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ARTICLES, FLYERS, EVENT INFORMATION AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW



Read about current events, articles on happenings around the congregation. To submit your article, please e-mail admin@kolami.ca

Response to Islamophobia, Hate and the Tragedy in London, Ontario

At Kol Ami, we are horrified by the tragic hate crime in London, Ontario that took the lives of four members of a Muslim family, and seriously injured a young child. Islamophobia exists in this country and we cannot stand by idly. At this time, we join Jewish Canadians across the country in solidarity with our Muslim friends and neighbours in the face of this hateful attack. 

The Muslim and Jewish communities in Canada share a very sad experience: we are the most frequent victims of religious-based hatred. We offer our partnership to the Muslim Canadian community in the continued project of vanquishing Islamophobia, antisemitism and hatred in all its forms. We stand with you, because an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.

CIJA - The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

CIJA - The Centre for Israel and Jewish AffairsCIJA - The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

Community statement on antisemitism in Canada - CIJA - The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

More than 200 Jewish organizations from across Canada issued an urgent appeal to our fellow Canadians: Please stand with your Jewish neighbours in the face of rising antisemitism. 

Written by Terri Boidman

Est. reading time 1 minute

statement of Support for Indigenous Children 

June 3, 2021 Board response to Indigenous missing children

Last week we heard about the horrific discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous residential school children in a mass grave near Kamloops,B.C.

This was shocking across the land but to Indigenous residential school survivors and their descendants it was no surprise. For decades they have been repeating their stories of the atrocities that occurred in residential schools and discrimination of First Nations people.

We were told of incidents of the RCMP forcibly removing children from Indigenous homes and sending them to schools far from their families where they were physically beaten if they spoke their native language and many died from disease and malnutrition. We can expect to find many more mass graves, as former Indigenous retired Senator and Justice Murray Sinclair.estimates that 25,000 children died in residential schools.

The stories and pleas of the Indigenous people have been received with indifference or disbelief by the general public and our elected officials.

As Jews, we know too well the suffering of the Indigenous people, as many of our parents or grandparents came to Canada to escape the persecution in Europe and lost many of their family in death camps or pogroms.

We say Kaddish every Shabbat morning for the Jews who have died in the holocaust in nameless graves and every November we listen to speakers during Holocaust Week. Recently, a Kol Ami family from the former Soviet Union celebrated the first bar mitzvah in over three generations because they grew up in a country where study of Torah was unlawful.

At Kol Ami, we stand by the Indigenous people and will continue to invite them to our congregation to listen and learn from them, share our experiences, build relationships, and give them the dignity that they deserve.

President's Message

Dana Glickman

I’ve now had the honour of my role as President of Kol Ami for about 8 months…

Here’s what I have learned so far:

You like to learn, sing, laugh, hug, support, eat, pray, and love; not necessarily in that order.

I have had the pleasure of running into some of you occasionally and some of you more often. There are members who attend weekly Torah Study and there are Members who show up once a month (maybe) to a Rock Shabbat Service.

Have you looked at the Kol Ami Calendar to see what is going on for March and April? https://www.kolami.ca/calendar

Besides the usual Shabbat Services, Adult Torah Study, Hebrew, B’nai Mitzvah & Talmud Classes:

Sushi & Study on March 5th

Purm Shpeil & Carnival on March 9th

Challah Cover Making on March 25th

Book Club on March 26th

Paint Nite on April 2nd

Family Bowling on April 4th

2nd night Passover Sedar April 9th

Coffee House May 2nd

AND more Events and Volunteer opportunities will be popping up!

So, what’s missing from your Kol Ami Community? What would you like to see happening at Kol Ami that isn’t already here? Would you like to help plan something? We are always looking for ideas and feedback.

This is your home away from home. Your safe place. Your sanctuary. Your community. In the building or out. We are here for you in happy times and in times of need. All you have to do is show up, reach out, join in and get involved.

I can’t wait to see you at the Purim Shpeil and Carnival on March 9th ! It’s going to be a fantastic evening and you don’t want to miss it!!!

B’Shalom,

Dana

President's Message

Dana Glickman

Have you heard? Liberation 75 is coming to Toronto!

https://www.liberation75.org/

Holocaust Memorial Stories are emerging all over Social Media.

