September 2010
CONTENTS:
L'Shanah Tovah!
Dear Fellow DJC members,
The summer has flown by and the High Holidays are right around the corner – only two weeks away! The DJC's High Holiday services reflect our Judaism and our community – rooted in tradition yet embracing change. This year's services will be true to that vision, blending both familiar and new rituals, prayers, stories and songs. I am thrilled to welcome Rabbi Miriam Margles into our circle to lead this year's High Holidays. And I am equally delighted that she will be joined by our magnificent Cantor, Lisa Kent, and her choir, who will once again lend their beautiful voices to our services.
I hope that you'll be joining us this year too – in celebration, prayer and reflection – as part of our warm, welcoming and wonderfully unique DJC community. I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year – L'shanah tovah!
Josie Lalonde
Chair, Danforth Jewish Circle
REGISTRATION: MEMBERSHIP, TICKET PURCHASE
REGISTRATION (online & snail mail) received beginning Monday, August 23 to Monday, August 31 will be processed and cards and tickets may be picked up in the Pre-registered line at the Shul (Eastminster).
*Please note:
- Beginning Wednesday, September 1, registration will be taken at the door during services.
- Online and mail registration will not be available after midnight on Wednesday, September 1, 2010.
- All information on payment options is available here.
Joining the Danforth Jewish Circle includes High Holiday services, a year of holiday celebrations, communal gatherings, Shabbat services and educational programming.
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS
A complete listing of our High Holiday services including times, dates etc., may be found here.
- Rosh Hashana Dawn service Location: Don Valley Brick Works
A service for "early risers" to welcome the New year led by Emil Sher. - Family service (children ages 2-6 with parents) Location: Sanctuary
We value our children and believe they deserve a meaningful experience during the High Holidays. Meaningful doesn't mean it can't be fun and memorable. Rabbi Miriam will lead this year's family service, which will be sweetened with storytelling and music from Josie Lalonde and Larry Nusbaum. - Youth program (youth ages 7-11) Location: Hurndale room
During the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur adult services this year, the DJC Children's Jewish Studies teachers will offer a special program for youth ages 7 - 11. This program has been specially designed to be interactive, fun, and meaningful for this age group. Parents do not need to attend - please feel free to drop off your children, and pick them up after the community - wide service. We're very excited to explore these holidays together! - Text study, Workshop and study in our services (listed at above web link) will be led by Rabbi Miriam in the auditorium.
Community Apples & Honey
After Family service on Erev Rosh Hashana and Community-wide services on Rosh Hashana please join us in the Hurndale room for…
Community Apples & Honey
Please join us for a delicious array of challah, apples & honey, cakes and conversation.
All are welcome.
*Volunteers are needed! Please write to Morgan today at morgoony@gmail.com.
For more information, please contact us by e-mail: info@djctoronto.com or phone: 416.580.6303
DAY CARE
The gym will be closed for youth programming during the High Holidays.
Children between the ages of 2-6 we offer day care in 2 locations:
Nursery (next to the auditorium) for ages 2-4
Jackman room (downstairs ) for ages 5 & 6
*All children 2 & under must be supervised by parents/caregivers
Children between the ages of 7-11 are invited to attend our Youth program or join us in our community- wide service.
All youth age 12 and over are expected to join us in our community-wide service.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Stroll by Eastminster - a.k.a. "Bethminster"- on the Danforth, and you will see something brand new: a sign announcing the presence of the DJC.
The sparkling image, designed by our own David Wyman, was mounted on Friday, August 13th (!). It publicly calls attention to our existence in the community and, we hope, will attract the interest of potential members.
Thanks to Andrew Cassidy from Eastminster for his enthusiastic collaboration on this project.
Paul Axelrod, for the DJC Board
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
3rd Annual Danforth Multifaith Peace Walk is currently being planned and will be more meaningful and festive than ever as we develop ongoing relationships with our Muslim and Christian friends on the Danforth.
*Mark the date: Sunday, October 3rd, 2010.
More information will be available at High Holiday services.
If you are interested in volunteering please contact Karen Robbins; e-mail: karenmrobbins@aol.com, phone: 416.466.5548.
Shalom and salaam!
The Danforth Jewish Reading Circle
Attention all readers! The DJC book club is alive and well, but will reappear this fall under a new name: The Danforth Jewish Reading Circle.
As its new, inclusive name suggests, members of the DJC no longer will be asked at High Holiday services to join a book club, but rather will sign up for the sessions as they appear in the newsletters. The roster for the coming season promises to be exciting.
The Danforth Reading Circle will continue its delightful tradition of meeting in the homes of members. Would those who would like to offer their homes as a venue kindly contact Anne Amitay at annejohn@sympatico.ca
We look forward to sharing the circle with you!
- The Danforth Jewish Reading Circle planning committee
COMMUNITY NEWS
Pakistani Flood Relief - Please Donate!
Dear DJC members:
I was approached from our friends at the Pakistani Community Centre who we've worked closely with for the past three years on our annual peace walk. They are devastated at the flooding that has happened in Pakistan and the lack of relief that is getting to the people who need it on the ground.
News Here.
Mrs. Tasleem Riaz (the Executive Director of the PCC) is currently fundraising for flood relief donations and has asked the DJC if they could contribute. Of course we can! I would like us to send them one donation cheque towards flood relief on behalf of the DJC.
So please send/or drop off your cheques/cash to me (c/o Karen Robbins, 238 Withrow Avenue, Toronto, ON M4K1E4. Phone 416-466-5548) and I will send one cheque along to the Pakistani Community Centre on the DJC's behalf. I am starting the donations with $100. I appreciate any amount small or large that you can send their way.
FYI, Tasleem was in Pakistan this summer and is very familiar with the area that has been most hard hit (Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) as many of her relatives have most tragically had their homes wiped out. Tasleem is dealing with a small grassroots organization (Rescue 2000) that is on the ground and providing direct relief to flood survivors.
Karen Robbins
Co-Chair, DJC
SLICHOT
Saturday, September 4th 10pm (following havdalah)
Miss Lou's Room, Harbourfront Centre, 2nd floor
FREE
This participatory/experiential event will explore the mysteries of the Slichot service through the fusion of music, chanting, liturgy, poetry, meditation and prayer. Presented acoustically and "in the round" without a stage, Ashkenaz's unique re-imagination of this honoured ritual will eliminate the distinction between the audience and the facilitators, making all present crucial participants.
The service will be lead by the award-winning singer /composer /prayer leader Aviva Chernick, of the Juno-nominated group Jaffa Road. She will be joined by an ensemble made up of some of Canada's top world music musicians, including Jaffa Road bandleader and music therapist Aaron Lightstone on guitar, oud and saz; Indian Tabla Virtuoso Gurpreet "the tabla guy" Channa on tabla and percussion; multi-instrumentalist Josh Engel on guitar and mandolin; nay/bansuri/ saxophone virtuoso, Ernie Tollar, and Israeli oud and violin virtuoso Yair Dalal. This unique ensemble will create beautiful, engaging, and organic musical textures that bring together, and are firmly rooted in the musical/spiritual traditions of Ashkenazi and Sephardic Judaism, India, the Arab world and Sufism.
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