Community Buzz
COMMUNITY BUZZ
November 30, 2024
Last week, Karen and I had the pleasure of accepting an invitation to join a Henna party for one of our former Shinshinim, Yuval Derry, and his future wife in Tel Aviv. The pre-wedding celebration is a tradition in Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities and it was wonderful to witness the Yemenite and Moroccan heritage celebrated with appropriate music, dancing and attire. Yuval was just one of six former Shimshimin who have been part of the Beth David family over the past 15 years and with whom we spent some time over a brief three day visit to Israel. Hopefully some of the names will be familiar to you—Amarel Gofer, Maor Cohen, Tamar Tzohari, Uri Kol and Amit Weisberg. Many of our former Shinshinim have completed their army service, but several have been called back to temporarily serve in various capacities and roles, fulfilling their ongoing duty to the State of Israel. All expressed their hopes for the return of the hostages, the success of the army’s mission, the safety of the IDF soldiers and citizens of Israel, as well as their best wishes for our collective future, recognizing how much they learned about themselves and the diaspora during their “gap year” in Canada. We assured them, as part of the Beth David family, we continue to think about them and their important commitment to Israel.
On the subject of family, Kemi Badenoch is the new leader of the Conservative Party in the U.K. The party were heavily defeated in the recent election, the leader Rishi Sunak stepped down, and Badenoch, with a strong immigrant family upbringing, and considered very much an outsider, surprised many by being voted in by eligible electors. Apparently before the last election, the bickering and infighting within the party hastened their defeat, so it was not surprising that in taking over, Badenoch described the party as her “family” and said that it is “much more to me than a membership organisation.” Family, in politics, is an interesting term to use, and differences of opinion can be healthy and valuable if aired in a constructive way. The art of any leader, and task of any group, family or community, is to encourage all points of view, to discuss options and to achieve consensus, which at the end of the day, can keep the family united in purpose. It will be interesting to follow Badenoch’s progress to discern what “family” ingredients did, or did not, achieve different outcomes.
Last week’s Buzz took my mind a long way back to a theory called the “Diffusion of Responsibility.” The simple premise is that when people are in a group, they may assume that others will act, so they don't feel the need to take action themselves. This can lead to a decrease in the sense of personal responsibility and a reduced tendency to help. Unfortunately, by defaulting to others, and if things go wrong, it is easy to blame thoughtlessly, when ironically they themselves could have changed the outcome. So please, in the context of our appeal for volunteers, if you can help, please have a conversation with Gary, Janice or Ken. Likewise, in the context of Michael Rubin’s message in the Shabbat Shalom regarding the discontinuance of some of those daily minyanim, perhaps it has relevancy here too.
November 24, 2024
I’m currently holding a copy of the by-laws of the "Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ Congregation” (better known as the Bevis Marks Synagogue of London, England). Although it is quite a slim volume, I would not recommend it unless you have a serious case of insomnia. The by-laws themselves are quite mundane. What is truly remarkable is that this book was published in 1863. At that point, the synagogue was already 160 years old. Today, Bevis Marks is still holding services and thriving in their same building, after more than 320 years. What a remarkable role model for younger congregations, wherever they may be!
What has kept Bevis Marks ticking along, through the centuries, is the dedication and commitment of its members. Here at Beth David, we’ve got a multitude of ways that you can contribute to our ongoing journey. One way is through our various committees. These are made up of dedicated, members who have decided to volunteer their expertise and passion to keep our shul moving forward. I’m highlighting a few of these in this week’s Buzz, but there are others that we will talk about in the weeks to come.
The House & Property Committee, under Gary Goldfarb, is responsible for our unique, heritage-listed building. As you might imagine, keeping our 60+ year old structure in good order is a vital task. Call the office if you’d like to help.
