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ASIYAH
- The Physical and Practical This is the world of the
physical and practical. We humans experience everything through the filter of
the physical world and the bodies we live in, and our communities do the
same. |
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What
is Or Shalom? Or Shalom is a synagogue affiliated
with Aleph, the umbrella organization of
Jewish Renewal communities. While every Jewish Renewal Community is unique,
we have the common values of a willingness to explore and experiment with our
traditions in an effort to draw closer to God and the Jewish soul. Or Shalom
is egalitarian: Both men and women have equal access to the leadership of
services and community positions. We believe in searching for the unwritten
stories of the women in Jewish history and bringing them forward as a means
of bringing balance to our world. We seek to bring repair to the world
through our commitment to Tzedaka and social
justice. We deepen our own Jewish lives, and the community around us, through
study of the traditional sources and the creation of new rituals and
liturgy. In September 2008, after consultation with the membership, the
Board released a Vision Statement for Or Shalom's growth and development. History. Or Shalom
began as a havurah (small group of friends) in 1982 which, led by Rabbi Daniel Siegel and Hanna-Tiferet Siegel, met in members living rooms to daven on Shabbat mornings. Daniel was the first person to
receive smicha (rabbinic ordination) by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal
Movement. Daniel now works with Aleph Alliance
for Jewish Renewal, the co-ordinating body for this
movement. Or Shalom has grown from
a Shabbat morning minyan (prayer group) into a
community of well over 200 single people and families. In the late 1980s
Rabbi Itzhak Marmorstein
became Or Shalom's spiritual leader and was part of
our community for five years. In 1993, after squeezing into rented houses for
years, we bought our present building at 10th and Fraser. From 1995 - 2003,
Rabbi David Mivasair served as Or Shalom's spiritual leader. He can be reached at mivasair@aol.com.
Today our spiritual
leader is Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan. Reb Laura and her family moved to Vancouver in January, 2005 and we look forward to many years of growing
together. Much of the history
of our community is told by the objects which
surround us. Ritual items, artwork, practical things
- each has a story to tell. Please read the stories of these precious witnesses
and come to know us better. Back to Top Or Shalom is committed to egalitarianism.
Women and men participate with equal access in all aspects of community life
and worship: being called to the Torah, counted in the minyan,
leading services and reading from the Torah. Or Shalom is also committed to
searching out the unwritten stories and contributions of Jewish women
throughout our history. We are committed to both the roots and
fruits of the Tree of Life - our Torah. Or Shalom is committed to
participation. Our paid staff are the rabbi, a
part-time administrator, the religious school teachers and a little custodial
help. Everything else is done by us! We lead davenen, read Torah, plan and carry out holiday events, shlepp, cook and clean. Everything from the glamorous to the mundane is done by us!
Any skill you might want to volunteer, Or Shalom could probably use. Contact
Or Shalom's administrator to volunteer at (604)
872-1614. Or Shalom is always open
to debate an issue or new way of being in the world as a result of fresh
insight. A major on-going exploration in our community is the
topic of patrilineal descent. Community discussion also led to Or Shalom's
very visible presence in the Vancouver Gay Pride parades. We have struggled
with and endorsed a practice concerning same-sex marriages. These discussions represent our
community's way of engaging with current issues from a Jewish position.
We are pleased to be
growing today with rabbi R' Laura Duhan Kaplan. Reb Laura has a website of her writings and lectures from
the past several years, as well as her personal blog. Reb Laura is available for appointments at Or Shalom on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons. Please phone her at 604-872-1614 or email
her at reblaura@orshalom.ca Back to Top Renting the building. The Bayit is available to members and non-members. A pdf with
policies and application is available here. Who are the members? Or Shalom
members come from a very wide variety of backgrounds, Jewish and non-Jewish
as well. We are learners and teachers, the curious and the dedicated, the
unsure and the more sure. Or Shalom is a community
of seekers who have discovered the depth and value in Judaism, whether
through a lifetime of Jewish involvement or after years of exploring and
learning from other religious traditions. Besides our rabbi, Or Shalom has
members of the congregation who are available to teach, give workshops, and
conduct life cycle events. We welcome all those who wish to contribute from
their background in traditional Judaism, other philosophies, creative arts,
community building, social action, etc -we
sincerely look forward to your enriching us through your energies. Patrilineal Descent? Or Shalom follows the traditional understandings
of Who Is A Jew - anyone born of a Jewish mother or who goes through a
conversion process. We have also struggled with the issue of people born to Jewish
fathers but non-Jewish mothers. The discussion involves fundamental questions
of identity, community and values. You can follow some of the documents of
that community introspection by reading here New to Judaism? Are you
approaching (or returning to) Judaism for the first time? The Exploring
Judaism course might help in your quest. Back
to Top Ron Einblau Martin Gotfrit secretary David Kauffman co-chairperson Linda Peritz Laura Rosenthal co-chairperson Mark Winston treasurer Leora
Zalik Pam Atnikov Jordana
Corenblum Or Shalom has a number of
standing committees which are vital to the life of
community. In addition to board members who serve on the committees,
volunteers are welcome and needed to help these groups accomplish their
objectives. Standing committees (and their contact persons) as of winter 2012
include:
There are also many ad
hoc groups including organizing committees for the annual retreat (here are
some photos
and info/schedules
from some past ones), holidays and special events, and planning for Shabbat davenning. To contact any of these committee heads with
questions (or offers of help) please contact the office (604 - 872-1614) or orshalom@telus.net and your message will be quickly
passed on. Constitution and stuff
Or
Shalom is a registered society under the Societies Act. Our legal name is Or Shalom Jewish
Spiritual Society, and of course we have a legal constitution and bylaws. The
2010 consolidation of our Constitution and Bylaws can be
read online or downloaded
as a pdf file.
Frankly, reading Torah is more interesting. Back to Top
High Holiday
participation only:
Back to Top Adam va-Adamah,
the local Jewish environmental group, has prepared a list of kosher organic products available in
Vancouver. That
list will also lead you to links to several Orthodox kashrut websites. A complete Guide to Kiddush and Kitchen provides answers to your questions about potluck
meals, running the dishwasher, hosting a kiddush,
sources of kosher foods, snacks for kids, etc. Please avoid serving nuts and other
foods likely to cause allergic reactions. If you have allergies to wheat and
other grains, you are not alone. Efforts are made to include non-wheat
products. We hope that everyone will make the additional (small) effort of
bringing a written description of their food offering, so that those seeking strictly
kosher products or those with health concerns can make informed choices. Biblical
Garden. Or Shalom’s gan, or garden, tries to grow
plants that are useful for Jewish rituals and evoke the biblical Land of Israel.
Check out the garden’s webpage
and feel free to contact Ben Harris at benjamincerf@gmail.com for more
info or to get involved.
For further information on any of these matters |
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[ Asiyah ] |
[ Yetzirah] |
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( Doing ) |
( Feeling ) |
( Knowing ) |
( Being ) |
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