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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Holy Blossom Temple
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260905T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260905T230000
DTSTAMP:20260724T151041Z
CREATED:20260723T120616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T151041Z
UID:10019678-1788638400-1788649200@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Selichot 5786
DESCRIPTION:Selichot 5786\nA Contemplative Night to Prepare Ourselves for the New Year \nSaturday\, September 5\, 2026 \n8:00 pm: Sacred Study with Rabbi Larry Englander\nJoin us in sacred study for the Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro Memorial Lecture \nNote: There will be a half-hour break for dessert between the study and service \n9:15 pm: Havdalah and Dessert Reception \n9:45 pm: Selichot Service\nFor those joining us online in sacred worship\, both the study and service will be streamed on our livestream page here: holyblossom.org/holy-blossom-temple-livestream/ \nThis stirring service\, filled with exquisite music\, calls us to prepare ourselves for the New Year. We will ceremonially change the Torah mantels to white\, reflect on the trying year it has been\, and ready ourselves\, with renewed spiritual courage\, to welcome the year 5786. \n  \nRabbi Mark Dov Shapiro z”l served Holy Blossom Temple from 1977-1982.  He is remembered by many with admiration and warm friendship.https://holyblossom.org/remembering-rabbi-mark-dov-shapiro-zl/. The majority of his rabbinate was in Springfield\, Massachusetts\, but he and his wife\, Marsha\, both native Torontonians\, always maintained close ties here. Rabbi Shapiro was especially devoted to interfaith relations\, social justice\, pastoral care\, and lifelong learning. He strengthened the Reform Movement by serving on many committees and writing publications for the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union of Reform Judaism. Most of all\, Rabbi Shapiro is forever cherished for his constant warmth and kindness. Family and friends\, colleagues and congregants have given generously to establish an annual lecture in Rabbi Shapiro’s name. We dedicate this learning to his memory.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/selichot-5786/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events,High Holy Days
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Selichot_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260906T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260906T130000
DTSTAMP:20260723T121142Z
CREATED:20260723T121114Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260723T121142Z
UID:10019679-1788697800-1788699600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Kever Avot (Registration Required)
DESCRIPTION:Kever Avot\nSunday\, September 6\, 2026 \nPardes Shalom\, Holy Blossom Section: 12:30 pm\nHoly Blossom Memorial Park: 2:00 pm \nJoin us at our Kever Avot Services at Pardes Shalom Cemetery or Holy Blossom Memorial Park\, as we visit the graves of our loved ones and pray together. \nAt each cemetery\, we will honour the memory of those who have passed. Our clergy will lead a service of reflection\, renewal\, and remembrance. \nRegistration is required (registration coming soon)
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/kever-avot-2/2026-09-06/1/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events,High Holy Days
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/KeverAvot_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260906T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260906T143000
DTSTAMP:20260723T121142Z
CREATED:20260723T121114Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260723T121142Z
UID:10019680-1788703200-1788705000@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Kever Avot (Registration Required)
DESCRIPTION:Kever Avot\nSunday\, September 6\, 2026 \nPardes Shalom\, Holy Blossom Section: 12:30 pm\nHoly Blossom Memorial Park: 2:00 pm \nJoin us at our Kever Avot Services at Pardes Shalom Cemetery or Holy Blossom Memorial Park\, as we visit the graves of our loved ones and pray together. \nAt each cemetery\, we will honour the memory of those who have passed. Our clergy will lead a service of reflection\, renewal\, and remembrance. \nRegistration is required (registration coming soon)
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/kever-avot-2/2026-09-06/2/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events,High Holy Days
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/KeverAvot_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260908T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260908T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019657-1788871500-1788879600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-09-08/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260908T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260908T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019081-1788892200-1788895800@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-09-08/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260911T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260911T180000
DTSTAMP:20260723T121516Z
CREATED:20260723T121516Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260723T121516Z
UID:10019681-1789146000-1789149600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Erev Rosh Hashanah: Candle Lighting
DESCRIPTION:Erev Rosh Hashanah: Candle Lighting\nFriday\, September 11\, 5:00 pm \nGather in the Schwartz/Reisman Atrium for a sweet nosh and candle lighting before the service\, for a warm and sweet start to the New Year!