Here are a few that have caught my eye:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7919877/Prince-Charles-warn-hatred-intolerance-lurk-human-heart-Holocaust-memorial.html?fbclid=IwAR0U9lpO-uZT8cjzOXSesoTzU9mIXVEgs0QblCPL2jNkG-xsyG18hCYH_ts

https://greece.greekreporter.com/2019/11/04/92-year-old-greek-heroine-meets-jewish-family-she-helped-save-during-holocaust/?fbclid=IwAR32J07X0Ymv1a2lgXvSoLKOoj9SE-dV-84vb6bH7Vf7lWZvTiK7LEsKD9o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6kka-wOcfo

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-holocaust-survivor-reunited-with-the-baby-he-saved-from-nazis-when-he-was-just-a-child

----------------------------------

On another note:

Are you experiencing the February Blues?

There is a cure for that - Music! (& of course, Chocolate)

TKA has the antidote with upcoming Shabbat Shira, Rock Shabbat, & "ABBA" Purim Celebrations!

If you are seeking something a little lower key there's Sushi & Study, Talmud Study, and Torah Study.

www.kolami.ca/calender for all the info.

See you soon and we'll indulge in some chocolate together.

B'Shalom,

Dana

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

 

We Jews are a very special people. We get to look back and reflect not once but twice a year.

During Elul, the last month of the Jewish year prior to Rosh Hashanah, we spiritually prepare for the High Holiday season with reflection and repentance. Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and personal stock-taking, known in Hebrew as cheshbon hanefesh - literally “an accounting of the soul.” Then again when the Gregorian calendar changes on December 31st/January 1st we repeat the season of reflection and repentance. 

Two opportunities to take inventory of our lives, evaluate what went well (what didn't) and consider what we'd do differently. Two opportunities to think about what's missing from our neshamah, our soul. Unlike the pause we take at Shabbat (most welcomed), to stop and consider the people in our lives and how we live day-to-day. 

Personally, I don't like New Years resolutions. I'd rather to look back and assess my year - my time with loved ones, work, volunteer commitments and my personal time. I want to reflect back and feel whole. That doesn't always happen.   

In this day and age of over-commitment it’s far too easy to find ourselves overstimulated and overwhelmed. This year instead of making a list of things we have intentions of following through with but not fulfill ie: resolutions, why not make a shorter list of things to give up in exchange for more happiness?

I repeatedly read that happiness is a choice. It’s a shame that most of us complicate our lives to the point that we can’t see it when it’s in plain sight. 

So how do we reset? Here’s a list of 10 things you can give up in exchange for happiness. (borrowed & tweaked from online)

1. Give up control. Learn to let go, plain and simple. Learn to embrace the new and welcome change. After all, a definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

2. Give up caring what other people think of you. Spending time worrying about what others think of you is a waste of energy. It’s impossible to please everyone and once you let go of the need to know what others think of you it's really quite freeing. 

3. Give up trying to please everyone. You’ll naturally attract the people who are supposed to surround you when you are truly being the best version of you that you can be.

4. Let go of insecurity. There is only one version of you. Hold your head up high. Own it. Absolutely stop worrying about it. No one really watches us that closely or cares as much as we think they do.

5. Quit worrying. Worry is investing time and energy into something we don’t want to have happen. Learn to let go and trust.

6. Don’t participate in gossip. Those sharing gossip with you will gossip about you. Choosing to believe personal or sensational facts that have not been confirmed is naive.

7. Give up the past. We’ve all been hurt. We’ve all made mistakes. Every experience in life has taught you something or made you stronger.

8. Give up anger. Anger only hurts the person holding onto it. Let it go for good.

9. Give up spending money on what you’d don’t need in effort to buy happiness. We complicate our lives by spending too much money and filling our homes with “things”. Save your money. Exchange “things” for experiences. Less is more.

10. Stop taking everything personally. Most people are too consumed with themselves to really notice what you’re doing. Most people’s reactions have nothing to do with you.

I wish for you to fill your neshamah, be happy and look back and feel whole.

 

L'shalom and healthy 2020!

Dana, Nathan, Samantha & Tanner

 

January Message from the Director of Family Learning and Engagement

 

 

School

I want to let you know about the exciting things we have coming up in our school in the new year. 

 

Progress Reports January 31: This will give you an idea of how your child is performing within the program.

 

Full School Prayers and Pizza: February 8, March 28, May 9

 

Rikudiyah (Israeli folk dancing) will start January 11 and is open to grade 3-6 students. 

