March 22, 2023 As we watch with increasing alarm the existential crisis unfolding in Israel and the mass protests there and in the Diaspora against the agenda of Israel’s current hard right-wing government, the DJC Board has realized that we must assert our position and get involved. If this Israeli government’s agenda is implemented, the …
Dear DJC Community, With tremendous gratitude to the DJC community for the input provided through our community forums and surveys, we are pleased to let you know that Rabbi Ilyse Glickman (our current interim rabbi) and Rabbi Kevin Kleinman are the final two candidates for the position of permanent rabbi for the DJC. They were selected after consideration of …
February 14, 2023 Hon. Doug Ford I Premier@ontario.ca I doug.fordco@pc.ola.org c.c. Hon. Steve Clark I Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing I Steve.Clark@pc.ola.org c.c. Hon. David Piccini I Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks I david.Piccini@pc.ola.org Dear Premier Ford: We are community and faith-based organizations and faith leaders deeply concerned by the passage …
Four years ago, the DJC Board signed onto ‘No Silence on Race’ (NSOR), an initiative of Jews of Colour in Toronto. This group’s objective is to redress the issue of exclusion across Jewish communities in Toronto. By signing this document, the DJC Board was committing us to acknowledging and working against racism in our congregation. And an Antiracism Working Group was created, reporting to …
I had the pleasure of sharing my thoughts on the topic of “Wintering: Letting Within and Without Lie Fallow” with our neighbouring congregation at NUUC this past Sunday morning. We are fortunate to share wisdom and community through this unique Multifaith relationship. A few months after my 29th birthday I was in a serious car …
Wintering: Letting Within and Without Lie Fallow Read More »
By Lorne Opler As we conclude reading Sefer Bereshit, the Book of Genesis, a reflection of this first book of the Five Books of Moses yields many momentous events. From the story of creation, to Noah’s Ark, to the “akeda” or the sacrificial binding of Isaac by his father Abraham; from Jacob’s stealing the birthright from …
“Happy New Year!” This phrase can be heard starting in December and continuing through January in every store and street, in each gathering and encounter. It is a beautiful wish for our human family: May 2023 prove to bring you much happiness and joy. May 2023 usher in greater gladness and merriment. The Jewish calendar …
November 2022: Circles for Reconciliation A DJC representative, one of five participating members of the Downtown Jewish Community Council, began a 10-session conversation with representatives of Indigenous communities in a program organized by Circles for Reconciliation. October 2022: Donation to Toronto Council Fire In an effort towards reconciliation, the DJC made a significant donation to Toronto Council …
DJC efforts/actions to further truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples: Read More »
By Emil Sher Rituals are the mortar that connect us to our community, to our past, to each other. There is one DJC ritual that, for the most part, has gone unnoticed. It happens when we stand on the cusp of the High Holydays, and Rabbi Miriam and Cantor Lisa stand on the bimah. They …
And You Shall be a Blessing: A Tribute to Rabbi Miriam and Cantor Lisa Kent Read More »
