Shalom, Holy Blossom.
Many families are preparing to send children and grandchildren off to school this week. This time of transition likely comes with both excitement and trepidation. To offer you a measure of calm and confidence, I share these two prayers written for just this moment. One is written for school-aged children and the other, by my friend, Rabbi Hanna Yerushalmi, is for university students. You may wish to share these prayers with your kids over the long weekend or they may inspire you to write your own, tailor-made just for your own unique child. What do our kids need to hear from us now? What blessings can we offer them now on the edge of a new year?
A Prayer for Schoolchildren
Our God and God of our Ancestors:
Guide our children’s steps as they leave our home to return to school.
May they know good health and the joy of discovery.
May they know the warmth of good friends, the laughter of unstructured play,
the strength of teammates, and the connection in community.
May they witness the inspiration of dedicated teachers,
the influence of thoughtful role models,
and the vision of how to create a better world for their generation
and the generations to come.
May they be supported and challenged.
May they know the blessings of their people, the safety of their land,
and the strength of their faith.
May they know peace and also resilience, hope and also hard work,
dreams and also practical skills.
May they grow in mind, body, and spirit.
May they know how to receive and offer kindness each and every day.
Protect them, O God, because they are Your children, too.
And let us say, Amen!
A Prayer for University Students in 2025
Dear God of Israel, keep my child safe, secure in their core identity as they encounter worlds within worlds.
Open their hearts to hold multiple truths, and the skills to stand up for our people, even as they defend the stranger and the needy.
Let them find shelter within our tiny tribe, while finding the courage to engage with new ideas, never forgetting those who perished in God’s name.
Help them feel secure in the lessons of our heritage, and the pledges they made as they stood proudly before the holy Torah as B’nei Mitzvah.
Bless them with empathy and understand, to open up their thirsty minds and nimble souls, but keep them grounded to the scrolls on our doorposts.
Support their journey towards the tree of knowledge, with trustworthy teachers and kindred spirits, who share in our quest to make this world a better place.
May they forever find steadfast refuge in the shelter of our eternal nation, and seek answers from the tribal lessons of our ancient homeland.
Dear God of Israel, guard my child’s place in this sacred chain of tradition, generations old, so that through them, our people will yet endure.
Amen v’Amen.
Samidoun, a radical organization that advocates “Death to Israel and Death to Canada,” was recognized as a terrorist organization on October 15, 2024. Yet nearly one year later, it still operates inside of Canada, receives non-profit status benefits from Corporations Canada, organizes hateful protests, and spews propaganda into Canadian communities.
Thanks to B’nai Brith, you can send a note to Corporations Canada here. Doing so adds your voice to many others, insisting that this simply cannot continue to stand.
To learn more about how we as a nation have reached this point where a designated terrorist entity and its very visible leaders can continue to operate in Canada, please read this very complete statement from the ALCCA.
Learn more about Advocacy@HBT here.
Past President, Holy Blossom Temple Foundation
“Dr. Marvin Tile was a towering figure in the world of medicine, a pioneer in orthopaedic surgery, a teacher of generations, and a leader whose innovations at Sunnybrook Hospital continue to save and transform lives. He was admired across the globe for his brilliance and his vision. Yet what truly defined him was not only his contribution to medicine, but his humility, his devotion to family, and his ever-deepening relationship with Jewish life and community.” (Stephen Tile, excerpt from his eulogy)
Marvin never lost sight of the values taught to him by his father, Sam Tile: work hard, think before you speak, remain humble, and above all, love your family. His son, Stephen, reflected in his eulogy:
“He was a selfless warrior who only wanted the best for others. He asked for nothing in return – from anyone. As his world shrank in recent years and he got out less, he treasured every Shabbat, every Yom Tov, and every simcha. It is hard to imagine this Rosh Hashana or Pesach without him at the head of the table. But we will do our best.”
A central pillar of Marvin’s life was his remarkable partnership with his beloved Esther. Together they built a home, raised a family, and shared 71 years of unwavering devotion. Rabbi Samuel Kaye beautifully captured this love story:
“Everyone here knows how dedicated Marvin and Esther were to each other; they were the star around which the other orbited for 71 years. To leave the other’s side was unthinkable. To not share in the other one’s joy was impossible. No illness has ever dimmed the unshakable care – the true love – between them.”
Watch the touching video of Marvin and Esther’s 70th Anniversary Aliyah here: https://youtu.be/WOwqFuzQrhc
In his later years, Marvin experienced what his family called a transformation of spirit. The man who once worked tirelessly through the High Holy Days became a regular presence at Holy Blossom Temple services. Whether in person or, more recently, logging in online, he found joy, purpose, and community in prayer and reflection.
