Growing Liberal Judaism in Israel
Shalom Chaverim,
Israel’s Reform movement has an excellent opportunity to establish a new synagogue and spread liberal Judaism in the centre of Israel, and they’ve almost succeeded.
The growing Reform community in Shoham (called Ve'Ahavta) is mainly native Israelis. They currently have a one-room temporary space. But it’s too small for events such as Bar/Bat Mitzvah, so they have to move those to alternate spaces.
Ve'Ahavta is a dynamic community
located in a temporary building too small for their needs
Now, the mayor of Shoham has offered prime land so the existing congregation can build a synagogue. In most towns the Haredi influence resists the building of Reform synagogues. But the mayor of Shoham wants the Reform community to build a synagogue and continue to grow!
Under the leadership of a wonderful Israeli Rabbi, Rinat Safania-Schwartz, the community has already raised most of the funding they need from donors within Israel. They need our help to get to the finish line to break ground. Can you help?
Rabbi Rinat Safania-Schwartz leads an egalitarian wedding
To donate to a synagogue for the Shoham Reform community, Ve'Ahavta, Click here (and type Shoham in the open field under Fund).
In this short video, Member of Knesset Rabbi Gilad Kariv explains the imperative to help Ve'Ahavta build a synagogue.
Artist view of the synagogue planned for V’Ahavta
Please let’s all do our part to help the Ve'Ahavta congregation go the last mile and build a synagogue. Click here to donate (Type Shoham in the open field under Fund.)
L’shalom,
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
Upcoming Events:
Israel and Zionism: From Crisis to Community
Saturday, August 15 – 8:30 AM ET
Temple Sinai, Toronto (or zoom)
How can Jews in the diaspora express a liberal Zionism that stays true to our Jewish values while upholding democratic principles?
Led by Rabbi Lawrence Englander, this special Chevrat Torah session will invite participants to engage thoughtfully with the challenges at the heart of contemporary Zionist discourse.
Register to attend in person or by zoom
Liberal Zionism: Between Crisis and Aspiration
Wednesdays, from Oct. 7 to Nov. 25
Temple Sinai, Toronto (or zoom)
Rabbi Englander will also teach an 8-week course from the iEngage program of the Shalom Hartman institute this fall, entitled “Liberal Zionism: Between Crisis and Aspiration”.
Click here to register for attendance in-person or by zoom.
https://templesinai.net/calendar/chevrat-torah-israel-zionism/
New podcast – Israeli Puzzle
Israeli Puzzle is a new podcast series offers insights into Israel and Israeli history. Its goal is to provide important information that isn’t widely known, in an entertaining format.
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Upcoming Events
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Israel and Zionism: From Crisis to Community
Saturday, August 15 – 8:30 AM ET
Temple Sinai, Toronto (or zoom)
How can Jews in the diaspora express a liberal Zionism that stays true to our Jewish values while upholding democratic principles?
Led by Rabbi Lawrence Englander, this special Chevrat Torah session will invite participants to engage thoughtfully with the challenges at the heart of contemporary Zionist discourse.
Register to attend in person or by zoom
Liberal Zionism: Between Crisis and Aspiration
Wednesdays, from Oct. 7 to Nov. 25
Temple Sinai, Toronto (or zoom)
Rabbi Englander will also teach an 8-week course from the iEngage program of the Shalom Hartman institute this fall, entitled “Liberal Zionism: Between Crisis and Aspiration”.
Click here to register for attendance in-person or by zoom.
https://templesinai.net/calendar/chevrat-torah-israel-zionism/
Podcasts
Miriam Pearlman, immediate past president of ARZA Canada, discusses the impact of Israel's new government with fellow leaders in a Canadian Jewish News Daily podcast:
About ARZA Canada
Travel to Israel
Arza Canada Privacy Policy
The Privacy Commission of Canada states the following:
Non-profit organizations are not subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) when they do not engage in commercial activities.
The following activities are not considered commercial and are not subject to PIPEDA:
- collecting membership fees
- compiling a list of members' names and addresses/email addresses
- mailing out newsletters
As you know, ARZA Canada represents Canadian Reform Zionists with members in all of Canada’s Reform congregations. Though independent of the sister organization, ARZA, in the United States, it is an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and Reform Jewish Community of Canada (RJCC). We are writing to address how ARZA Canada maintains its membership records, and in particular its commitment to the privacy of our members.
Accurate membership records are important to the entire Reform Jewish Community of Canada given that the size of our membership determines our influence on Zionist policies in Canada and in Israel. ARZA Canada members come through congregational solicitation and activism, and so annually it is provided lists of its members from Canadian Reform congregations such as yours in order to confirm individual memberships. This is deeply appreciated.
ARZA Canada has strong privacy practices to ensure the confidentiality of this membership information. It is used by ARZA Canada to communicate with our members and engage them in the activities of ARZA Canada, including joint programs with RJCC and our congregations.
For more please click here.
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