I recently had a conversation with a group of young Israelis visiting Toronto for the first time. They will be staying in Canada for the High Holidays and we were having a discussion about how Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur are celebrated in Canada.

One of the most important differences I felt I should share with them is the difference in the climate. They needed to know that in all likelihood it is rather chilly over the High Holidays and they should be prepared. They asked me how people spend their time after synagogue and I mentioned large lunches, family time, time with friends and relaxation.

It was at that point that I heard about ‘Yom Ha-ophanayim’, or ‘Bicycle Day’ in Israel. During the High Holidays and particularly on Yom Kippur, most Israeli youth, whether religiously observant or not, refrain from driving and ride their bikes. The roads are filled with these young bike riders who gather at public squares to update each other on the events of the year and what they plan for the coming year. In my mind I pictured a dozen or so cyclists but I was quickly corrected. Apparently hundreds of them could gather together in larger communities.

What a wonderful way to commemorate the time of the Jewish year that commemorates the anniversary of the creation of nature!

Rachael Posted:

It is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the month before Rosh Hashannah on the Jewish calendar. Usually we hear about retrospective analysis that Elul invites – prep for High Holidays. What choices were good ones and what choices were not so good…who do we owe an apology to and for what specifically…what lead us to an inappropriate behaviour and how could I avoid it in the future?

…and we thought it was about dressing nicely and having a great feast!

And while all of the hard work I just described definitely forms part of Elul, so does a lovely subtle detail connected with the month. The letters themselves, aleph, lamed, vav, lamed, are seen as an acronym for the Hebrew verse: Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li which means ‘I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me.’ It is from the Song of Songs and is usually used connected with Jewish wedding ceremonies or invitations.

So what does this have to do with Elul? Here’s the beautiful subtle part. My relationship with God is parallel to my most intimate relationship with my Beloved. Just as I will take the good with the bad with someone I love, just as I have moments where I can’t wait to see this person and moments when I need a break, just as I know I can always depend on them – they have my back – and they know I would move heaven and earth for them, all of these things and more describe my intimate relationship with God. Before I am overwhelmed with the power of the High Holidays, Elul reminds me to first ground myself in the love and passion and trust I have used as the foundation for my relationship with God. Personally, I worry about Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur  - but I love Elul.

Elul – Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li – where honest reflection begins.

The High Holidays are a time of self-reflection and accountability. There are many people who do not know how to begin this process and for them the High Holidays can be a time of self-guilt, isolation, disconnection and family politics.

The question of self-reflection is addressed by Jewish text in a discussion on why the Torah was given in the wilderness. In fact, Pharaoh had offered Moses to worship God in Egypt and God rejected such an offer. The setting within which we begin to self-reflect is crucial to first steps. (more…)

The festival is in for a suprise as it falls in the middle of the High Holidays this year.

ARON Posted:

Every September, Hollywood meets in Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival, or the TIFF as it’s usually called. It seems this year there might be a real ‘tiff’ about it. The festival traditionally begins on the first Thursday after Labour Day and ends nine days later on a Saturday night. By pure unfortunate timing, it falls smack in the middle of the High Holidays.

I know that some of us joke that there is a large Jewish influence in Hollywood (and the anti-Zonists take that further and skew it for their antisemitic agenda) but there is some truth that there is definitely a Jewish presence in Hollywood. The fact that the media have started picking up on it tells you this festival will be different than the ones in years past.

Based on the calendar if you are observant, you’ll be missing four out of the ten days of the festival. What will you do if you are a top sponsor? (as so many Gold Sponsors are Jewish) What about the industry players and execs?

I’ll be curious to see how it affects the planning of the TIFF in the months to come. I am sure this is only the beginning.

Please take a look at my current article below from the Canadian Jewish News.

(more…)

Here we are, just barely after Yom Kippur and already I have an apology – I haven’t sat at the computer and blogged for a while – sorry.  I’m tempted to say I’ve been swamped but then here we would be, barely after Yom Kippur and not only do I have something to apologize for but I would also be offering excuses for it as well.

So I’ve decided to break my pattern and not offer excuses and maybe not offer the apology but to actually fix the situation and get back to blogging.

It’s Sukkot and the weather here is not great.  It’s rainy, cloudy, at times in the evening almost 0 degrees and during the day quite windy.  The Sukkah that my family builds every year is made of canvas walls with a metal frame.  Every year we worry about the wind and that our Sukkah will soon become airborne and bring the commandment into a whole new realm.  This year we decided not to build it since the winds were quite strong.  We are now relying on the Sukkah at the shul (made of wood) and the Jewish schools.  This year we are the ones visiting in the Sukkah.  From being the hosts we are now the ‘ushpizin’ – the guests.

Aside from the question of whether or not it’s polite to ask your Sukkah host if you can sit inside because you’re freezing and shivering and your teeth are chattering…the wonderful thing about Sukkot this year is that in not building our Sukkah we didn’t realize it, but we had forced a change in perspective.

It is difficult enough to be a guest in someone else’s home but being a guest in someone else’s hut has its own set of standards.  It is a total change in perspective and if anything, that is what I want to take away with me from Sukkot this year.

Barely after Yom Kippur and being the ‘ushpizin’ at Sukkot, I realize that it’s not just about breaking our routine patterns – it’s also about changing our perspectives.

Such a flimsy little hut with so much potential for personal growth…who knew?

In reflecting on the previous year last week, I thought about choices I had made, conversations I had been a part of and I thought towards the future year. In all of my thinking, I realized that I had originally made a poor decision not to go home for Rosh Hashanah.  This decision was quickly amended when I found some reasonably priced flights home.

Having eaten, prayed and spent time with family and friends for the duration of the 48 hour chag I have to say that it was one of the best decisions I have made in a while. Upon my arrival, my mom shared with me her “menus” for the 2 days of Rosh Hashanah. It was a site to behold.  This is one of the reasons, that going home for the holidays is the only way!

In addition to my Rosh Hashanah introspection, I decided that now is the time to gather all of my mom’s recipes to compile into a book. It’s the brisket and the chicken soup and the kugel that we love so much, yet none of us have attempted to learn the tricks of the trade.  There is more to learn than simply the procedure. I want the tips and pointers and what to look for in a brisket when I’m at the grocery store.  This cook book will not only be unique because will be a compilation of my mother’s recipes, but also because I’ll assemble it into a small 3 ring binder that will make it convenient to pull pages out for grocery shopping. My first project of 5770 is underway!   Shana Tova to all!

While Rabbis may not recommend this as an act that replaces Selichot, it certainly does cater to those who may not make it to synagogue for the real deal.  I found SORRY, SORRY, SORRY on the Tablet magazine
site.  There, you’ll find a phone number to call in your apology to whomever you choose. The editors of the magazine will choose one apology per day throughout the month of Elul and up until Yom Kippur to be featured on the page.  Check it out daily to keep up. Today’s features an apology to a dog.  Click here to read further.

I’m going to be honest with you. Until the global recession started, I didn’t really know what a recession was.  I mean, I knew the word recede and I had heard of previous recessions but I really didn’t understand its impact.  As the year unfolded, I became more aware of the implications among various industries. Auto sales were down, fast food sales were up.  More people were renting movies than taking small loans out to treat their family to a night at the movies.

When I received my weekly copy of the CJN this afternoon, I read about increased subsidy applications at Jewish Day Schools, slightly lower enrollment and I learned that religious participation whether in schools or at synagogues/churches/temples is one of the first to go when times are tough.  Check out this interesting article: Recession Gets Religion.

Maybe a keen web saavy developer should create an online repentance forum for those who won’t be making it to shul this year on Yom Kippur because of membership and ticket prices…