Ritual is at the base of everything we do. Our Ritual Committee evaluates our practices and the ways in which we celebrate and measures them against our mission and values. Led by Janice Goldmintz, they are currently engaged in a review of this year’s High Holiday events. They are also considering a special “Intro to Davening” program to help new and returning daveners to gain the most from their practice. Reach out to Janice through the shul office if you’d like to help out with this vital committee.
The Communications Committee is responsible for this weekly email, as well as the Shabbat Shalom (both printed and emailed), the Beth David website, email flyers and any other communications channels we can use to better inform the members and the wider world about goings-on at Beth David. (It’s run by me, Ken Shelson ;) . Again, if you’d like to help, we’d love to hear about it. Let the office know and we’ll be in touch.
Community Buzz - November 17, 2024
Election misery or euphoria, and everything in between - the majority has spoken. Overwhelming now are the viewpoints of pundits rationalizing why the U.S. election result happened. **It is very likely most people who follow the news have a preferred source/s, and perhaps many understand how their bias, and the bias of the information source, determines their interpretation of reality. Was it so long ago that we chose one primary daily newspaper and one T.V. station to follow? One obvious factor, regardless of being red or blue, is the breadth of communication channels now available and being consumed by the population. Scott Galloway noted “almost half of adult Americans, 136 million people, listen to at least one podcast a month. The three biggest media events of this fall were the presidential debate and Harris and Trump’s respective appearances on Call Her Daddy and The Joe Rogan Experience.” The global audience for podcasts is now 505 million. Given this immense number, Galloway believes that “we have transitioned from a fossil-fuel-based economy to an attention economy, full stop. Reflected in the stock market, “if you command attention, revenue will follow.” As it is now evident, “podcasting” had a huge influence on this election and for certain demographics it is only likely to increase. Is it inconceivable that for these demographics, religious institutions will need to podcast the weekly sermon, (available at any time, 7 days a week/24 hours a day) to gain their attention?
For something completely different, have you ever heard someone say “you are so lucky.” Many years ago, Max Gunther tried to analyze why luck seemed to play a part in some lives and not others. One factor was how wide a network of friends and acquaintances people enjoyed. Those who have made the effort to have a broad set of contacts tended to be the luckiest. We all know having friends is an intentional two-way exchange of information and advice and takes effort. Other factors include going with hunches, being willing to be bold sometimes, and on the other side of the coin, getting out of a deteriorating situation quickly before your luck goes bad. Mitchell’s law reminds us, life is like a slippery piece of soap; if you think you have a good grip on it, you are wrong. Lucky people never go into a situation without knowing what they will do if, or when, it goes wrong. Perhaps Roman philosopher Seneca said it best, “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” In other words, we make our own luck.
Once upon a time, Charles Darwin said,” a man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” Today we might say, “if you don’t slow down, you are going to run yourself into the ground” or “take time to smell the roses.” Taking control, to find the middle ground of cherishing the time we have at 50 miles per hour, is today’s challenge.
There’s an expression “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Top chefs go one step further – “the way to every person's heart is through their stomach.” Our shinshiniot have come up with a really fabulous program that combines our love and appreciation of food with a way to keep the plights of the hostages in the forefront of our minds. On Wednesday November 20th at 6:00p.m.,and two weeks later, on December 4th at 6 pm, Noya and Hila will be preparing, with you, favourite meals of some of the hostages and sharing the hostages’ individual stories. This is a unique way to honour those still being held in the terror tunnels of Gaza. Please come out to support our Shinshiniot in this very meaningful way.
Community Buzz - November 10, 2024
On the same day that Rabbi Scheim wrote about the degeneration of social discourse (Nov 1), the Washington Post (WP) slashed its pricing for new readership from $100 to $30. Why? Likely because it reportedly lost 250,000 subscribers & counting, when Jeff Bezos decided that the WP would not publicly make a voting recommendation for the presidency. **The business rationale here seems obvious, but for us perhaps it begs a broader question, which is, when should community interests trump (no pun intended) personal interests or perspectives? We all know the famous quotation, erroneously credited to Albert Einstein, that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Recognizing when change is needed is step one, and actually implementing a remedy follows, but when that happens, community interests should come first, even when our own personal perspectives differ.