As Rabbi Yael Splansky recalled, Marvin’s Jewish identity was deeply bound up with his professional calling:
“In 1964, just before Marvin was appointed to Sunnybrook’s surgical staff, the Jewish refugee and theologian named Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, was invited to address the annual meeting of the American Medical Association. There he taught: “Medicine is prayer in the form of a deed.”
Over the years, Marvin came to the conclusion that as a man of science, he was also a man of faith. Just days ago, when I visited at his bedside, Marvin clarified further that he was not an atheist, but an agnostic – a Spinoza Jew. Marvin believed that to draw near to the natural world is to draw near to God. Dr. Tile devoted himself to the study of the natural world – its wonder, its brokenness, its repair. For him, these were religious acts. For him, “Medicine is prayer in the form of a deed.” For him, prayer prompted fixing, contributing, leading, loving. It’s no wonder that for a Sunnybrook plaque dedicated in honour of his leadership, Marvin chose the Hebrew words “Tikun Olam” – “To Mend the World.”
Today our sadness is overwhelming, but our gratitude overwhelms even our sadness. His memory will be for eternal blessing.
A Letter to My Community,
My name is Taiga. I own a contemporary art gallery in Toronto, founded by my Jewish immigrant grandmother in 1973. I was raised to treat artists like family, with the understanding that my home is their home, and we are united in support for one another. And I believed this sincerely…until October 7th.
Overnight, my friends and colleagues – people whose work I had collected and adored, whose careers I had followed with encouragement and enthusiasm – had raised their fists not in solidarity with Jewish suffering, but against us.
I learned that here, in my own city, Jewish exhibitions were being protested. Our national photography festival was boycotted because its title sponsor invested in Israeli tech. Many of my colleagues survived by dissociating, some endured horrific public backlash for being Jewish, and a handful left the field altogether. I was consumed by rage, embarrassment, and sadness. Like living next to a waterfall and realizing I no longer registered the thunderous sound, it had instead taken on a physical weight in my body. The joy and belonging felt within the Toronto arts industry were replaced by anxiety and alienation.
In May 2025, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel. Immersion within the rich artistic landscape and diverse community lifted that familiar weight off my shoulders as though it had never been, replaced instead with connection and inspiration. When our wheels touched down in Toronto, the weight returned in full force. Except…now I noticed it. Now I could name it. And my deep sense of horrified betrayal became impossible to ignore.
In that clarity, I saw two paths: abandon the art world (and with it, my career), or dig deep into my love of the arts, extend my hand to the colleagues and friends who I know are also hurting, and together create renewed purpose for us all.
I chose the latter.
The Reframe Arts Fellowship is a curated, immersive arts and culture pilgrimage to Israel for Jews and our non-Jewish friends with a passion for the arts. Whether a working artist, consultant, curator, seasoned collector, or someone who enjoys engaging with visual arts and architecture, Reframe is for anyone interested in exploring Israel through that lens. The purpose of Reframe is to create a space for learning, reflection, and restoration. By submerging ourselves in the art, architecture, history and heritage of Israel, and by engaging with the people who make up that community, we can begin to heal the wounds that have shaken our confidence in the art world at home. Reframe is an opportunity to reconnect with culture, purpose, and each other through our shared passion.
Our mission is twofold:
We’ve had wonderful responses to date. Our first cohort is fully booked and will run September 5-10. The second cohort is scheduled for January 2026. The trips will include a mix of Jews and non-Jews in the arts. We will be spending a week touring museums, galleries, and artist studios; sharing meals, exploring architecture, and bearing witness to October 7th by visiting monuments and listening to survivors. Educating ourselves. Engaging with our community. Strengthening our resolve. Inoculating ourselves against hatred with real, lived experience.
Reframe is now a StandWithUs Canada initiative, created to advance our shared commitment to education, cultural engagement, and combating misinformation. All donations to the Reframe Arts Fellowship are eligible for charitable tax receipts. As a StandWithUs Canada program, Reframe strives to champion firsthand experience over headlines, curiosity over ideology, and the belief that storytelling, art, and presence have the power to reframe the narrative.
In a conversation with Rabbi Splansky, she suggested Reframe might be of interest to the Holy Blossom community. I invite you to take a look at the website Reframe Arts Fellowship
for more information. If this resonates with you, I look forward to hearing from you. If you think it would resonate with someone you know, please share.
