MNJCC Tikkun Leil Shavuot
Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 pm until Wednesday, June 12, 9:00 am
The downtown Jewish community’s renowned Tikkun Leil Shavuot: All Night Jewish Learning Festival is back for its 16th year!
Tikkun Leil Shavuot is an incredibly generous outpouring of love, ruach (spirit), and wisdom from many, many teachers in our community. There’s something for everyone at this year’s celebration – a night of community, study, snacking and more.
Limited hybrid options will be available; cheesecake is only available in person!
Free and open to all.
Click here for a full night’s schedule of classes, panels, and workshops!
HBT FEATURE: 10:30 – 11:30 PM
Judeo-Optimism and Judeo-Pessimism: Texts of Pain and Hope
With Rabbi Jonathan Cohen, Rabbi Yael Splansky, Yacov Fruchter
Al Green Theatre (first floor) | Hybrid
In a year of thunder caught in our throats, we’re also seeing an efflorescence of Jewish connection, curiosity, creativity. What do we do in the face of pessimism about the destiny or future (or current state) of Judaism and Jewish peoplehood? What do we have to be optimistic about right now? What are some of the texts of our tradition that speak to the intermingling of optimism and pessimism? Three spiritual leaders reflect on the emotional “state of the Jewish union” and share the sources from which they draw strength in the great sea of Jewish wisdom.
Jonathan Cohen is the rabbi of Oraynu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism. He previously served as a law professor and affiliate professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Florida. He holds an MA in Jewish Studies from RRC, ordination from JSLI, and AB, JD, and PhD degrees from Harvard University. oraynu.org
Yacov Fruchter is the Director, Community Building and Spiritual Engagement, at Beth Tzedec Congregation. He is a registered psychotherapist and studying for rabbinic ordination with the Shalom Hartman Institute. Yacov is married to Ryla Braemer, the incoming Executive Director of the MNJCC, and together they are raising three amazing kids. https://www.beth-tzedec.org/
Yael Splansky is the Senior Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto’s first synagogue. Rabbi Splansky is a fourth-generation Reform Rabbi. In celebration of her 25 years of leadership, she holds the Baskin-Garson Senior Rabbinic Chair. She is the Immediate Past President of the Toronto Board of Rabbis, a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Hartman Institute, and served as Vice President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbi Splansky was recently recognized by Canadian Parliament with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award for her commitment to refugee relief, support and advocacy for the unhoused, and building bridges among faith communities. https://holyblossom.org/
A holiday celebration co-created by downtown Jewish Toronto: Annex Shul, Beach Hebrew Institute, Beth Tzedec Congregation, City Shul, Congregation Shir Libeynu, Danforth Jewish Circle, Darchei Noam Congregation, First Narayever Congregation, Hashomer Hatzair / Camp Shomria, Hillel Ontario, Holy Blossom Temple, Jewish Family & Child, Kiever Shul, Limmud Toronto, Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism, No Silence on Race, Oraynu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School, & UJA Federation’s Committee for Yiddish.
This event is supported by the Kolel Legacy Fund at the Jewish Foundation