In acknowledging that change is almost always inevitable in many facets of our life, it is a segue to the announcement this week that Ian Borer, our Executive Director, has made a decision to enter a new facet of his life. Ian has been a steady anchor dealing with changing dynamics, different leadership and various boards. More will be said at a later date, but we wish to express our appreciation to Ian for his efforts over the past seven years. Moving forward, members understand the key role we need to fill of liaising and connecting with clergy, the board, members and the office staff. We encourage all members to utilize their networks to market our vision of a vibrant community fulfilling Jewish and human needs across all demographics. Baila would love to hear from you if you have candidate suggestions.
The Buzz is written one week in advance, so the US election has yet to happen, but Eli Lake is a journalist who has studied Donald Trump's antics for a decade and documented his deliberate, unremorseful propensity to make baseless claims and utter blatant falsehoods such as "they’re eating the cats", "I’ll build a great wall, and Mexico will pay for it" and "it was the biggest inauguration crowd ever." Over time, Trump has "woven" made up stories and innuendos, mixed with questionable statistics which have been accepted as his norms. Rather than destroying his credibility, this accumulation of misinformation has somehow made them more believable to many. Lake actually suggests his ability to do this has given him a "superpower" of persuasion. Imagine a society where falsehoods beget belief. But for anyone who uses the Bible as a guide to living, Exodus is explicit: keep away from falsehood. A Yiddish proverb even teaches "a half-truth is a whole lie." M. Hirsh Goldberg, author of The Book of Lies, established National Honesty Day in the early 1990s which is supposedly celebrated every year in the US on April 30. Its sad to think we need a day to celebrate truth.
For those who enjoy Jon Stewart, he recently observed, ”a lie travels eight times faster than the truth, but that means that the truth has to work nine or ten times harder than a lie. And lies are the thing that are most weaponized. The truth is rarely weaponized, but the lies sure are, because that’s what propaganda is.”
Community Buzz - November 3, 2024
During the Simhat Torah service large numbers of our members took advantage of the opportunity to have an Aliyah. Another tradition during this service are the honors of Hatan Torah, the last aliyah of the book of Deuteronomy; and Kallat Breishit, the first aliyah in Genesis. This affords us the opportunity to recognize significant contributors to our shul community; it was very appropriate to, this year, bestow these honours on Celia and Leonard Golberg, and on Rosalie & Avram Selick. If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, we encourage you to express your appreciation for their loyalty, devotion and efforts on behalf of the synagogue. It was Helen Keller who reminded us that “alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” A very heartfelt thank you to these members, and many others, who lead the way.
It is hard not to be influenced by fearmongering these days. It is rife south of the border and it can naturally lead to feelings of pessimism and declinism. But this is not new. As far back as 1922 T.S. Eliot posed the question whether “a civilisation that has been intellectually, emotionally and spiritually corrupted is capable of redemption.” Our southern neighbours are about to make some decisions about their future, but what about our future? At Simhat Torah, we learn that Moses’ time has come and Joshua is being charged with leadership for a new beginning; the Lord urges Joshua to move forward as a man of action and contemplation. Genesis is a time of creation, and as we read about new beginnings, we have our own road map to follow of action with piety. It’s been said,” either you control your destiny, or your destiny will control you.” The choice is clearly ours.
It is not uncommon for consultants to take an established business practice, make a tweak or two, and rename it. Relational Investor is a new term and is a variation on what is commonly known as networking i.e. the process of making connections and building relationships that can sometimes provide career advice and contacts. Apparently, in 2014, researchers including the University of Toronto, discovered that when people built relationships for selfish pursuits it left them feeling psychologically dirty. They were “takers,” with little intent to build that relationship. Contrast that with a paradigm shift in thinking and the term Relational Investor. Daniel Hallak, who introduced this term, suggests it's not a self-serving transaction, extracting value; rather it’s about building meaningful, generous and mutually beneficial relationships, looking for ways to serve other people, even if they are the ones who are helping you. Perhaps it underscores that any flourishing relationship is built from what I can give, not what I can get.
