We are pleased to again present some AWEsome programs during the Days of Awe, Yamim Noraim ימים נוראים in-person at the MNJCC on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
CHANTING IN SACRED COMMUNITY
with Alon Nashman
9:00 - 10:00 am at the MNJCC on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur Day
Chanting is a way of tuning the soul in preparation for the High Holidays. We will sit in song and silence as a spiritual ablution, to open ourselves to the divine, and to compose ourselves spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Participants are asked to arrive on time, as we can build more energy when we share the entire experience in sacred community.
Alon Nashman is an actor and creator of theatre. His work has toured across Canada and internationally and includes Kafka and Son, Scorched, Alphonse, Hirsch, and Charlotte: A Tri-Coloured Play with Music. Alon is a student of Rabbi Shefa Gold and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z”l, who have guided him in the ways of Jewish chant.
HIGH HOLIDAY ADULT LEARNING
with Dr. Greg Beiles and Rabbi Miriam Margles
10:00 - 11:00 am at the MNJCC on both days of Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah – Dr. Greg Beiles: “Let Truth Spring From the Ground”: Meditations on Creation at a Time of Conflict
Jewish tradition holds that Rosh Hashanah commemorates the Creation of Ha'Adam -- the first Human Being. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel writes that “earth is our sister”, and that humanity and nature were co-created, as siblings. At a time when humanity is struggling and in such conflict what truths might we learn from our twin-sister, the earth? On the two days of Rosh Hashanah we will explore this question through diverse sources from Torah, Talmud, midrash, as well as modern Hebrew poetry and song. Please note: answers will not be provided. We will read, query and learn together. Yom Kippur – Rabbi Miriam Margles: Are You Really that Angry? Obstacles to Forgiveness in the Book of Jonah
The Book of Jonah, read on Yom Kippur afternoon, is a story of teshuvah (repentance/ returning), of Divine forgiveness, and of human resistance to it. In this session, we will explore Jonah’s reactions of fear, self-righteousness, despair and anger, examining how they function as obstacles to the process of growth and change. We’ll reflect on ways in which Jonah’s reactions might resonate with our own struggles to forgive others and ourselves, and we will engage with Jewish antidotes, teachings and practices of the High Holidays, designed to help us transform fear and anger into compassion, insight and healing.One Year Later: What Have We Learned?: A Conversation between Rabbi Ed and Ambassador Jon Allen
3:30 pm at the MNJCC on Yom Kippur afternoon
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the horrific October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, we are looking back on a period of time like no other in our lifetimes. The war which Israel launched in response to the attack has taken a terrible toll and the impact has been felt around the world, including right here in Canada.
Jon Allen was Canada’s ambassador to Israel from 2006-2010. He is a member of our downtown Jewish community, and after his retirement from the Foreign Service he has been active in coexistence work, most recently with Project Rozana, an organization which promotes cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians in the field of healthcare.
Sat, December 21 2024 20 Kislev 5785