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/erev-rosh-hashanah-candle-lighting-2/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events,High Holy Days
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/RHCandles5786.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260915T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260915T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019658-1789476300-1789484400@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-09-15/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260915T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260915T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019082-1789497000-1789500600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-09-15/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260922T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260922T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019659-1790081100-1790089200@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-09-22/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260922T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260922T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019083-1790101800-1790105400@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-09-22/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260929T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260929T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019660-1790685900-1790694000@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-09-29/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260929T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260929T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019084-1790706600-1790710200@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-09-29/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261001T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261001T113000
DTSTAMP:20260724T165055Z
CREATED:20260724T123519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T165055Z
UID:10019682-1790850600-1790854200@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Contemporary Jewish fiction
DESCRIPTION:Contemporary Jewish fiction\nWith Cynthia Good \nThursdays\, October 1\, 8\, 15\, 22\, 10:30 am (in-person & online) \n$30 for members; $45 for non-members \nWe look forward to in-person (and online) learning and the opportunity for in-depth study. Join us this fall for our usual lively discussion of two novels\, one about a young girl\, the other about an elderly woman and both with interesting narrative techniques. \nRegister here \nVera or Faith by Gary Shteyngart\nShteyngart’s sixth novel is a lively unusual Bildungsroman\, tracking the journey – literal\, educational\, emotional – of 10-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin\, an overanxious\, over-watchful academic high achiever whose run of straight As has just been blighted by a B. A very modern blend of Russian\, Jewish\, Korean\, and New England WASP\, Vera’s family love one another deeply but the pressures of life in an unstable America are fraying their bonds. \nVera wants only three things in life: to make a friend at school; Daddy and Anne Mom to stay together; and to meet her birth mother\, Mom Mom\, who will at last tell Vera the secret of who she really is and how to ensure love’s survival in this great\, mad\, imploding world. Even if you have not been a Shteyngart fan in the past\, this is an accomplished novel paying homage to Henry James. Vera\, or Faith demonstrates why Shteyngart is\, in the words of The New York Times\, “one of his generation’s most exhilarating writers.” \nLONGLISTED FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time\, Washington Post\, NPR\, Oprah Daily\, Vox\, Denver Public Library\, Seattle Times\, The Cap Times\, Kirkus Reviews \nTen Clear Days by Eric Beck Rubin\nCanadian writer Erick Beck Rubin has written what Sheila Heti calls “A beautiful and important novel about the end of life and what a life adds up to.” Based on the author’s own experience with his grandmother\, and her choice at end of life\, this novel explores Mary Beck’s past: her upbringing in pre-war Hungary\, surviving the war\, and her move to Canada. Friends and employees offer ‘testimony’ about who Mary Beck was\, in the fullness of her life. The generations surround her at her death\, not always agreeing on treatment or Mary’s choices\, and a portrait of a remarkable woman is revealed — her suffering\, loss\, and the devoted family she produced — in a way that is both structurally innovative and deeply loving. \nEric Beck Rubin is the author of the debut novel School of Velocity\, a Guardian Book of the Year. \n“Scrupulously observed and emotionally crushing\, Ten Clear Days asks profound questions about what it means to let go of someone we love. Beck Rubin wields language like a scalpel\, precise and unflinching. You’ve never read anything quite like this before.” Alison Pick\, author of Far To Go.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/contemporary-jewish-fiction-2/2026-10-01/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BookClub.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261003T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261003T200000
DTSTAMP:20260724T125852Z
CREATED:20260724T125852Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T125852Z
UID:10019702-1791048600-1791057600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Grade 1 Consecration