 

Is your child interested in participating in the Rikudiyah dance festival taking place on Sunday March 29 at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre. Rikudiyah, the Israeli Folk Dancing Festival of Jewish Day and Supplementary Schools, is one of the key cultural events of the Jewish educational calendar. The festival celebrates Israeli music and dance and introduces these vibrant cultural arts to Toronto's Jewish children. 

 

Your children would participate in 1/2 hour rehearsals with Maya Cohen during religious school on Saturday mornings from January to March in preparation for the festival on March 29th. 

 

Community

Please look for these upcoming announcements for events: 

 

Challah Covers: We had so much positive feed back about our Tallit making, we will be hosting an adult evening with Miriam Sharpe, for making hand painted Challa Covers in the new year.

 

Paint night: An adult evening out of creativity and socializing

 

Family Bowling: A fun Sunday of bowling with family and friends


 

President's Message

Can you believe that Chanukah is just a few short weeks away? Have you started your shopping yet?  What are your family traditions? Do you light the menorah & sing songs? Do you play the dreidel game with pennies, pretzels, chocolate coins or actual gelt? Do you make latkas in your kitchen and stink up the whole house or apartment?  Or have you gotten clever and take the production outside using the BBQ and plug-in Electric Burner or Hot Plate? Whatever your family traditions are I’m sure they are just as fun as mine. One of my favourite Chanukah traditions is when we get together for dinner and play the Chanukah Harry Exchange Game.  Everyone brings a wrapped gift valued at $25.00 (we change the value every year). All the gifts get placed in the middle of the room. There are numbers written on little pieces of paper and everyone draws one out of the hat. The person who drew number 1 gets to pick the first gift. Person 2 gets to either take the gift from the first person OR take an unwrapped gift.  If they take the gift from the first person then the first person gets to pick another gift. Next is person 3-they can either take the gift from number 1 or gift from number 2 or an unwrapped gift. This goes on and on until everyone has a gift in their hands. We had to instill a rule that a gift could only get stolen 3 times otherwise we’d never end. It’s a lot of fun and people are getting rather creative with their gifts!  Plus, it’s kind of nice to give and receive something on Chanukah as an adult. Why should the kids have all the fun?

Speaking of fun...

Have you ever been to the “Night of 1000 Candles at Kol Ami? What a beautiful & mesmerizing experience!  AND this year we are having it on Shabbat! 

Mark your calendars, Friday December 27 at 6:30pm.  See you there!

Wishing you & your loved ones a happy & healthy Chanukah & 2020!

L’Shalom,

Dana, Nathan, Samantha & Tanner

 

Educator's Corner

Chanukah traditions create positive memories for children and help bond us to those we love. There is a reason we intentionally maintain and create traditions. They bring meaning to our celebrations and help bond us to those we love. They lend a nurturing connection, giving us a sense of belonging. Children crave the warmth and promise that comes with familiarity. All families can find ways to create little things that everyone looks forward to doing (i.e., lighting menorah and singing, eating special food, etc). Holiday traditions tell children a story about who they are and what is important to their family by creating a feeling that they are a part of something special.


There are a lot of great things happening at Kol Ami. Please check out all our great happenings!

 

EDUCATOR’S CORNER

 

Strong Hebrew and Judaic teaching will always be central to Kol Ami and our Hebrew program expectations have remained the same, but it has become increasingly important that young people receive an educational experience that maximizes who they are as individuals and as a community. This occurs through communication, collaboration, empathy, and creativity. Our teachers have begun a three- part professional development series on Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) and we are working to incorporate these strategies.


 

SEL Chart

Self-awareness: Know your strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset.”

Self-management: Effectively manage stress, control impulses, and motivate yourself to set and achieve goals.

Social awareness: Understand the perspectives of others and empathize with them, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Relationship skills: Communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.

Responsible decision-making: Make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety, and social norms.

CASEL 2107

 

Upcoming Events:

November 2: TAKAY -  Movie 

November 8: Grade 5/6 Rock Shabbat

November 16: NFTY Grade 6-8 

We need volunteers for:
* Rikudiyah 

* Snack Shopping

Please let me know if you are interested

 

TAKAY Goes to the Movies

 

 

PJ Our Way Event

Get to know the author behind the books your kids know and love!

 

Sunday November 24, 2019

1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Prosserman JCC, 4600 Bathurst Street, Toronto

 

Cost: $5

All proceeds will go to the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre

This program is appropriate for kids aged 8 and up.


Click here for more information and to register.

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784