Crossing the Bridge: Case Studies and Q & A

Thursday, February 17, 2022, 7:30 pm

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Part four of Crossing The Bridge is an opportunity to explore real life case studies on end of life decisions, and offers the opportunity for a live Q & A. Joined by Rabbi Splansky, Ronald Appleby (Q.C.), Dr. Russell Goldman, Rabbi Korobkin and Samantha Miller (MSW), the purpose of this session is to answer your deepest concerns and help ease your mind in dealing with this often difficult subject.

Rabbi Yael Splansky

Yael Splansky is the Senior Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto’s first synagogue.

She currently serves as the President of the Toronto Board of Rabbis, on the Beit Din of the Reform Rabbis of Greater Toronto, on the President’s Rabbinic Advisory Council of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, and in the Rabbinic Circle of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.

Devoted to Jewish pluralism and life-long learning, Rabbi Splansky is a Rabbinic Fellow of the Hartman Institute of Jerusalem. Committed to building bridges of friendship and understanding among peoples, Rabbi Splansky is part of the Canadian Council of Bishops and Rabbis, and initiated Rings of Peace as a model of solidarity when hate crimes strike houses of faith.

Rabbi Splansky is the editor of Siddur Pirchei Kodesh, a prayerbook enriched by commentaries and poetry.

She has the unique privilege of being a fourth-generation Reform Rabbi and her greatest joy is in raising her three sons, together with her husband, Adam Sol.

Ronald Appleby

Ronald Appleby, Q.C. was born September 10, 1944 in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Moishe and Jenny Appleby.  Ronnie married Bunnie Spring in 1967 and they have four wonderful children, Dawn, married to Todd Bercovich; Corry, married to Neil Greenbaum; Kyle married to Mira Margolis; and Marni married to Peter Tanenbaum and nine adorable grandchildren (and step grandchildren), Emma, Jacob, Dylan, Ben, Noah  Ryan, Justin, Abby and Sabrina.

Ronald Appleby, Q.C. is the senior partner in the Toronto law firm, Robins, Appleby LLP.  He is an expert in tax and estate planning and is a legal and business advisor to many of the most prominent families in the city.  Ronnie received a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto in 1965 and his LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1968 and was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships.  In 1982 he was appointed Queen’s Counsel.  Over the years, Ronnie has been a frequent author and lecturer on legal topics and from 1974 to1989 he was a special lecturer at Osgoode Hall Law School.  He is and was also a member of the Board of Directors of several corporations, both public and private.

Ronnie has been a prominent leader in the community for many years.  He has been, amongst his many leadership roles, past Chairman of the Baycrest Foundation, National Chairman of the Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, Chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, Chairman of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Theological Seminary.  He has chaired major fundraising events for   Mt. Sinai Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, the Weizmann Institute, Reena Foundation, CHAT, the Jewish National Fund, Baycrest, the Hebrew University, Yeshiva University and the Jerusalem Foundation.  In 1977, he was the recipient of the Federation Leadership Development Award.  In 2001 Ronnie received the Sadowski Award of UJA Federation for outstanding lifetime contribution and the 2004 Negev Dinner, attended by 1,500 people, was held in his honour.  In 2009 Ronnie received an Honourary Doctorate from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee award medal from the Government of Canada.

Rabbi Daniel Korobkin

Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin is mara d’asra (senior rabbi) of Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation (“The BAYT”). He received his rabbinic ordination from HaRav Yaakov Ruderman zt”l, of Ner Israel Rabbinic College. He has served pulpits in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Allentown, PA. Rabbi Korobkin holds a Master of Science degree from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Graduate School, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Medieval Jewish and Islamic Thought from UCLA. He is the translator and annotator of the Feldheim edition of Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi’s Kuzari. Rabbi Korobkin is the immediate past president of the Rabbinical Council of America, the largest fraternal order of Orthodox rabbis in North America.