The Yamim: When We Replace Headlines with Heart

Rabbi Sampson Rafael Hirsch, the 19th-century German founder of Neo-Orthodoxy, taught that “The catechism of the Jew is his calendar.” By this, he meant that unlike many other religions, Judaism has no set or required principles of faith, but that the Jewish calendar of holydays tells us who we are, where we come from, and what sacred values are required of us.

While there is a hierarchy of Jewish holydays and not all of our sacred days are created equally, it is noteworthy that the Jewish calendar is not sealed forever, but continues to grow. We are about to enter into the period of time shaped by three new holydays – Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day for the Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror in Israel), and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). Each one has its own fascinating backstory of how it was first established in Israel and then radiated throughout the Diaspora. Each one has its own rituals, liturgies, and melodies, which are still in the making. Taken together, these three days give voice to the fact that we are living in the wake of historic events that are of biblical proportion.

On Yom HaShoah, still dumbstruck, we light six candles to commemorate the systematic extermination of six million Jews. Every single day of the year is the Yahrtzeit of thousands of lives that were brutally cut short, but Yom HaShoah “protects” the rest of the calendar from the weight of those senseless deaths. We assign all sorrow and tears to one single day, so that we can live more fully on the other days of the year. This coming Monday evening, six congregant-families, who are descendants of survivors, will light six candles. By their light, we will hear Saul Shulman tell his remarkable story of survival. A special invitation goes to children aged ten and older, as they will be the last generation to be able to hear the first-hand testimonials of survivors. The simplicity of the ritual is the most fitting tribute to the profound loss, from which our people have still not recovered.

On Yom HaZikaron, Israelis spend the day going to visit the graves of their relatives and brothers-in-arms who fell in one of Israel’s many wars. They go to the graves of the family and friends, who were civilians in the wrong place at the wrong time, and fell victim to terror. It is the most solemn day, marked by the wail of the siren, when nearly the entire country stops to stand still and silent. On Tuesday evening, April 21, when Yom HaZikaron draws to a close, we will gather with local Israeli families to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them as they remember personal losses. Understanding that we are one family, we will embrace them and show that they are not alone, even though they are more than an ocean away from the graves of their dear ones.

And then, in what can only be described as emotional whiplash, the tears of Yom HaZikaron give way to the dance of Yom HaAtzmaut. After our service of mournful poetry and prayer, created in partnership with the World Zionist Congress, our commemoration turns to celebration. With Israeli food, art, and dance, we will fulfill the promise of the Psalmist: “Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.” Together with local Israeli families, we will celebrate the miracle of the State of Israel. For one day, we will set aside the news of the day and social media alerts. For one day, we will set aside the political debates and the necessary work of correcting the many problems of the imperfect Jewish state. For one day, we will turn to simply marvel at our people’s return to our ancestral homeland. We will simply celebrate the wonder of the fact that we can sing with full voices: “Am Yisrael Chai!”
I hope you will join us for these relatively new Jewish holydays. These sacred days help us to face history as it unfolds in real time, and through these days, we write ourselves into the never-ending story of the Jewish People.

Shabbat Shalom.

Chanukah at Queen’s Park

Two weeks ago, I went to Queen’s Park to lobby with CIJA on behalf of Jewish Ontarians. I spent the afternoon in a series of small group meetings with the Premier and seven MPPs – Conservative, Liberal, and NDP. Yesterday, I returned to Queen’s Park at the invitation of MPP Smyth, in whose riding Holy Blossom Temple resides. These are the words I shared with the many MPPs, government staff, and guests who gathered for a pre-Chanukah Party.

What is the miracle of Chanukah?

Ask, and you’ll hear something like the following…. In the 2nd century BCE, Before the Common Era, the Assyrian Greeks took hold of the Land of Israel and denied the religious freedoms of the Jews who lived there. They desecrated the Temple that stood in Jerusalem by setting up altars and offering sacrifices to their many gods there.

The Maccabean Revolt to drive out the foreign occupying power took seven years. In the year 164 BCE, the Maccabees took back Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. The word “Chanukah” means “dedication.” At this season, we remember our ancestors’ dedication to religious and cultural identity, and we rededicate ourselves to do the same.

All this we know to be historically true – thanks to reams of written and archeological evidence. But it wouldn’t be a holiday without additional layers of legend and faith, mystery and miracles. According to the ancient Rabbis…. THE MIRACLE of Chanukah was that when the Maccabees went to relight the oil lamp of Jerusalem’s Temple, they found only one vile of ritually pure oil, only enough to burn for one day. It would take a week to press and prepare more of the pure oil fit for ritual purposes. But miracle of miracles, that one sealed vile of oil lasted for eight days, when it was only enough for one day.