We are looking for 2 host families for Hila and Noya, our lovely Shinshiniot. The hosting period is from the end of January until mid-June when the Shinshiniot leave for overnight summer camp. Hosting a Shinshin is a truly wonderful opportunity and experience. Empty nesters are also welcome to apply. For more information, please contact Karen Bernstein at karen@karian.ca
Thank you to all those who have reached out with clothing/boots for Hila and Noya who are in our community care. Your kindness is very much appreciated.
Community Buzz - October 27, 2024
From the recent Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, followed by the University of Toronto (& others), you might recall that some students that were interviewed were not actually aware of the events of October 7th, let alone whether their protestations were antisemitic or anti-Zionist. We all likely have our own legitimate views of Israeli policies, but that’s quite different from outright antisemitic sentiments. Suffice to say, this topic is complex because it is influenced by societal, historical, and cultural contexts. That’s why Rabbi Scheim’s upcoming monthly study sessions, commencing on Sunday, November 3rd are so topical for this time in our history: “Zionism: From Tanakh to Today.” The first session is entitled “Anti-Zionism vs Antisemitism: Distinction without a difference?” All age groups are welcome.
If you weren’t able to join us this week, make sure you see the new me’il Torah cover designed to mark the first yahrzeit of October 7th. This beautiful me’il is one of 1600 identical ones created for synagogues around the world as part of the Simchat Torah Project, Dancing Through Tears. Our thanks to Janet and Jay Harris once again for sponsoring Beth David’s participation.
And can there be a better definition of community than what one Sukkot midrash taught us? Consider the symbolism of the etrog (learning & good deeds), the lulav (learning, but not good deeds), the myrtle (good deeds, but no learning), and the willow (no learning & no good deeds) - regardless of their symbolic meaning, all 4 come together to make up the whole; just as all of our members are different, together they make our community complete.
Winter woollies……… yes, that time of year is just around the corner. Perhaps as you ready your apparel for those cold wintry days, you can look for clothing that will help our two new shinshiniot Hila and Noya as they equip themselves to endure a winter with no past experience. If you have clothing that you are no longer using (coats, pants, hats, gloves, sweaters, long-sleeve t-shirts, boots etc) that you think might be appropriate, please email Karen Bernstein ( karen@karian.ca ) and she will be happy to coordinate. It would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Community Buzz - October 20, 2024
It was difficult not to notice the number of women participating in our High Holiday services, which as an egalitarian synagogue, Beth David is rightfully proud. Contrast this to a recent McKinsey study with a headlined title: Women in the Workplace: Parity for all women is almost 50 years away.” Albeit the study was based on corporate workplaces, the authors remarked, ‘if one thing is clear, it’s that deep, systemic change—which requires reshaping people’s mindsets and behaviors—is hard to achieve and does not follow a linear path.” Thanks to our insightful clergy team, women in our congregation have for a long time regularly stepped-up to make meaningful contributions to our services.
Regular recipients of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks teachings may have recently read: “Jews have never needed wealth to be rich, or power to be strong. To be a Jew is to live for simple things: the love between husband and wife, the sacred bond between parents and children, the gift of community where we help others and others help us and where we learn that joy is doubled and grief halved by being shared. It is to learn and never stop seeking, to pray and never stop thanking, to do teshuva and never stop growing. In this lies the secret of joy.”
