High Holy Days 2014 (5775)
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Sat. Sept. 20 – Selichot
- Service – 9:00 p.m.
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Wed. Sept 24 – Erev Rosh Hashanah
- First Service – 6:00 p.m.
- Family Service – 6:00 p.m.
- Second Service – 8:30 p.m.
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Thurs. Sept. 25 – First Day Rosh Hashanah
- First Service – 8:30 a.m.
- Early Family Service – 9:00 a.m.
- Second Service – 11:30 a.m.
- Late Family Service – 11:30 a.m.
- Little Blossoms Service – 3:30 p.m.
(for children five and younger) - Young Readers Service – 3:30 p.m.
(for children six through eight)
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Fri. Sept. 26 – Second Day Rosh Hashanah
- Service – 10:00 a.m.
- Family Service – 11:00 a.m. *NEW this year*
- Tashlich – 4:00 p.m. (Cedarvale Park, entrance at Markdale)
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Sun. Sept. 28 – Kever Avot—Remembering our Loved Ones
- Brimley Road Cemetery (66 Brimley Rd, Toronto, ON) – 11:00 a.m.
See below for more details
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Fri. Oct. 3 – Kol Nidre
- First Service – 6:00 p.m.
- Family Service – 6:00 p.m.
- Second Service – 9:00 p.m.
- Teen Service – 9:00 p.m.
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Sat. Oct. 4 – Yom Kippur
- Early Family Service – 9:00 a.m.
- Morning Service – 10:00 a.m.
- Generation Aleph Service – 11:00 a.m. (for 20 & 30’s)
- Late Family Service – 11:30 a.m.
- Multiple Study Sessions – 1:30 p.m.
- Little Blossoms Service – 2:00 p.m.
(for children five and younger) - Young Readers Service – 2:00 p.m.
(for children six through eight) - Afternoon, Yizkor, and Neilah Services – 3:30 p.m.
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Sunday, September 28, 2014
11:00 a.m.
Brimley Road Cemetery
This year at Holy Blossom we are going to institute the traditional practice of visiting the graves of our loved ones during the High Holy Day season. This practice is called Kever Avot, and we will be holding this communal service at our historic Brimley Road cemetery. Kaddish the memorial prayer El Maleh Rachamim will be recited along with other prayers of remembrance and comfort. Mishkan Moeid: A Guide to the Jewish Seasons, a book about Reform Jewish practice, comments on Kever Avot, “Through these vistas, links to the preceding generations are reinforced and by contemplating the virtues of the deceased and their devotion to faith and people, we find strength and inspiration.”
In today’s culture of worshiping whatever is new and novel, revering those who came before us can be seen as counter cultural. Honoring the fact that the lives we live now are because of what they gave to us is a very Jewish impulse. I would not be the rabbi, Jew, or person I am today without memories of my grandparents’ wisdom, mentchlichkeit, and yiddishkeit living within me. As I work on the task of repentance and renewal this High Holy Day season, I will be guided by my loved ones who are no longer here with me.
The prayerbook On the Doorposts of Your House has a beautiful prayer to be said at the grave of a loved one that, I think, truly captures the intent of Kever Avot:
To this sacred place I come, drawn by the eternal ties that bind my soul to yours. Death has separated us. You are no longer at my side to share the beauty of the passing moment. I cannot look to you to lighten my burdens, to lend me your strength, your counsel, your faith. And yet what you mean to me neither withers nor fades. For a time we touched hands and hearts; still your voice abides within me, still your tender glance remains a joy to me. For you are part of me forever; something of you has become a deathless song on my lips. And so beyond the ache that tells how much I miss you, a deeper thought compels: we were together. I hold you still in mind, and give thanks for life and love. The happiness that was, the memories that do not fade, are a gift that cannot be lost. You continue to bless my days and years. I will always give thanks for you.
We are now in Elul, the month of preparation for the High Holy Days. It is a time of renewal in our Jewish year and for our Temple. The High Holy Days are also a time of return. We try to return to our truer selves. Paying homage to our loved ones of the past can help us on this journey of return.
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Saturday, October 4, 2014
Tenth of Tishrei, 5775
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents (Youth Chapel, 3rd floor)
with Mark Sakamoto, lawyer, musician, national political advisor, entrépreneur, and media maven. Mark has recently published a family memoir about two Canadian families torn apart by World War II and put back together by their capacity to forgive. Moderated by Michael Levine.
“Are You Really So Angry?” (Board Room 1st floor)
Humour and Humanity in The Book of Jonah
with Dr. Adam Sol, Professor of English Literature at Laurentian University and award-winning author of four books of poetry, including Complicity.
How I See It (Eisendrath Auditorium, 2nd floor)
with Evan Solomon, writer and host of CBC’s ”Power & Politics” and CBC Radio’s ”The House.”It’s been a painful summer for Israel and World Jewry. What have we learned? What have we lost? Where can hope be found?
A Meditation Study on The Thirteen Attributes of God (Philip Smith Foyer, lower level)
with Cheryl Sylvester, a professional Leadership Coach and student of Jewish meditation for more than ten years. This experiential learning will include text study as well as silence, melody, and guided meditation.
What We Don’t Talk About When We Don’t Talk about Israel (Sisterhood Library, 1st floor)
with Eran Shafir, Shaliach for the Jewish Agency for Israel. All are welcome, but this session is especially geared for those in their 20s and 30s. Social media and social life can make talking about Israel… complicated. In a safe setting and on this holy day, let’s find the lines of connection.
Renewal of Space and Spirit : A Self-Guided Tour of Holy Blossom Temple Past, Present, and FUTURE! (1st station by elevator on 1st floor)
Discover some of our best stories and catch a glimpse of the future our Renewal Project will bring. Follow the blue line to visit all ten stations throughout our building – inside and out. Each stop along the way speaks to a core Jewish value, expressed in mortar and brick, glass and steel.
Private Prayer and Study
Enjoy the quiet setting of the Main Sanctuary for your own contemplation.
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[ahs_brownbox title=”High Holy Day Security”]
As we approach the busiest time of the year at Temple, we want to assure you that your safety is our highest priority. Working with local law enforcement authorities and with the cooperation and assistance provided by the Director of National Community Security at CIJA (Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs), we have designed an in-house security plan that has been endorsed by both organizations. You will see visible security at all entrances, in the parking lots, and throughout the building. Additionally, a number of plain clothes personnel will also be on-site, both inside and out. All of our security personnel have received appropriate instructions and operate under the direction of our Facility Manager, Jim Westcott. Should you have any comments or suggestions, please share them with any of the staff and volunteers who are wearing red flowers.
The authorities encouraged us to continue our custom of checking bags as you enter Temple. Please present your bag to the guard so that he or she can give it a quick check. In order to make for an orderly flow in (and, of course, out) of the building, please help us by leaving extra large bags such as knapsacks and briefcases, at home. Thank you for your cooperation.
Shana Tovah to all!
Russ Joseph,
Executive Director
rjoseph@holyblossom.org
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