DESCRIPTION:Grade 1 Consecration\nSaturday\, October 3\, 5:30 pm \nThis special life-cycle event marks the beginning of formal Jewish Education for ALL Grade 1 students – Cotler School\, Jewish Day School or other. Students will receive their very own mini-Torah to treasure and receive meaningful blessings from their families and clergy. Following a celebratory dinner for Consecrands and their families\, all will participate in our Simchat Torah celebrations\, including music\, dancing\, and Jewish joy as we begin reading the sacred texts of our People once more. Consecrands and their families are extended the honour of the first hakafah (procession/dance) with the Torah during our Simchat Torah celebrations. \nRegistration coming soon \nFamilies are encouraged to join us for the Consecration pre-program on Sunday\, September 27\, at 10:00 am\, to learn more about the Torah and what it means to become a Consecrand\, as well as be in the Consecration photograph that will be added to the ‘wall of fame’ alongside Consecration photos throughout Holy Blossom’s history. Students will also get the tools to create a special Aron HaKodesh box for their new mini Torah scroll.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/grade-1-consecration/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/HBTConsecration.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261006T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261006T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019661-1791290700-1791298800@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-10-06/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261006T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261006T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019085-1791311400-1791315000@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-10-06/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261008T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261008T113000
DTSTAMP:20260724T165055Z
CREATED:20260724T123519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T165055Z
UID:10019683-1791455400-1791459000@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Contemporary Jewish fiction
DESCRIPTION:Contemporary Jewish fiction\nWith Cynthia Good \nThursdays\, October 1\, 8\, 15\, 22\, 10:30 am (in-person & online) \n$30 for members; $45 for non-members \nWe look forward to in-person (and online) learning and the opportunity for in-depth study. Join us this fall for our usual lively discussion of two novels\, one about a young girl\, the other about an elderly woman and both with interesting narrative techniques. \nRegister here \nVera or Faith by Gary Shteyngart\nShteyngart’s sixth novel is a lively unusual Bildungsroman\, tracking the journey – literal\, educational\, emotional – of 10-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin\, an overanxious\, over-watchful academic high achiever whose run of straight As has just been blighted by a B. A very modern blend of Russian\, Jewish\, Korean\, and New England WASP\, Vera’s family love one another deeply but the pressures of life in an unstable America are fraying their bonds. \nVera wants only three things in life: to make a friend at school; Daddy and Anne Mom to stay together; and to meet her birth mother\, Mom Mom\, who will at last tell Vera the secret of who she really is and how to ensure love’s survival in this great\, mad\, imploding world. Even if you have not been a Shteyngart fan in the past\, this is an accomplished novel paying homage to Henry James. Vera\, or Faith demonstrates why Shteyngart is\, in the words of The New York Times\, “one of his generation’s most exhilarating writers.” \nLONGLISTED FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time\, Washington Post\, NPR\, Oprah Daily\, Vox\, Denver Public Library\, Seattle Times\, The Cap Times\, Kirkus Reviews \nTen Clear Days by Eric Beck Rubin\nCanadian writer Erick Beck Rubin has written what Sheila Heti calls “A beautiful and important novel about the end of life and what a life adds up to.” Based on the author’s own experience with his grandmother\, and her choice at end of life\, this novel explores Mary Beck’s past: her upbringing in pre-war Hungary\, surviving the war\, and her move to Canada. Friends and employees offer ‘testimony’ about who Mary Beck was\, in the fullness of her life. The generations surround her at her death\, not always agreeing on treatment or Mary’s choices\, and a portrait of a remarkable woman is revealed — her suffering\, loss\, and the devoted family she produced — in a way that is both structurally innovative and deeply loving. \nEric Beck Rubin is the author of the debut novel School of Velocity\, a Guardian Book of the Year. \n“Scrupulously observed and emotionally crushing\, Ten Clear Days asks profound questions about what it means to let go of someone we love. Beck Rubin wields language like a scalpel\, precise and unflinching. You’ve never read anything quite like this before.” Alison Pick\, author of Far To Go.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/contemporary-jewish-fiction-2/2026-10-08/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BookClub.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261013T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261013T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019662-1791895500-1791903600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-10-13/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261013T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261013T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019086-1791916200-1791919800@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-10-13/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261015T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261015T113000
DTSTAMP:20260724T165055Z
CREATED:20260724T123519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T165055Z
UID:10019684-1792060200-1792063800@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Contemporary Jewish fiction
DESCRIPTION:Contemporary Jewish fiction\nWith Cynthia Good \nThursdays\, October 1\, 8\, 15\, 22\, 10:30 am (in-person & online) \n$30 for members; $45 for non-members \nWe look forward to in-person (and online) learning and the opportunity for in-depth study. Join us this fall for our usual lively discussion of two novels\, one about a young girl\, the other about an elderly woman and both with interesting narrative techniques. \nRegister here \nVera or Faith by Gary Shteyngart\nShteyngart’s sixth novel is a lively unusual Bildungsroman\, tracking the journey – literal\, educational\, emotional – of 10-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin\, an overanxious\, over-watchful academic high achiever whose run of straight As has just been blighted by a B. A very modern blend of Russian\, Jewish\, Korean\, and New England WASP\, Vera’s family love one another deeply but the pressures of life in an unstable America are fraying their bonds. \nVera wants only three things in life: to make a friend at school; Daddy and Anne Mom to stay together; and to meet her birth mother\, Mom Mom\, who will at last tell Vera the secret of who she really is and how to ensure love’s survival in this great\, mad\, imploding world. Even if you have not been a Shteyngart fan in the past\, this is an accomplished novel paying homage to Henry James. Vera\, or Faith demonstrates why Shteyngart is\, in the words of The New York Times\, “one of his generation’s most exhilarating writers.” \nLONGLISTED FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time\, Washington Post\, NPR\, Oprah Daily\, Vox\, Denver Public Library\, Seattle Times\, The Cap Times\, Kirkus Reviews \nTen Clear Days by Eric Beck Rubin\nCanadian writer Erick Beck Rubin has written what Sheila Heti calls “A beautiful and important novel about the end of life and what a life adds up to.” Based on the author’s own experience with his grandmother\, and her choice at end of life\, this novel explores Mary Beck’s past: her upbringing in pre-war Hungary\, surviving the war\, and her move to Canada. Friends and employees offer ‘testimony’ about who Mary Beck was\, in the fullness of her life. The generations surround her at her death\, not always agreeing on treatment or Mary’s choices\, and a portrait of a remarkable woman is revealed — her suffering\, loss\, and the devoted family she produced — in a way that is both structurally innovative and deeply loving. \nEric Beck Rubin is the author of the debut novel School of Velocity\, a Guardian Book of the Year. \n“Scrupulously observed and emotionally crushing\, Ten Clear Days asks profound questions about what it means to let go of someone we love. Beck Rubin wields language like a scalpel\, precise and unflinching. You’ve never read anything quite like this before.” Alison Pick\, author of Far To Go.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/contemporary-jewish-fiction-2/2026-10-15/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BookClub.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261016T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261016T120000
DTSTAMP:20260724T125528Z
CREATED:20260724T125528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T125528Z
UID:10019694-1792144800-1792152000@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Little Blossoms with Marky and Friends
DESCRIPTION:Little Blossoms with Marky and Friends\n3 times available: 10:00 am\, 11:00 am\, 12:00 Noon\nOctober\, 16\, 23\, 30\, November 6\, 13\, 20\, 27\, December 4 \nClasses have limited spots\n0-4 years of age \nJoin us on Friday mornings for Shabbat music\, stories\, and more. Dr. Marky (MD\, MEd) is an award-winning entertainer and respected educator with over 20 years of experience running Shabbat programs that inspire and help stimulate your child’s motor and language development. Welcome Shabbat with a smile and song in your heart! \nRegistration coming soon!
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/little-blossoms-with-marky-and-friends/2026-10-16/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/LittleBlossoms2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261019T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261019T203000
DTSTAMP:20260724T135947Z
CREATED:20260724T125210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T135947Z
UID:10019686-1792434600-1792441800@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Big Israel Questions: Young (er) Adult Learning Fellowship
DESCRIPTION:Big Israel Questions: Young (er) Adult Learning Fellowship\nMondays\, Oct 19\, 26\, Nov 2\, 9\, 23\, 30\, Dec 7\, 14\, 6:30 pm \nFor Jewish adults in their 20s\, 30s\, and 40s\nSharing a table does not require sharing opinions. \nThe questions you’ve been wrestling with. The ones you’ve been hesitant to ask. The ones you’ve been avoiding because our current climate too often rewards certainty over curiosity. Bring them to this eight-week learning community with master Jewish educator Michael Soberman and Rabbi Taylor Baruchel. \nRegister here \n“Big Israel Questions” is generously sponsored by Cheryl & David Blinick and family \nHow do we speak about Israel when the answers aren’t simple?\nFew topics evoke as much passion\, pain\, hope\, and complexity as Israel. For many Jews today\, conversations can feel increasingly polarized\, leaving us caught between certainty and silence. This fellowship offers another way. \nEach evening begins with dinner\, because some of the best Jewish learning happens around a shared table. Through Jewish texts\, history\, contemporary voices\, and honest conversation\, we’ll explore some of the biggest questions facing Israel and the Jewish people today. \nThis is not a debate club or a course that expects everyone to reach the same conclusions. It is a learning community where curiosity is encouraged\, respectful disagreement is welcomed\, and complexity is embraced. \nWhether you’re seeking a deeper understanding of Israel\, wrestling with difficult questions\, or simply looking for a place where you can ask them\, this fellowship invites you to learn with others who believe that curiosity is one of Judaism’s superpowers. \n 
