By Megan Stephens
On Thursday, May 4, as many in Toronto were settling in to watch the Leafs take on the Florida Panthers in round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, seven members of the HBT Board set out for an evening on the Ve’ahavta vans, following the lead of our clergy who had gone out together to help the neediest in our community back in April. It was truly a meaningful volunteer experience – and one I recommend you all consider doing.
The Board members were paired off into two vans with Marla, Phyllis and Diana heading off to Scarborough, and Jeff, the “Erics”, and I on the van destined for downtown Toronto.
Our Toronto Ve’ahavta van stopped in three different locations where we gave out food and hot coffee to those who both clearly needed it, and clearly appreciated it. Many also requested clothing and other supplies (like toiletries, sleeping bags, shoes, etc.) that are stocked on the vans. The cold rainy spring has brought a lot of us down – but the reality for those living on the street is that staying warm and dry has been a real challenge. Who’d have thought that in May, we would be asked for toques and mittens?
We also did a few stops to “regulars” that the Ve’ahavta staff know are “rough-housed”(sleeping on the streets – not staying in shelters) and would need food and supplies. The staff’s connections with the people we met were really inspiring. They don’t see these unhoused or rough-housed folks as frightening, untouchable, or someone to avoid. They see them for who they are: survivors who have had very tough lives – with traumas, mental health challenges, and addictions that have left them on the margins of our society.
Spending the evening helping to give these members of our community a meal, sharing a smile and a laugh over whether this hoodie or those pants were the right ones for them was meaningful – and honestly, fun. All in all, I think our van would agree that it was a much more rewarding evening than it would have been if we’d been watching the Leafs game!
We often talk about the importance of tikkun olam and tzedakah. It really felt good to not just “talk the talk” but to also engage directly in the work of helping others with my fellow board members.
The Holy Blossom Community has committed to help staff the two Ve’ahavta vans every other Thursday. Please sign up for an evening – whether on your own, with friends, or with family. It’s really the most meaningful and rewarding thing I have done in a while. The form to register to sign up is here:
Serving our Neighbours: Staffing the Ve’Ahavta Van as a Community (tfaforms.net)
Thanks again to Phyllis, Diana, Marla, Eric R and Eric K, and Jeff for answering my call to action from the Board – and joining me on the Ve’ahavta van. It really was a community-building experience, in so many ways.
Megan Stephens
Please join Holy Blossom’s ongoing efforts in the important mitzvah of welcoming the stranger as newcomers arrive in Canada every day. At this time, we are seeking support for four specific families as well as for the critical work of JIAS.
For an Afghan family who arrived this past fall, we are seeking:
Winter and Spring/Summer clothes for the children
Girl – sizes 6/9 months (winter) or 9/12 months (summer)
Boy – 4T or 5T
Support completing taxes and planning for the future
The family needs some support completing their taxes. They also have questions about how to plan for their future. If someone is interested in helping them with their current tax return and spend a bit of time working through questions related to future housing, education, and retirement planning that would be very appreciated.
Connections to help with family sponsorship
The wife’s family had fled Afghanistan in recent months, to Türkiye. With the recent events in Türkiye, they would like to apply to sponsor her parents to be able to come to Canada. If anyone is willing/able to help them know what the best way to do this is, that would be great.
For an Iranian woman who arrived in January 2022, we are seeking a bike (she is not very tall) and a two-seat sofa.
For an Iranian woman and her almost three-year-old daughter (and dog) who arrived last month, we are seeking help in finding housing. They are observant Jews and looking for a home where they can readily live a rich Jewish life (with easy walking access to stores with Kosher food, synagogues, daycare, etc.). Once they find housing, we will need furniture and household goods. An umbrella stroller would also be valuable.
For a Ukrainian woman who arrived in the fall of 2022, we are seeking volunteers to help her learn English. She is working full time and taking care of her grandchild after school and thus unable to enroll in typical ESL programs. We are looking for volunteers who can assist (which can be by zoom) on weekends or evenings.
Finally, we are sharing news from an email that we just received from JIAS. In the coming months, JIAS will be responsible for the support of dozens of refugee families. JIAS volunteers are essential in supporting these vulnerable newcomers and they urgently need help. They have issued time-sensitive volunteer support in two areas:
JIAS is hosting an online information session on Thursday, March 23 at 7:30 PM. To register, click here.
For more information about any of these opportunities, please contact Jacqueline Friedland at [email protected].
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.