Do You Have Your Lulav & Etrog?

Order deadline: August 31 — Dear Friends, “Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, begins on September 24, 2018.  As in past years, we will place orders for Lulav and Etrog sets on behalf of those congregants who wish to purchase these ritual items. We are pleased to have Israel’s The Judaica Centre (www.israelsjudaica.com) as our supplier this year.
Prices: Regular Set $75 Enhanced Set $85
To purchase a set, submit your order including payment to the synagogue office. If paying by credit card (VISA/Mastercard) you may do so by phone (250-382-0615) during office hours (Tuesday to Thursday 9:30 am to 2:30 pm). All orders must be received and pre-paid no later than August 31.

Wishing you and your family a Shanah Tovah U’Metukah – A Healthy and Sweet New Year!”
Religious Services Committee
Kehillat Kodesh Emanu-El

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High Holy Days 2018/5779 Service Schedule

Here is the Congregation Emanu-El service schedule for the upcoming High Holy Days. May you and yours be inscribed for a healthy, peaceful, and sweet New Year ahead!!

Emergency Capital Campaign

Dear Ones,

Our synagogue needs your help. We have been blessed and lucky that our new building, the Fisher Educational and Cultural Building, has offered us incredible program space and allowed our congregation to grow both in numbers and in educational, spiritual, cultural and recreational activities. We are a dynamic flourishing community learning to successfully navigate space issues without compromising the quality of the programs we deliver to a diverse and growing congregational family. However, after 15 years of use our “new” building shows dramatic signs of wear and tear and, in some crucial places, systems breakdown. We have multiple building issues that must be fixed now. They are as follows:

Bēma stages “Kalamazoo” at Victoria Fringe

August 23 – 29, 2018 — Bēma Productions is thrilled to present their fourth Victoria Fringe Festival production, the comedy “Kalamazoo” by Michelle Kholos Brooks and Kelly Younger, directed by Zelda Dean and performed by Angela Henry and Ira Shorr.  All performances take place at Congregation Emanu-El Synagogue, 1461 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2J3.

• Thursday, August 23 – 7 pm
• Sunday, August 26 – 2 pm
• Monday, August 27 – 7 pm
• Tuesday, August 28 – 7 pm
• Wednesday, August 29 – 7 pm
• Thursday, August 30 – 7 pm

TICKETS: $11 each available online from August 1 at victoriafringe.com or ticketrocket.co or in person at Ticket Rocket Lounge: 10 am–5 pm Monday to Friday at 101–804 Broughton (across from the Royal Theatre), Fringe HQ: noon–7 pm daily starting August 21 at 2–1609 Blanshard (at Fisgard, across from Romeo’s), or at the door.

Kalamazoo offers a refreshing take on a familiar story. Peg and Irv, two quirky but endearing baby-boomers, bravely venture into the world of modern dating. But when these opposites attract, they discover love isn’t any easier the second time around. What could sound like the pilot for a TV sit-com ends up touching you in ways you might not expect. Winner of the Riva Shiner Comedy Award, “Kalamazoo” is a romantic comedy about life’s second act and learning you’re never too old to be young.

“A disarming comedy that lets us laugh about growing older while addressing the very real hardships and heartaches that come when one spouse from a life-long marriage is suddenly left alone . . . the banter in this play is both hilarious and startlingly honest. It just rings true in ways that can be surprising and shocking, but always satisfying.” —Examiner.com.

“. . . a rich story about love at any age.” —EncoreMichigan.com.

“Bouts of riotous laughter . . . it’s hard to imagine a better show.” — Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana).

Emanu-El has a new website

After six months of development and testing, Congregation Emanu-El has a new website, courtesy of our former newsletter editor, Jonathan Stoppi. Designed with new webdesign software, it is mobile friendly so you don’t to have to go to your computer to check it out! For a full explanation of the changes, see the introductory document; to view the website, go to http://www.congregationemanuel.ca/.

Kudos, Jonathan and thank you for taking care of us!

Emanu-El Congregant Recognized as Health Care Hero

Dr. Ramm Hering, physician lead for primary-care substance use with Island Health, was awarded a 2018 Golden Apple in the Provincial Health Care Hero Category.  Ramm, his wife Carolyn and their children are active members of our congregation and Ramm is a member of the Hebrew School Parent Committee, his wife, Carolyn is  a Hebrew School teacher.

“By passionately and effectively advocating for improved services for patients dealing with substance use and addiction, Dr. Hering has inspired his colleagues to work together to develop new programs and create an efficient, client-centered system of addiction services”.

Mazel Tov to Dr. Hering! Read more…

Greater Victoria Acting Together (GVAT)

Wednesday July 18, at 7 pm — Join Rabbi Harry and others on Wednesday July 18, at 7 pm at the home of Ruthi Wicks for a GVAT Call-out and pilot listening session. Anyone interested in learning more about GVAT and/or joining the process of bringing about positive change in our community and beyond as described in the following paragraphs by Rabbi Harry is welcome.
“We live in a time of increasing polarization, anxiety and fear: a time when truth is subjective, and around the world the spectre of demagoguery rears its head. Leaders are unencumbered by facts: the most exposed and vulnerable of society are increasingly at risk.

We believe that the medicine for polarization and fear mongering is relationship building. In working for the common good we serve as partners with Divine Source to bring about tikkun olam. This is a powerful mode of resistance to demagogues.

Our congregation is a founding member of Greater Victoria Acting Together (GVAT), an alliance of faith communities, trade unions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community organizations joined together to build strength for affecting positive change in our city, our province and our world. GVAT is based on the traditions of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), a community organizing movement founded in 1940 in Chicago based on the ideology of the American community organizer and writer Saul Alinsky, founder of modern community organizing.

GVAT is about working together towards a reality that expresses shalom, equality, sustainability and compassion. GVAT believes that strong communities are made up of strong organizations wherein sister organizations lend expertise and support to one another. Involvement in GVAT is good for our congregation. It allows us to use our unique gifts to help other organizations and offers us organizational partners to call upon for power and guidance. GVAT principles hold that strength begins by listening and knowing your community.

A challenge for us as Jews: there are organizations and trade unions that hold ideas and stances that are abrasive and alienating for us as a Jewish organization. The world of social justice is currently not always a comfortable place for us as Jews. The hope is that by working together on shared values we can forge relationships, change hearts and make a positive difference.

We want to involve you in a listening campaign. We have had opportunities to hear from many congregants about what attaches ḥaverim (members) to Emanu-El. We have heard stories of what congregants love about our congregation and what has been tricky for members in our congregation. We have listened to congregants describe their own struggles as collectively we try to understand what are the crucial problems facing our greater community and the world. Before we tally up the data from our own listening, we want to hear from you!

Please come join us.”

Rabbi Harry