It’s not so long ago that a corporate career was often built on securing a university degree and “paying one’s dues.” So it might be a surprise to some that a Fast Company article states that 6 out of 10 companies surveyed have recently terminated Gen Z’ers (born between 1997 and 2012) and some are now even hesitant to hire university students. So why is this? The suggestion is that Gen Z’ers, in all aspects of their lives, have been encouraged to be their best, most authentic selves, and they see it as a right, to be exactly who they want to be and live how they want to live in every space they occupy. They don’t want to be bossed around, rather they want to be empowered and inspired. But Gen Z’ers also possess productive attributes like kindness and generosity, so the challenge for companies, and perhaps synagogues too, is finding the middle ground to effectively engage them.
Tobias Lutke, co-founded a company in Ottawa twenty years ago, that grew to become an incredibly successful $9.5%-billion company today. That company is Shopify Inc, which sells its e-commerce products in more than 170 countries today. Lutke has said, “ratcheting up ambition for a project is something that one has to do in a company in Canada.” He suggests ambition doesn’t come naturally to Canadians, and stunted ambition is a deficiency which inhibits potential success. Is it possible a lack of ambition not only impacts corporations, but synagogues too?
Community Buzz - October 13, 2024
Double, double…….. these may have been the words that greeted you when you entered the synagogue on Rosh Hosanah. The coffee bar was a wonderful gathering post for members to greet and converse with each other before experiencing the varied services best suited to them. The clergy team were inspiring and laid the foundation for a packed congregation to reflect and commit to the challenges of a new year.
As this is the time of year when we reflect upon our lives, have you ever thought to write your own obituary? The suggestion appeared in a NY Times article recently and although it might seem somewhat morbid, it perhaps forces one to reflect upon one’s life and provide personal clarity. It is not so much about career and title, as impressive as that might be, but a chance to reflect on “who one is” as a person. An immediate benefit of course is that if one finds something lacking in themself, or perhaps not being the best version of themself, one still has time to rectify things, or re-calibrate as Rabbi Jordan would say. If it became a periodic exercise, one can also assess progress along life’s journey.
Since we added the “Buzz” to the weekly E&O, we have taken the opportunity to highlight the four members of our terrific clergy team. Baila Lubek is our new president, but with over 60 years as a member, “new” is hardly appropriate since she has been deeply immersed in Beth David life, handling many volunteer roles in that time. She worked as a psychoeducational consultant with the Toronto District School Board, with a focus on Jewish education and in her community involvement, she has undertaken roles as chair of education, committees, Board Chair and President of Tanenbaum CHAT and chair of the Board of Jewish Education UJA. In addressing the congregation on Rosh Hosanah, she reminded us to treasure our rich heritage, confident that as we celebrate our 70 year history in 2025, we too can overcome the challenges that lie ahead, just as our predecessors did. Finding the balance between tradition and modernity, between continuity and change, will be part of that journey.
Many of you familiar with the corporate world, past or present, are familiar with the term “onboarding.” In simple terms, this is the process to orientate new employees in an organization. If done well, new employees feel welcome and quickly become accustomed to the culture. It won’t surprise you perhaps that results of a recent study revealed that those who experienced a terrible onboarding process, regretted joining the company, quickly developed a negative outlook and told others of their disappointment. So with this in mind, we are thrilled to welcome a large number of new members/families to Beth David. Given how important first impressions are, if we as members notice a new face(s), let’s not be shy. Please introduce yourself, show the new members around, make sure they are aware of all that’s happening and re-inforce why joining Beth David was such a good choice.
Community Buzz - October 6, 2024
Of the many interesting comments made by Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General of Ontario & MPP for York Centre, inclusivity was a key theme in his derasha and the Q&A period after the kiddish. As the only Jew in the current Ontario legislature and in a time of increased antisemitism, there is little doubting his commitment to his Jewish roots, but he reiterated that in his day-to-day dealings across the province, he is dedicated to fairness for all Ontarians. This inclusivity intertwines with Michael Rubin’s message that as the Children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, it’s success would be “a multi-generational endeavour, one that relies on the efforts and dedication of those from all gender identities, professions, and tribal background.” Embracing diversity based upon common purpose and values is a worthy ideal to strive for.
