President’s Message: Kol Nidre 2023

by | Sep 27, 2023 | Essays

Shanah tova, everyone.  It’s great to see everyone here together this evening. Since there are so many people here, I will use this opportunity to give a brief overview of the most recent steps the rabbi search committee has taken: Following the advice from the...

Norm’s D’var: Earth Day Service

by | Apr 26, 2023 | Essays, SEAC

D’var: Parsha Tazria-Metzora – Earth Day: Apr 22/23 I’ve been asked to give a Mini-D’var today so I’ll try and be brief. The first part of the D’var is called The Challenge; which is to try and relate the topic of our parsha, a...

D’var from Carina’s Bat Mitzvah

by | Feb 1, 2023 | Essays

Moses is Judaism’s greatest action hero. He stands up to Pharaoh. He sinks the Egyptian chariots. He’s a teacher, a lawgiver, a philosopher, and a leader. My parashah, Shemot, gives us our hero’s origin story. But, if we really pay attention as we read it, we realize...

D’var from Sam’s Bar Mitzvah

by | Oct 26, 2022 | Essays

If you didn’t get a chance to hear Sam’s d’var for his Bar Mitzvah last week, you can read it below:   In the beginning. You’ve probably heard these words before. It’s how my Torah portion, and how the whole Torah, begins. After these words, we...

Why I want to be your rabbi…

by | Jul 27, 2020 | Essays

As I enter my Bat Mitzvah year with you, 13 years, I am thrilled to accept your offer to extend my commitment to Temple Shalom for another two years. I may physically live in Toronto, but my spiritual self resides in Waterloo with you! Here’s my 13 reasons why I want...