jewish content to the engagement opportunities she creates.
Many of you will already know Taylor as she and her family, Associate Rabbi Samuel Kaye and their nearly three-year-old daughter, Selah joined HBT in June 2022. Holy Blossom is already the Baruchel/Kaye’s spiritual home, and we are blessed to have Taylor join our professional team.
As of May 1, Taylor can be reached at [email protected] or extension 233. Her desk will be in the Membership Office, but she will be seen often at Holy Grounds Café, meeting with members and prospective members, social animators, outside professional partners, and emerging lay leaders. She will also be out and about town, strategically placing herself wherever our Terumah and YAD folks are in the community.
Our deep gratitude goes to the first five families who have provided generous seed funding to enable us to create this new position, essential for our future growth. They are Karen & Tom Ehrlich, Wendy & Elliott Eisen, Helena & David Fine, Judy & Jack Winberg, and Carole & Bernard Zucker. We continue to strengthen the congregation in honour of Rabbi Splansky’s 25th. To learn more or to make a gift, please visit https://holyblossom.org/rys25/.
Mazel Tov to us all and Shabbat Shalom,
Rachel Malach Rabbi Yael Splansky
Executive Director Senior Rabbi
Recharging Reform JudaismRabbinic Reflection: Rabbi Yael Splansky
Baskin-Garson Senior Rabbinic Chair
Last week I attended a two-day conference, entitled Re-charging Reform Judaism. One of the leaders of the conference was our own Past President, Mark Anshan. He has devoted two years to spearhead this conference which grew to more than 300 participants – rabbis, cantors, educators, and lay leaders from across N. America and Israel. It was a grassroots conversation among Reform Jews about Reform Judaism.
“Reform” is a verb, of course. A present tense verb. We were not “reformed” once and frozen in time. We are constantly “reforming” our finest expression of modern Jewish life. And we are part of a global Reform “movement.” We move. We shift. We expand. We recalibrate, reorient, and realign ourselves to meet the call of the day.
The thrust of the conference was that the Reform Movement as a whole ought to amplify its commitment to Jewish Peoplehood and to Israel. I must admit that it was validating for me to hear this call because Holy Blossom is already there. Yes, we are committed to universal aims and to acts of Tikun Olam which serve humanity and the world, but we get there through a particularly Jewish lens.
The opening two paragraphs of Holy Blossom’s Statement of Identity assert:
Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto’s first synagogue, is a leading Canadian Reform Jewish congregation with a rich history of responding to both tradition and modernity in our religious and spiritual expression. We pursue meaningful opportunities for personal growth and family fulfillment at every stage of life through belonging, learning, prayer and ritual, and acts of service for our congregation and community, our city and country, the Reform Movement, Israel, and all the world.
Founded in 1856 as an Orthodox congregation in downtown Toronto, Holy Blossom Temple joined the Reform movement in the 1920s and soon became known the world over as a flagship congregation of Reform Judaism. In the 1970’s we began to embrace more traditional practices and today our prayer language and ritual draw from the best of the Reform tradition as well as from Klal Yisrael (the totality of the Jewish People). Within our congregation, there is a respectful range of Jewish observance and beliefs. Our commitment is to create a Jewish life, which is meaningful and challenging, authentic and joyful, responsible and relevant.
I was honoured to be invited to address the conference on the themes of Reform Jewish Theology, Belief and Practice. Here is the link to the brief thoughts I was able to share and to the panel discussion which followed. https://swfs.org/re-charging-reform-judaism/watch/ (I come in at the 10-minute mark.)
And here is the link to the many keynote speakers. https://swfs.org/re-charging-reform-judaism/watch/ Have a listen and share your thoughts with me.
Yishar Koach, once again to Mark Anshan. You can hear his remarks which, like bookends, opened and closed the conference to set the frame for our deliberations and considerations. Mark continues to devote himself to the Reform Movement of North America and Israel. This conference, which gave rise to many new insights and influences, would simply not have come to fruition without his dedication.
Shabbat Shalom, everyone.
By Sarah Zelcer
I am a parent of three children and a product of Jewish day school and Jewish summer camps. Growing up, my observant family was very involved in synagogue life through our membership and active participation in a conservative shul in North York.
My early career was rooted in the Jewish community as well, through my initial few years as a young professional with Jewish Campus Service (now Hillel Toronto) and the subsequent 13 years working with Ve’ahavta. I now work with the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs Ontario.
As my family was growing, we found ourselves engaging with and testing different Jewish communities and perhaps expanding our sense of finding Jewish spaces which felt aligned with our Jewish values (including Tikun Olam), our strong sense of tradition, our deep connections to Israel, and our desire for diverse and inclusive Jewish environments. We are thankful that over the years we have found homes in different synagogues, Jewish learning and Jewish summer camp environments which have fostered these values.
Among these are our family’s involvement with both URJ Camp George, where our eldest and youngest have thrived, as well as with Machane Lev. Machane Lev is a one-week summer camp established in 2017 by Canadian Young Judaea as a place for young LGBTQ+ Jews to be their most authentic selves.
As a graduate of Canadian Young Judaea summer camp system (and subsequent six summers spent as a counsellor!) I was thrilled to learn of the existence of Machane Lev as a space for my children to safely thrive, build community with their LGBTQIAA+ peers and allies, as well as maintain their deep connection to Jewish values and to Israel. This upcoming summer will be the second summer we have sent two of our children to Machane Lev and we remain grateful for this inclusive, diverse, and important space for Canadian Jewish LGBTQIAA+ youth to grow and thrive and be their vibrant and amazing selves.
We remain grateful to have found an inclusive, dynamic, family-friendly and engaging environment at Holy Blossom Temple where all three of our children are engaged and building community.
Saturday, June 3, 2023
1950 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5P 3K9
(416) 789-3291
[email protected]
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Cell: 416-565-7561
Founded in 1856, Holy Blossom Temple is Toronto’s first synagogue with a rich history of tradition and modernity in our religious and spiritual expression.