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/big-israel-questions-young-er-adult-learning-fellowship/2026-10-19/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-1448252861-1350x900-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261020T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261020T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019663-1792500300-1792508400@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-10-20/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261020T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261020T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019087-1792521000-1792524600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-10-20/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261022T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261022T113000
DTSTAMP:20260724T165055Z
CREATED:20260724T123519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T165055Z
UID:10019685-1792665000-1792668600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Contemporary Jewish fiction
DESCRIPTION:Contemporary Jewish fiction\nWith Cynthia Good \nThursdays\, October 1\, 8\, 15\, 22\, 10:30 am (in-person & online) \n$30 for members; $45 for non-members \nWe look forward to in-person (and online) learning and the opportunity for in-depth study. Join us this fall for our usual lively discussion of two novels\, one about a young girl\, the other about an elderly woman and both with interesting narrative techniques. \nRegister here \nVera or Faith by Gary Shteyngart\nShteyngart’s sixth novel is a lively unusual Bildungsroman\, tracking the journey – literal\, educational\, emotional – of 10-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin\, an overanxious\, over-watchful academic high achiever whose run of straight As has just been blighted by a B. A very modern blend of Russian\, Jewish\, Korean\, and New England WASP\, Vera’s family love one another deeply but the pressures of life in an unstable America are fraying their bonds. \nVera wants only three things in life: to make a friend at school; Daddy and Anne Mom to stay together; and to meet her birth mother\, Mom Mom\, who will at last tell Vera the secret of who she really is and how to ensure love’s survival in this great\, mad\, imploding world. Even if you have not been a Shteyngart fan in the past\, this is an accomplished novel paying homage to Henry James. Vera\, or Faith demonstrates why Shteyngart is\, in the words of The New York Times\, “one of his generation’s most exhilarating writers.” \nLONGLISTED FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time\, Washington Post\, NPR\, Oprah Daily\, Vox\, Denver Public Library\, Seattle Times\, The Cap Times\, Kirkus Reviews \nTen Clear Days by Eric Beck Rubin\nCanadian writer Erick Beck Rubin has written what Sheila Heti calls “A beautiful and important novel about the end of life and what a life adds up to.” Based on the author’s own experience with his grandmother\, and her choice at end of life\, this novel explores Mary Beck’s past: her upbringing in pre-war Hungary\, surviving the war\, and her move to Canada. Friends and employees offer ‘testimony’ about who Mary Beck was\, in the fullness of her life. The generations surround her at her death\, not always agreeing on treatment or Mary’s choices\, and a portrait of a remarkable woman is revealed — her suffering\, loss\, and the devoted family she produced — in a way that is both structurally innovative and deeply loving. \nEric Beck Rubin is the author of the debut novel School of Velocity\, a Guardian Book of the Year. \n“Scrupulously observed and emotionally crushing\, Ten Clear Days asks profound questions about what it means to let go of someone we love. Beck Rubin wields language like a scalpel\, precise and unflinching. You’ve never read anything quite like this before.” Alison Pick\, author of Far To Go.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/contemporary-jewish-fiction-2/2026-10-22/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BookClub.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261023T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261023T120000
DTSTAMP:20260724T125528Z
CREATED:20260724T125528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T125528Z
UID:10019695-1792749600-1792756800@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Little Blossoms with Marky and Friends
DESCRIPTION:Little Blossoms with Marky and Friends\n3 times available: 10:00 am\, 11:00 am\, 12:00 Noon\nOctober\, 16\, 23\, 30\, November 6\, 13\, 20\, 27\, December 4 \nClasses have limited spots\n0-4 years of age \nJoin us on Friday mornings for Shabbat music\, stories\, and more. Dr. Marky (MD\, MEd) is an award-winning entertainer and respected educator with over 20 years of experience running Shabbat programs that inspire and help stimulate your child’s motor and language development. Welcome Shabbat with a smile and song in your heart! \nRegistration coming soon!
