Temple Israel the BULLETIN March/April 2020 Adar/Nisan/Iyar 5780 Erev PURIM Monday March 9, 2020 THE PURIM & PASSSOVER EDITION PASSOVER April 8-15, 2020 Celebrate Purim! • Feb. 28–March 1,2018 Get recipes, blessings, family activities, & more. Worship Schedule Holiday Dates Times SHABBAT Friday, March 6 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Cantorial Student Daniel Geigerman Saturday, March 7 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Tetzeveh, Shabbat Zachor Cantorial Student Daniel Geigerman, Rabbi Dara Lithwick celebration EREV PURIM Monday, March 9 7:00pm Purim celebration (see page 5) SHABBAT Thursday, March 12 7:30 am Morning Minyan Friday, March 13 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service 7:00 pm Bring your own dinner Saturday, March 14 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Ki Tissa, Shabbat Parah SHABBAT Friday, March 20 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, March 21 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Vayakhel/Pekudei Thursday, March 26 7:30 am Morning Minyan SHABBAT Friday, March 27 5:30 pm TOTally Shabbat 6:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, March 28 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Vayikra Global Refugee Shabbat (see page 8) SHABBAT Friday, April 3 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, April 4 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Tzav, Shabbat Hagadol Bar Mitzvah Jack Mandel Wednesday, April 8 5:30pm 1st Night Seder (see page 6) PASSOVER Thursday, April 9 10:15 am 1st Day Passover Service SHABBAT Friday, April 10 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, April 11 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Passover PASSOVER Wednesday April 15 10:15 am 7th Day Passover Service, Yizkor, Plaque Dedication, Liturgical Choir SHABBAT Friday, April 17 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by FROSTY & TIRS High School 7:00 pm Bring your own dinner Saturday, April 18 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Shemini Thursday, April 23 7:30 am Morning Minyan SHABBAT Friday, April 24 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, April 25 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Tazria-Metzora Cantor Across Canada Weekend - see page 8 Friday, May 1 5:30 pm Family Program SHABBAT Saturday, May 2 7:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service 10:15 am Shabbat Service, Parsha Achrei Mot/Kedoshim We welcome Cantor Katie Oringel 2 | TEMPLE ISRAEL BULLETIN - March/April 2020 From the Pulpit President’s Message The first three months have sped by in my two-year term as President – Six months in, I continue to here are a few highlights. be impressed each day by our Temple Israel family. We may A productive Board retreat took place be in the midst of the winter (I on November 24, led by Paul Lezner, know, it’s typically colder!), but a trained facilitator provided by the that has not meant we’re hiber- Union for Reform Judaism. Paul is nating. I am touched by the kind- also the President of Temple Eman- ness we direct to one another, uEl Toronto, a Reform synagogue of the excitement for everything similar size and challenges as ours. Jewish that we pursue, and our This session helped us identify ways commitment to filling the world to improve our leadership work and with shalom. strengthen the sacred partnership among clergy, staff and lay leaders. Looking ahead, I’d like to highlight 3 projects: • Passover is almost here. While the food can be Recent topics at monthly Board meetings: interim build- less palatable than we’re accustomed, the imagery ing accessibility measures; a pilot of a ‘consent’ agenda; is eternally relevant. We use the festival to open our fostering a culture of philanthropy and giving; appoint- eyes wide to the cries in our midst and we rededi- ments to fill 3 one-year board vacancies; approval of cate our efforts to liberating the enslaved. The seder 45 new congregants, including 20 participating via the is an educational forum at its best. With songs, Federation’s Jewish Jumpstart membership subsidy ini- props and creative activities we celebrate our free- tiative; terms of reference for the Property Management dom story and nurture essential lessons for the next Committee and Accessibility / Inclusion Task Force; and generation. This year our communal seder will be on accepting the 2018 annual cheque for $14,163 from the Wed. April 8th at 5:30 (sharp!) We’re starting a little Temple Israel (Ottawa) Foundation. Board meetings earlier and we’ve scaled back the traditional menu in take place on the third Thursday each month at 7 pm order to be more inclusive of our younger friends. I’ll and are open to all – join us! be leading a multigenerational feast with something for everyone. Hope to see you there! The Temple Web site is constantly being updated – check it