Shabbat Message - September 24, 2021

 

This message has 503 words and will take a little more than 2 minutes to read.

 

Throughout the past few weeks we have marked our holidays in ways that are familiar, comfortable, and rooted in tradition. Rarely do we have the opportunity to carve out meaningful ways to mark new days of importance, but that is exactly what we are doing for the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We will be bringing our staff together (virtually) to learn more about the experiences of Canada’s Indigenous peoples.
 
You can participate in National Truth and Reconciliation Week events here.
 
The Prairie Federal Council and the Canada School of Public Service’s virtual event is one of many ways to learn about the lived experiences of Residential School Survivors, communities, and the journey of truth and reconciliation. You can also download the Government of Canada’s Reconciliation: A Starting Point mobile app, visit the residential school timeline, learn about the history of residential schools and the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action, and more.
 
We have always accepted that we must mark the serious and solemn yet still leave room to celebrate the happy things.
 
Sukkot is a magical time, and Rachel and I have had the pleasure of hosting a number of meals and introducing Sukkot to people who are new to the holiday.  
 
I hope you’re having as much fun in your Sukkah as we are. If you don’t have one—or even if you do—there are some community celebrations in which you can take part, including these Sukkot events at the JCC this weekend.
 
Last night our young adults program, Axis, hosted a bar night at Tap and Barrel in Olympic Village that drew close to 60 people in their 20s and 30s. It’s wonderful to see so many of our young Jewish leaders come together after so many months apart. They have put a lot of thought into how they could gather safely. 
 
For future young adults, i.e. children from kindergarten to grade three, registration is now open for our JSprouts program. Specially designed to appeal to families whose children do not attend day school or supplementary school, JSprouts meets on Wednesday afternoons at the Circus Play Café and explores Jewish themes through arts and crafts.
 
When was the last time you did arts and crafts?
 
I’ll bet that either you were little or your kids were. Maybe the memory brings you back to enjoying the simple things in life and being grateful for them. Feeling and expressing gratitude can change your outlook and the way you think. In short, it can make you happier. And since we like to leave you with something positive before Shabbat, I invite you to watch Neil Pasricha’s famous TED Talk. Over the years, he has developed into one of the world’s leading authorities on intentional living, and we are very excited that he will present at our Community of AWESOME campaign event on October 3. That’s just a week away, so I hope you’ll register and join us.

Shabbat shalom and chag sameach.

 

Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer