The January and February 2012 program schedule now available.
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Beginning Monday January 9th
for eight Mondays
from 7:30pm sharp to 8:30 pm.
In the Philip Smith Hall.
Come to one class or several or all eight.
The cost is $10.00 per session.
Wear comfortable clothes and bring your friends.
Our December 2011 Bulletin is here! In full colour and re-designed to be more engaging, we are excited to provide you with this sneak peek online. Print Bulletin copies will arrive in mailboxes the week of November 21st. We welcome your comments and feedback.
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Please Note:
Our current print Bulletin lists the incorrect date for Our Chanukah Celebration. The correct date is Friday, December 23, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
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[green_message]If you can contribute to the new Bulletin – by writing articles, editing content, providing feedback, or even through taking photos – please click here to contact Robert Carnevale and help us to continue to ensure the Bulletin remains revitalized, dynamic and celebrates Holy Blossom Temple.[/green_message]
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If you’ve never done this before, it’s fun and easier than your routine workout!
Monday November 28.
7:30 – 8:30.
Philip Smith Congregational Hall.
$10 at the door.
All proceeds go to Temple programs supported by Sisterhood.
The last thing my grandfather said to me was, “If I don’t make it, tell my story.”
Michael Ross Albert
No kidding.
When asked about the inspiration for the play, my grandfather’s farewell to me is the only anecdote that comes to mind. Certainly, my grandfather was cavalier in his request. But he didn’t realize that playwrights take last words very seriously.
It is both my pleasure and my sad duty to welcome you to Pillars of Salt. It is my sad duty because I’d prefer it if I never had to write this play at all; it is my pleasure because the artists who comprise Holy Blossom Stagecraft think it is a story that deserves to be told.
The play I set out to write, a play about my grandfather, became instead a play about mothers, a play about the women left behind.
It is by no means an autobiographical play, despite what my mom tells you at intermission. But it is
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a play written from a place of loss. It is a play that tries to be both tender and aggressive. It tries to examine a wound that we all have to tend to at one point or another. It tries to explore our nearest and (even though, at a shiva house, they don’t necessarily feel like) our dearest. It tries to find the humour and the hope in the wake of a loved one’s death.
I hope that it succeeds. And I hope it is a play that my grandfather himself would like to watch for a couple of hours.
To learn more about Stagecraft and the upcoming Pillar of Salt performance, please click here.
Visit the Judaica Shop and see our wide variety of Judaic items.
Coming Soon:
The sale of books and cd’s from November 20, to November 27, 2011.
Books and CD’s from $5.00 and up.
Watch for:
Our first annual Pre- Chanukah sale. December 4th to December 11th, 2011
Shop Hours:
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Sunday: 9:30 am to 12:15 pm
“It was so uplifting and so much fun and so well organized. What a great group of women!”
“Thanks to all who made this past weekend one to remember for a long, long time…The ruach and the comradery were exceptional…We are truly blessed to have a community of caring women who like to do things together and enjoy each other’s company.”
”It was the beautiful group of women who participated – all bringing your full, thoughtful, playful, open selves and souls to the entirety of the weekend – who made it truly what it was, which was special. I too am still living within the warm glow of the entire Shabbat and weekend.”
“It was a most fantastic, amazing weekend spent with very wonderful women!”
“Grateful thanks to Rabbi Karen, Lindi and all those who helped to make this a retreat to remember.”
“Thank you everyone for inspiring me, comforting me, befriending me, loving me, praying with me, singing with me, and certainly laughing with me.”
“I just wanted to add my voice of thanks to all of the other voices, to the organizers, to Karen and Lindi, and to all who made me feel not just welcome, but included, at my first retreat. I look forward to many more. It was a wonderfully positive experience in every way.”
“I have often crossed paths with some of you in the hallways of the synagogue but never had the opportunity to bond with you. You were an awesome bunch! I laughed, learned and had a lot of fun!”
“Thanks to everyone for such a hamish weekend filled with ruach. Kudos to Etienne and Corinne for their thoughtful planning and to Lindi and Karen for their warm leadership.”
“I just wanted to say that it was a most wonderful weekend. Even with the rain, it didn’t make a difference…I look forward to it again!”
“Ditto! And, many many thanks to our inspiring rabbi and cantorial soloist!! Oodles of thanks to Corinne and Etienne-your attention to detail both before and during the weekend is deeply appreciated.”
“I’M IN–AMEN!!!”
“I had a wonderful time and having all you sharing my Bat Mitzvah celebration with me made it so very special!”
“I enjoyed the weekend so much and loved being with all of you wonderful women. Thank you for making it such a great experience.”
Sisterhood 2011
Welcome back to the Holy Blossom Religious School. As we approach Rosh Hashana, the students learn many elements of the Holy Day. Rabbi Thomashow speaks to the Grade 2 classes about the shofar. Watch as they count her tekiah!
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[green_message] To learn more about everything our Religious School program offers, please click here. [/green_message]
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It won’t be long before we welcome our guests back to Holy Blossom’s Out of the Cold 2011 – 2012 season. Whether you are new to the program or a seasoned volunteer, the success of our program is due primarily to our warm, dedicated, friendly and phenomenally capable volunteer community.
Downloadable below is all of the information you need for this year’s Program.
Please print the forms that you require and feel free to pass this along to any of your friends and family who might be interested in volunteering this year. We’re always looking for great people to help run the program.
This year, the program starts on Thursday November 3rd and runs until the last Thursday in March. Our volunteer sign-up night is Tuesday October 18th so please drop by to sign-up for all shifts. If you cannot attend October 18th, you may register for any remaining volunteer opportunities by phoning the Out of the Cold Hotline at 416-789-3291 x 508 after November 3rd, or by emailing us after November 3rd at [email protected]. All returning volunteers, except for servers, can sign up directly through their team captains, and do not need to attend the Sign-Up Night, however we encourage you to consider other volunteer activities to help throughout the program.
Serving volunteers can pre-register by returning completed forms included in the attachment to the Holy Blossom office by Friday September 23rd. NEW THIS YEAR – We will confirm all Serving pre-registrations by email on or before October 17 if pre-registration forms are received by September 23. Any registrations received after September 23rd must attend Sign Up night to confirm dates. If you have pre-registered and need to change dates, you can attend Sign Up night or email after November 3rd, 2011. All other dates will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The serving shifts are the most popular shifts in the program and they are assigned on a ‘first-come first served’ basis on Volunteer Sign-Up night. Please note, you may not get all your requested dates, so please be patient and flexible. All non-registered Holy Blossom Temple members will begin registration at 6:30 pm. All non-Temple members will begin registration at 7:45 pm.
Last but not least, we are always looking for donations of clothing and supplies to run the program. Please see the attached list of items that we need to keep the program running. Anything you can do would be appreciated.
Thank you for volunteering for Holy Blossom’s Out of the Cold program. If you have any questions prior to Sign-Up Night, please leave us a message on the Out of the Cold Hotline at 416-789-3291 x 508 or email us at [email protected].
For more information about our Out of the Cold Program, please click here.
[green_message]Click here for the Out of the Cold Volunteer Opportunities and Sign up Information 2011-2012 forms. [/green_message]
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Remembering September 11
In this third part of “Remembering September 11”, here are three different approaches: an important essay by Edward Rothstein; an artistic exhibition by Tobi Khan aimed at healing; and a Springsteen rendition of his “My City of Ruins”. The three don’t easily fit together, but that may be the beauty of it all. After all, to fit evil with hope is as difficult as it is to put together evil with memory and healing. Difficult but necessary, as evil is as real as is the need for healing, hope and memory.
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.