out for upcoming events, board member contact infor- • A core mitzvah is “bikur cholim – caring for the mation, as well as committee and task force chairs and sick.” We take this responsibility very seriously at leaders. If you are interested in joining a committee, Temple, recognizing that an essential aspect of contact information for all committee chairs is listed on Jewish community life is supporting our members the website. when they are in need. Under the leadership of Susan Fried and Jane Gordon we will be hosting a course The Building Renovation Action Committee (BRAC) is for people looking to build their tool box in terms of meeting regularly with Figurr Architects to work towards serving as a volunteer in the hospital setting. This a concept design for renovations. The goal is to achieve is a wonderful opportunity to build comfort with the inspiring and welcoming enhancements that address ac- notion of the hospital as a holy space. Our visits can cessibility, code and security requirements within a real- be an essential pathway of healing. Please consider istic budget. Engineering contracts are in place to review joining us when the course begins on Monday after- our building systems. These will be used to propose a noons starting May 4th. long-term plan for building system renewal by the Prop- erty Management Committee. • True, the fall holidays are months away, but they certainly serve as a focal point of the year. Rosh Temple is participating in the Life & Legacy initiative led Hashana and Yom Kippur allow us to sing our way the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. This is a long-term into the new year. I’m thrilled to be able to share strategy for securing after lifetime legacy gifts to sustain that Cantorial student Daniel Geigerman will be join- Temple Israel for generations to come. We are fortu- ing us once again. And I’m grateful to a cohort of our nate to have a stellar team headed by Margo Rosen community including Arthur Loeb and Karen Shiller, already hard at work in collaboration with Temple Israel Debbie and Jim Farrow, Rosalind Conway and David Ottawa Foundation. Life & Legacy is distinct from and McKercher, Lisa Rosenkrantz and Michael Walsh, complementary to the Building Renovation project, how- and Marie Carmen Berlie and Charlie Khazzam, for ever both projects aim to sustain a strong vibrant Tem- making this possible. This is sacred giving at its best. ple Israel into the future. For more information on this initiative see the article in this Bulletin. So much to look forward to. A bientot! To assist in developing a leadership pipeline, the Nomi- Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg nating Committee is underway chaired by Miriam Burke, 1st VP. A meeting of all committee and task force chairs and team leaders is planned soon and leadership devel- opment will be a topic. Anyone keen to take on a vol- unteer challenge is warmly invited to explore with staff or a board member. Help build our Temple community stronger! Margot Montgomery, President March/April 2020 - TEMPLE ISRAEL BULLETIN | 3 School News FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK It never stops to amaze me how busy we are not only onsite but also in the community. In the last several weeks, we’ve participated in Jewish Federa- tion of Ottawa’s annual Mitzvah Day at the SJCC and had our own Tu Bish- vat celebrations for both the elemen- tary grades and our high school. The theme for all of these events was the environment which is a meaningful Such an amazing representation of Temple Israel and subject for our students and their families. TIRS families volunteering at In From the Cold at Park- dale United Church in December. What an awesome Did you see the picture of some of our students and example of how Tikun Olam is so important to us. teachers on the front page of this month’s Ottawa Jewish Bulletin? What a fantastic way to bring our community together. We are always proud to represent Temple Israel and TIRS at Mitzvah Day. On February 9th, we celebrated the birthday of the trees with a No Waste, environmentally friendly program where the students made bird houses (all from donated materi- als) and toilet cleaners (all natural --- also donated mate- rials) and a guest speaker from Nu Grocery, where they boast no waste in their stores and you bring your own containers and bags. On February 10th, 38 participants in grades 6-11 came together for a Tu Bishvat Seder, our biggest in my 5 years as Principal. These programs for all youth, whether in TI High, JYG or FROSTY are a great way to bring youth together to celebrated, learn and socialize. Our next “All Youth” event is on April 6th when we will have our annual Grades 6-11 celebrate with a Tu B’shevat Seder Chocolate Seder. Since our programs are open to the community, it is not uncommon to have youth join us from other synagogues.