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/little-blossoms-with-marky-and-friends/2026-10-23/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/LittleBlossoms2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261026T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261026T203000
DTSTAMP:20260724T135947Z
CREATED:20260724T125210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T135947Z
UID:10019687-1793039400-1793046600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Big Israel Questions: Young (er) Adult Learning Fellowship
DESCRIPTION:Big Israel Questions: Young (er) Adult Learning Fellowship\nMondays\, Oct 19\, 26\, Nov 2\, 9\, 23\, 30\, Dec 7\, 14\, 6:30 pm \nFor Jewish adults in their 20s\, 30s\, and 40s\nSharing a table does not require sharing opinions. \nThe questions you’ve been wrestling with. The ones you’ve been hesitant to ask. The ones you’ve been avoiding because our current climate too often rewards certainty over curiosity. Bring them to this eight-week learning community with master Jewish educator Michael Soberman and Rabbi Taylor Baruchel. \nRegister here \n“Big Israel Questions” is generously sponsored by Cheryl & David Blinick and family \nHow do we speak about Israel when the answers aren’t simple?\nFew topics evoke as much passion\, pain\, hope\, and complexity as Israel. For many Jews today\, conversations can feel increasingly polarized\, leaving us caught between certainty and silence. This fellowship offers another way. \nEach evening begins with dinner\, because some of the best Jewish learning happens around a shared table. Through Jewish texts\, history\, contemporary voices\, and honest conversation\, we’ll explore some of the biggest questions facing Israel and the Jewish people today. \nThis is not a debate club or a course that expects everyone to reach the same conclusions. It is a learning community where curiosity is encouraged\, respectful disagreement is welcomed\, and complexity is embraced. \nWhether you’re seeking a deeper understanding of Israel\, wrestling with difficult questions\, or simply looking for a place where you can ask them\, this fellowship invites you to learn with others who believe that curiosity is one of Judaism’s superpowers. \n 
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/big-israel-questions-young-er-adult-learning-fellowship/2026-10-26/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-1448252861-1350x900-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261027T124500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261027T150000
DTSTAMP:20260722T201714Z
CREATED:20250116T203204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T201714Z
UID:10019664-1793105100-1793113200@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Dorot Games
DESCRIPTION:Dorot Games\nTuesdays\, 12:45 pm\nSchwartz/Reisman Atrium \nDorot programming is generously sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling and Family \nWe invite everyone to come to play your favourite games: Chess\, Mahjong\, Canasta\, Rummycube\, Dominos\, Scrabble and social bridge.
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/dorot-games/2026-10-27/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/DorotGames_resize.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261027T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261027T193000
DTSTAMP:20250930T162513Z
CREATED:20250829T131139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T162513Z
UID:10019088-1793125800-1793129400@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Bereavement Discussion Group
DESCRIPTION:Bereavement Discussion Group\nImmediately following our 6:00 pm evening service (via Zoom here)\, Jack Kugelmass\, MSW\, will provide a supportive environment to find new insight into the meaning of their losses. \nWhether a loved one died recently or long ago\, we hope you will take comfort in this opportunity to find meaning and motivation in memory. \nYou are welcome to “drop-in” occasionally or attend regularly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/917009371?pwd=T1dDMnd6bUMxUU1FaU1NaHFkVXRWQT09 \nMeeting ID: 917 009 371\nPasscode: 047218 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgbrqKX9x
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/bereavement-discussion-group-3/2026-10-27/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/comforting-hands.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261030T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261030T120000
DTSTAMP:20260724T125528Z
CREATED:20260724T125528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T125528Z
UID:10019696-1793354400-1793361600@holyblossom.org
SUMMARY:Little Blossoms with Marky and Friends
DESCRIPTION:Little Blossoms with Marky and Friends\n3 times available: 10:00 am\, 11:00 am\, 12:00 Noon\nOctober\, 16\, 23\, 30\, November 6\, 13\, 20\, 27\, December 4 \nClasses have limited spots\n0-4 years of age \nJoin us on Friday mornings for Shabbat music\, stories\, and more. Dr. Marky (MD\, MEd) is an award-winning entertainer and respected educator with over 20 years of experience running Shabbat programs that inspire and help stimulate your child’s motor and language development. Welcome Shabbat with a smile and song in your heart! \nRegistration coming soon!
URL:https://holyblossom.org/event/little-blossoms-with-marky-and-friends/2026-10-30/
CATEGORIES:HBT Programs & Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://holyblossom.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/LittleBlossoms2024.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR