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Please join us in welcoming Narayever’s first ever Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Steven G. Sager Friday and Saturday, May 23 - 24, 2014 The Meaning of Egalitarianism as We Enter our Shul’s Second Century Join us for a weekend of celebration, Friday May 23 2014 reflection and learning about some of our 6:00 pm Kabbalat Shabbat 7:30 pm Community Shabbat Dinner community’s most deeply held values jjjj and how we move them forward into Saturday May 24 2014 9:00 am Shabbat Services our second century. 1:30 pm Post-Kiddush Talk 7:30 pm Seudah Shlishit and Learning NARAYEVER NEWS MAY, JUNE 2014 IYAR, SIVAN, TAMMUZ 5774 NARAYEVER NEWS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Friends, with young families arriving, new shuls and other Jewish institutions establishing themselves. Some As I write this message, we are making detailed would go so far as to say that the ground is shifting preparations for our Congregation's Annual General under our feet. It is important to note that there are Meeting. Usually it's held in mid-June, as summer real consequences to these changes. For instance, our approaches. This year we are trying an experiment, an shul relies heavily on High Holy Day ticket sales to non- AGM on May 4th, six weeks earlier than usual. So you members to help finance our operations. For two years may be reading this message just around the time our in a row, those sales have been down significantly. This AGM is taking place. year, we face a deficit that's equal to about We chose the earlier date in order to give the same amount that those ticket sales incoming Board members more time to have declined. become familiar with their roles and Unfortunately but necessarily, we have had responsibilities, before they are plunged to ask for an increase this year in annual into the fascinating and rewarding work of membership dues. We cannot operate the shul leadership. We'll see how it works shul at a deficit and so must turn to our out! members for more funding. At the same If you're reading this message before May time, we are planning new approaches to 4th, please make every effort to come to fundraising so as to avoid fee increases as the AGM. At the Narayever it is ultimately much as possible. And as always, we will the membership of the Congregation that makes the never turn anyone away who cannot afford to pay our important decisions. We hope as many members as full fees. possible will come out and take part. We also believe that we must clearly define who we are The AGM deals with – mostly -- the election of a new and make sure we are communicating to the Board, the passing of a budget and the appointment of community all the wonderful things that make up the an auditor. These are very basic chores, but they are Narayever. We've noted that there is actually nothing fundamentally important, and it is chores like these that in our historic name to indicate that we are a Jewish take up much of our time on the Board and the institution! That's one reason we have proposed the Executive. As best we can, though, we also try to think incorporation of a Hebrew phrase, Sukkat Shalom, into about long-term issues, and these too are part of the our name. But at the same time we must always deliberations at the AGM. remember and honour the past. We see the proposal to revise our name, which will no doubt be a major topic This year I have been acutely conscious of some of at the AGM, as an incremental change that retains our these fundamental long-term questions about our shul. history, yet reflects our modern ethos. I hope it's not too pretentious to speak of these as existential questions: Who are we and how do we These are but two of the areas where we have had to present ourselves to the world, today and going forward think hard about how we respond to the challenges into the future? around us. I invite all of you to keep in touch with me and other Board members as we move through these Our shul has evolved and changed dramatically since its demanding times. founding a century ago. We're not the same as we were even twenty years ago. Just as important, Toronto's Harry Schachter downtown community is also changing dramatically, [email protected] 2 MAY, JUNE 2014 IYAR, SIVAN, TAMMUZ 5774 NARAYEVER NEWS RABBI’S MESSAGE Dear Friends, members treat each other with respect and compassion and warmth, a community that is open to Here’s a gem from David Bader’s Haikus for Jews: the presence and the contributions of newcomers, a Is one Nobel Prize community that balances pride in its accomplishments So much to ask from a child with humility about how much we yet have to grow After all I’ve done? and learn, a community that continually nurtures all kk these attributes in its members both young and not-so- We smile when we read this perhaps because in young. exaggerated form it represents what many of us see in ourselves and others – parents This newsletter takes us to just about the with overblown expectations of our midpoint of our Centennial year. Among children. other Centennial initiatives and programs which have already taken place, we have What can we legitimately expect from our enhanced our beautiful sanctuary with kids? How much academic, professional, new pew cushions; we have learned financial or social success? It’s only human together about cutting edge ideas in Jewish to want our children to be successful in thought in a mini-course on Jewish these ways, but, in truth, what we should renewal; we’ve reflected on the role that most fundamentally want from them is tzedakah plays as a value of our that they be menschen. As Rabbi Israel Salanter, community; we've heard a talk about the history of the founder of the Musar movement wrote, “It was indeed town of Narayev after which we’re named. a wonder that the Maharal of Prague was able to create a golem. But how much more wonderful it is to Coming up is our Scholar-in-Residence weekend at the transform a human being into a mensch!” end of May. I am tremendously excited that Rabbi Steve Sager is going to be teaching us about the deeper Knowing what the necessary ingredients are for that meanings of the term “egalitarianism” by which we wondrous transformation is never simple. Getting there define ourselves, and I hope that all our members will is rarely a straight road. How would we fare if were take the opportunity to learn from him at one point or hooked up to a “Menschometer”? Hopefully pretty well another during the weekend he'll be with us. Over the – but we all have lapses, and so do our children. We horizon, we have our festive Centennial bash on can never rest on our laurels. We need to continually November 9 to look forward to – about which many remind ourselves of the importance of being kind to more details are to come. others -- even when we're feeling needy ourselves; of being honest -- even when being so may be to our There is indeed much to celebrate. Our community is detriment; of being open to the feelings and opinions strong and vibrant. We take the dilemmas and of others – even when we suspect they have nothing to challenges of Jewish life in the contemporary world offer us. These are some of the attributes of the seriously. At the same time, we are able to mark Jewish menschlich person. time together, joyfully. And we find ways to reach out to each other, and beyond our community, generously. Communities too must strive for menschlichkeit. Like individuals, sometimes they hit the mark and The Nobel Prize in Menschlichkeit? That's what I aspire sometimes they miss. Our shul’s Centennial year is a to, for our community. Just one, after 100 years. I hope good time to reflect on how we’re doing in that it’s not too much to ask. Let’s work together toward department. If I had to choose one thing only that I’d that end. like our shul to be known for, I’d like it to be known as a Rabbi Ed Elkin menschlich community -- a community whose [email protected] MAY, JUNE 2014 IYAR, SIVAN, TAMMUZ 5774 3 NARAYEVER NEWS Centennial Scholar in Residence Saturday May 24, 2014 RABBI STEVEN G. SAGER Shabbat Services, 9 am ggg Join us for our traditional Shabbat Services. RABBI STEVEN G. SAGER, our Scholar in Residence, is Rabbi Sager will lead a Torah conversation: the Rabbi Emeritus of Beth El Synagogue in Durham, The Small Space That Contains The Large Place: NC, where he served as rabbi for 32 years. Can Everyone Enter? ggg He now serves as the Director of Sicha/Conversation An Elijah story from the Talmud, a midrash and a (www.sichaconversation.org), a project to stimulate mishnah about the wondrous space of the mishkan and conversations between classical Jewish culture and the Temple will lead us to a conversation about how our contemporary Jewish needs, enlisting the Jewish past in community life can most fully take place in our service of the Jewish future. communal place/building. Post-Kiddush, 1:30 pm ggg SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Join us for a stimulating Post-Kiddush discussion led by May 23 - 24, 2014 Rabbi Sager: Mar Ukba And His Wife: Facing Without Losing Face ggg Friday May 23, 2014 The very short story of Mar Ukba and his wife will allow us to examine how we see ourselves in relation to those in need.

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