From the Archives Committee: Out of the Cold

From the Archives Committee: Out of the Cold

By Sheila Smolkin

Every day, we read about or see a news report on the homeless in Toronto. This issue has been with us for many years, and try as we might, society does not seem to be able to make the issue go away.

In 1994, through the urging of Temple member Freda Ariella Muscovitch and with the support of Rabbi Marmur, the Temple Board agreed to allow the synagogue to affiliate with Out of the Cold, (an interfaith coalition founded in 1987, to provide shelter, food and warmth during the coldest months of the year to persons in need,) and to explore the possibility of operating one of its programs on site.

The archive collection contains an extensive file on Temple’s involvement in Out of the Cold. At this time of year, the Archives Committee thought it appropriate to share highlights of this history with you.

Throughout 1995-96, Temple volunteers were mentored by St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, which had a well-established program. Freda Ariela then led a year-long planning and consultative process that led to the formation of Temple’s program held in-house.

On December 5, 1996, the first night of Chanukah, the Temple welcomed its first guests, the first Jewish congregation to establish an in-house program as part of the Out of the Cold coalition.

Until the pandemic, the program operated at Temple every Thursday evening from the beginning of November to the end of March. The program offered the guests a safe, comfortable and quiet environment, a mattress, blanket and overnight shelter, a wholesome hot dinner and breakfast, a lunch bag filled with sandwiches, fruit and dessert, basic medical attention, entertainment, games and art classes.

The program attracted many volunteers ranging from high-school students who were able to collect needed hours of social service to seniors who just wanted to give back to the community. One of the most faithful volunteers was Rabbi Plaut. The Rabbi not only served dinner to the guests, but he sat with them at one of the tables and engaged them on topics of the day.

During the pandemic, the in-house program stopped. However, Holy Blossom’s committee supported a food project at St. Luke’s Church. Last year, Holy Blossom’s program reopened for an in-person dinner. This year the program will run from November 7 to March 27 and will include dinner,  bingo and art activities. The overnight option has been discontinued. The program continues to attract many new Temple volunteers including bar/bat mitzvah children and their parents.

Rabbi Plaut taught that Judaism begins with community. Rabbi Marmur went on to say, “Our participation in Out of the Cold is yet another indication that we see ourselves as full partners in society.” It’s a way “to express our Judaism in its richness and strength.”

The Temple’s Out of the Cold program is an excellent example of one of the fundamental ways to live life as a Jew.