Am Israel Chai,
Taiga Bentley
By Lauren Grunland
This summer, I was thrilled to celebrate my 5th summer at URJ Camp George as Associate Director. As a member of Holy Blossom myself, it was incredible to be joined by more than 60 Holy Blossom members from the HBT family – campers, staff, and faculty. Together we filled the shores of Maple Lake with ruach, laughter, and Jewish joy—all while living our Reform values infused into the traditions of Ontario overnight camping.
We are especially proud to celebrate two Holy Blossom members of our camp community who were the recipients of our coveted staff awards. Jesse Sol, winner of our SAM Award, a peer-nominated honour given to the most dedicated and impactful staff member of the summer, and Jo-Jo Freedman Lawson, incoming HABSTY co-president, was recognized as Rookie of the Year for his incredible contributions as a first-year staff member. We are so proud of both of them and wish them a huge Yasher Koach and Mazal Tov for their amazing efforts throughout the summer!
Stay tuned for more information about how you can join the magic of Camp George in Summer 2026!
Canada needs strong Jewish and Zionist voices in politics—and you can help ensure they are there. While you may not be eligible yourself, you can play a vital role by helping to identify and encourage university-aged individuals who would thrive in this program—or who could be inspired to get involved with Israel advocacy and political leadership through it.
Applications are officially open for the 2025–2026 CJPAC Fellowship, Canada’s leading political training experience for Jewish and allied university students. Only 50 standout leaders from across the country will be selected for this career-defining program.
The Fellowship offers:
At the heart of the Fellowship is the National Conference in Ottawa (Nov 19–23, 2025), where Fellows step inside the rooms where decisions are made and leave with knowledge and relationships you can’t get in a classroom.
Deadline to apply: September 18, 2025
This program is more than training—it’s an investment in a future where Zionists and allies are visible, capable, and trusted leaders in Canadian politics. Please think of the university students in your life—whether already engaged or waiting to be inspired—and share this opportunity with them.
In a passage from the Babylonian Talmud (Kiddushin 40b), Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were gathered at the house of their colleagues, where they were asked the question of which is greater: study or action?
Rabbi Tarfon answers: Action is greater.
Yet, Rabbi Akiva responds: Study is greater.
Everyone agreed with Akiva that study is greater than action because it leads to action.
This logic, this argument, would seem to make total sense, since we could say that although both study and action are essential, we should prioritize the one that facilitates the other.
Yet, if action is the ultimate goal then, why bother with study at all?
The idea might be, according to Jewish philanthropist and educator Aaron Dorfman, that we need both, because study does not necessarily lead us to action, but through action. Study guides us towards what actions to take, and how to take on mitzvot, our sacred commandments. For example, the Torah teaches us to pay workers fairly, and promptly. The Talmud teaches us that pikuach nefesh, the saving of life, rises above all. The medieval scholar Maimonides teaches us how much tzedakah to allocate and where to direct it.
So, at Holy Blossom, when it comes to our education offerings, we seek, in the wisdom of our tradition, to blend both study and action.
How, might you ask?
The first is for our Adult learners. We are thrilled to be launching, in November, our Alef-Bets of Jewish Life course. This will be an incredible, team-taught intensive experience aimed at enhancing Judaic knowledge and literacy in a Beit Midrash environment, as well as Hebrew and Trope instruction. Students can choose their own “tracks” to take what is most meaningful and relevant to them. For those who wish, there is also an Adult B’nei Mitzvah component so that we may provide the opportunity to celebrate that special milestone. This study will lead to action by creating a community of committed learners and friends, who will be enriched in their Jewish skills to bring their many talents back to strengthen our congregation.
The second is for our youngest Blossoms. Every Sunday morning and Monday evening, our Youth Education Centre (YEC) is a hub of learning and laughter. I mean it when I say that Sundays are the best day of my week, every week, and it is because of the soul-nourishing impact of seeing our bright future. Our YEC is that place where our students come to play and pray, and, in doing so, we form Jewish identities built on pride, joy, community, and deep-rooted values and connections. Registration is open for 5786 and is on a rolling basis. We would welcome anyone who has a child or grandchild looking for the best Jewish educational foundation to be in touch and to come check us out.
As the Mishna teaches, and as we recite as part of our morning liturgy: V’Talmud Torah k’neged kulam, “the study of Torah rivals them all, because it leads to them all.”
At Holy Blossom, study leads not to action, but through action, for all of our eager students and learners.
We can’t wait for you to participate in these amazing endeavours with us.
1950 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5P 3K9
(416) 789-3291
[email protected]
Emergency Funeral Contact
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.