So the question comes…. Why do we celebrate Chanukah for eight days? If they knew there was enough oil for one day, that first light wasn’t miraculous at all. So why not celebrate only the seven “miraculous” days? Why do we recite the blessing for miracles (she’asah nisim) on the first night of Chanukah? What was the miracle of the first twenty-four hours?

Ask and you’ll hear one hundred different answers. Literally. In the Middle Ages, an anthology of one hundred answers to this question was compiled. What was the miracle of the first day? Let’s name just three out of the one hundred possible answers.

1. A religious answer — Perhaps the miracle of the first day was that the Temple was rededicated and sanctified, that after a time of fear and erasure, freedom of religious expression was reclaimed and restored.
2. A military answer — Perhaps the miracle of the first day was that the few bands of Maccabee-soldiers defeated the great and mighty Assyrian-Greek Army that ruled far and wide.
3. An answer about the human capacity for imagination and hope — Perhaps the miracle of the first day was simply that the Maccabees lit the lamp at all. They didn’t have enough oil to last more than a day, but they lit it anyway. Maybe that’s the miracle. Call it hope, call it faith, call it determination or perseverance. The Maccabees remind us that we can use our human courage and commitment to open the door for a miracle to take hold. Through our own hard-work and dedication, we can set the stage for something miraculous to emerge. We human beings of flesh and blood can begin the work, we can take the first steps, and then God can complete the miracle. This is what the first night’s candle comes to teach us.

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Congregants, Honoured Leadership, and Elected Officials of the Province,

This is a joyful holiday season, but I would be remiss if I didn’t name the moment. You know this is a fearful time for Jewish citizens of Ontario. We, in the Jewish communities of this province and across the country, know all too well that we cannot confront or combat antisemitism alone, because it is not a Jewish problem. It is a Canadian problem that can only be solved by a multi-faceted and well-coordinated effort by every level of government.

We are grateful for the security grants and police protections that have been arranged. We wish they weren’t so necessary, but they are. Believe me when I tell you, we do not wish to build our synagogues and schools and community centres into fortresses. We want the religious freedoms that are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We don’t believe that is asking too much of this good country.

As we anticipate the arrival of many winter holidays of our many neighbours, let us remember the power of beginnings. As we anticipate the arrival of many Festivals of Lights to brighten the long dark nights of the season, let us celebrate the power that one little light has to dispel darkness.

May God bless your leadership. May God give you the insight to discern right from wrong and the courage to name it out loud. May we bless one another with good partnerships and creative collaborations, so that we may share in the responsibility of bringing greater light to the great diversity of communities that make Ontario their home.

I will conclude with the prayer we offer up each morning, a prayer for peace:

Grant us peace, Your most precious gift, O Eternal Source of Peace, and give us the will to proclaim its message to all the peoples of the earth. Bless our country, that it may ever be a stronghold of peace, and its advocate among the nations. May contentment reign within its borders, health and happiness within its homes. Strengthen the bonds of friendship among the inhabitants of all lands and may the love of Your name hallow every home and every heart. Praised are You, O God, who blesses all peoples with peace. Amen.

I wish you and your loved ones a season filled with civic courage and increasing light.

 

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.

I am writing to you today to ask that you join your voice to mine in the World Zionist Congress elections. Founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, the WZC is the parliament of the Jewish People. This is the most important election you likely never heard of.

Until June 15th, we, Canadian Jews, can help allocate five billion dollars over the next five years. These funds will help to shape future directions for the State of Israel, for Jewish life throughout the world, and for our own community here in Canada.

How? By voting #2 ARZA REFORM.

Twelve leaders from Holy Blossom Temple, including me, are represented on this slate. When you vote for ARZA (Association for Reform Zionists of North America), you are voting for your own Jewish values.

• If you want Israel to recognize the Jewish status of Reform Jews and to recognize our marriages and conversions, VOTE REFORM.
• If you want Israel to provide funding for Reform congregations and Reform rabbis, as it does for Orthodox congregations and rabbis, VOTE REFORM.
• If you want Israel to protect the rights of women, of non-Jewish citizens of Israel, of LGBTQ+ individuals and families, VOTE REFORM.
• If you want Israel to prioritize funding for community-based development within the Green Line, VOTE REFORM.
• If you want the WZC to invest in strengthening the bridges between Israel and the Diaspora, VOTE REFORM.
• If you want to ensure that synagogues, schools, and summer camps like ours continue to welcome Shinshinim (young Israeli ambassadors), VOTE REFORM.

This election is very important. The stakes are high. I hate to say it, but it’s true…If you do not vote, you are forfeiting your vote to Jewish extremists who do not share our vision for the Jewish future.

When you ask yourself: “What can I do for Israel and the Jewish People?” This is it. Please do two things TODAY.

1. Go to arzacanada.org for instructions on how to vote. 2 minutes and 2 dollars is all it takes to make your voice heard.
2. Then tell your family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues to do the same. ANYONE who is Jewish, Canadian, and over 18, is eligible and invited to participate. Please share a “Get out the vote!” message on social media and every way you can to broaden our reach.

Nearly three thousand years ago, when the First Temple stood in Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah dreamt of a Jewish future and was willing to work for it. He said:

לְמַ֤עַן צִיּוֹן֙ לֹ֣א אֶחֱשֶׁ֔ה וּלְמַ֥עַן יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם לֹ֣א אֶשְׁק֑וֹט
For the sake of Zion I will not be silent.
For the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still.

Thank you for joining me in working for our shared commitment to Israel and for our shared Jewish values. Am Yisrael Chai!

Rabbi Yael Splansky
Senior Rabbi
Baskin-Garson Senior Rabbinic Chair
Holy Blossom Temple

My Week with Two Deborahs

Last Wednesday, thanks to the leadership of our Advocacy Committee, Holy Blossom Temple welcomed Deborah Lyons. This Wednesday, thanks to the leadership at the Miles Nadel JCC, I joined a roundtable discussion with Deborah Lipstadt. Deborah Lyons is Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt is the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. I wish we didn’t need them, but we do.

If you didn’t make it to hear Deborah Lyons’ interview with Tom Friedland, the link can be found if you scroll down to the Advocacy section of this issue of Life@HBT.   

She spoke with urgency about the roll-out of the new Canadian Handbook on the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) Working Definition of Antisemitism. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/canada-holocaust/antisemitism/handbook-definition-antisemitism.html Special Envoy Lyons made a point of the fact that this document was not simply produced by her office, but is an initiative of the Government of Canada. It is a non-binding government directive and a practical resource to empower people across the country to understand what antisemitism is, why it is dangerous, and what must be done to confront it. 

I was pleased to be among the 150 consultants, charged with reading a working draft of the handbook and suggesting ways to strengthen it further. You can now be a part of its implementation. Bring the handbook to the attention of the leadership of your workplaces and your children’s schools and universities. It is a resource and a tool to support administrators and HR professionals in their work. Some say: “It’s hard to define antisemitism, but you know it when you see it.” That’s not true for everyone everywhere, so this handbook names what antisemitism is and what it isn’t and puts the responsibility of confronting it squarely on the shoulders of every Canadian in a position of leadership. 

Because her mandate includes addressing antisemitism on the international stage, Ambassador Lipstadt came to hear what life is like for Canadian Jewry today and how it is distinct from the American Jewish experience. Lyons and Lipstadt work closely together, but they approach their work uniquely. Lyons is a seasoned diplomat. Lipstadt is an accomplished historian. She teaches that antisemitism is not solely a human rights concern, it is a threat to democracy. She speaks of the “instrumentalization of antisemitism,” that it is a tool used strategically by bad actors on the far right and the far left to destabilize societies. “Antisemitism,” Professor Lipstadt says, “is the yellow flashing light that comes before the red light.” 

This is the message I bring to elected officials whenever I am given the chance. They often approach the rising antisemitism as a concern for a Canadian minority, in need of protection. They feel duty-bound to secure our safety and our physical well-being, but they often miss the fact of history that antisemitism is a symptom of a greater threat against society as a whole than it is against the Jews. I remind them that rising antisemitism poses even more daunting questions to elected officials and people in positions of responsibility for shaping civic society: “What will our country stand for? And what will it not stand for?” How we answer these questions – which more often than not are not simple to navigate – will determine what Canada will become. 

The first Deborah was a prophet and the fourth judge of ancient Israel. Her leadership is described in the biblical Book of Judges, first in prose in chapter 4 and again in poetic form in chapter 5.  She is described as being a “woman of Lapidot.” Biblical scholars debate if Lapidot is the name of her husband, her geographical place of origin, or a description of her character of leadership. A ‘lapid’ is a torch that is held high to shed greater light and to help others find their own way out of the darkness. The two Deborahs — Lyons and Lipstadt — are torchbearers of our time, bravely bringing greater light and clarity in the midst of the darkness that threatens our world. May their voices be amplified and the works of their hands take hold.