As part of our outstanding clergy team, many of you know that Michael Rubin has been our longstanding Ritual Director since 2004 (now known as Director of Engagement, Education & Ritual). Michael’s roots run deep in Beth David since his parents were active members in the early years of our existence. He has a varied career both in Canada, but also many years in Israel. A fuller description of his experiences appear on our website. One of Michael’s greatest pleasures is sharing what he has learned in his life and a proud record of teaching about 350 students over those 20 years as they prepare for adulthood.
Remember the 3R’s from the Reflection & Renewal program?Reflection (in the story told, the Rabbi accepted that he wasn’t perfect), Repentance (acknowledging our failings and wanting to change), and Renewal (committing the energy to be better going forward).
This week we’ll participate in the Yizkor service and our minds will focus on the memories of those we have loved and cherished in our lives. Rabbi Jordan reminded us recently that even though those lives have since passed, all those things we cherished in them can actually come alive in our hearts and minds if we focus on those virtues and try to emulate them. Just as all the memorial lights will be turned on, may those virtues also shine in us too.
Community Buzz - September 29, 2024
Would it surprise you that over 40% of Fortune 500 companies employ mindfulness practices to help employees train their minds to improve concentration on their tasks. Many consider it a workout to build focus muscles, so particularly helpful to those of us who have wandering minds, even at shul. At Beth David we have recently welcomed Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell as part of our tremendous clergy team and he is considered an international leader in Jewish mindfulness and spiritual practice. A native Chicagoan, Jordan was ordained as a Rabbi in 2008, and in 2014 he was awarded the Covenant Foundation Pomegranate Prize that recognized his promise and impact as an emerging young Jewish educator. In addition to his work with us now, he is a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Join him at 9:00a.m. on Rosh Hashanah on Thursday October 3rd for a meditation service in the Chapel as we prepare to focus our thoughts on the services.
As part of the Simcha Torah Project which Beth David is participating in, we shall be receiving a new me’il (Torah cover), designed to mark the first yahrzeit of October 7th. This me’il will be identical to the ones which will be created for 1600 synagogues around the world. This beautifully designed me’il will proclaim that this Torah is dedicated to the memory of the 1200 souls and the many soldiers and hostages who have since died, Al Kiddush Hashem.
It’s been said that “through learning, we gain the tools to build a better world, highlighting the true importance of education in every aspect of life,” and if you’ve been in Beth David during the week, you will see and hear a hive of activity. Our partners MJDS are in growth mode. With Government grants and other monies, MJDS have already modified some classrooms in the school to accommodate more children. Together with Beth David space that is minimally used during the week, elementary and middle school children are optimizing on the space we have. Working together, and with our member Jake Jesin as Chair of the Board/President of MJDS, we are excited to create these synergies.
We hope that you’ve recognized the volume of high-quality programming that has and is being carried out at Beth David. These programs are aligned to meet the current needs of our membership, but also to start to focus on how we shape the future of our community. There is unquestionably untapped potential throughout our membership who share our values and our vision for a thriving community. Please consider lending us a hand.
Thu, December 5 2024
4 Kislev 5785
Today's Calendar
Shaharit : 7:30am |
Minha/Ma'ariv : 7:00pm |
Tomorrow's Calendar
Shaharit : 7:30am |
Candle Lighting : 4:23pm |
This Shabbat
This week's Torah portion is Parshat Vayetzei
Shabbat, Dec 7 |
Candle Lighting
Friday, Dec 6, 4:23pm |
Havdalah
Motzei Shabbat, Dec 7, 5:23pm |
Contact Us
Beth David B'nai Israel Beth Am
55 Yeomans Road
Toronto, ON M3H 3J7
P 416.633.5500
F 416.633.1740
Privacy Settings | Privacy Policy | Member Terms
©2024 All rights reserved. Find out more about ShulCloud