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This is the realm of the spirit: closest to the Source of It All. Our
souls and the souls of all other beings fill this world at all times.
Sometimes we are more aware of the world of Atzilut,
sometimes less. As the Kotzker Rebbe
taught, God is available to us whenever we let God in. |
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Prayer
(davenen).
The heart and soul of Or Shalom is our Shabbat morning davenen.
It is the time when we come together as a community and to deepen and
strengthen our spiritual lives. Shabbat
services are held weekly at the Or
Shalom bayit at 10th and Fraser. We begin at 10 am
and conclude around 12:30. Like many synagogues, we read the Torah on a
triennial cycle. During 5770 we are reading the final third of the weekly
reading. We only occasionally read the Haftorah and
rarely daven Musaf.
Following services we usually share a kiddush lunch together. On most Shabbat mornings 40-60 people come for davenen.
Or Shalom members share with the rabbi in leading most parts of the prayer
service and d'var torah (the teaching and
discussion of the weekly Torah portion) - the lineup of prayer leaders is available here.
Or Shalom davenen combines traditional Hebrew
liturgy and music with new expressions of prayer. Much of
our music has been created by our own members or others involved in
the Jewish Renewal movement. Some of our members' liturgy and writings can be
found elsewhere on
this site. Brief teachings and kavanot (intentions) are woven into the davenen. While we have a deep consistent rhythm from
Shabbat to Shabbat, each week's davenen has its own
special way of reflecting the mood of the community and the spirit of the
person leading. Because we know we are all in different stages of Jewish spiritual
growth, we are committed to making our prayer services as accessible as possible.
Even without knowing Hebrew or having much background in traditional Jewish
ways of prayer, newcomers can find deep levels of meaning and connectedness.
Our singing and open heart space offer access beyond
the level of language. Those wishing to learn Hebrew are advised to consider
adult classes given frequently through the Jewish Community Centre. We look to each other for leadership. Those who are familiar with
traditional nusach (liturgy) are invited to lead
sections of tefilla (prayer). Those without deep
background are also invited to assume leadership - learning the prayers and
weaving them with your own studies of Reb Nachman, Martin Buber or Thich Nhat Hanh will enrich us all.
To sign up for a turn at leading prayer, reading Torah, or giving a D'var
Torah, call the office or email us. Several times a year we have a Shabbat service specially focused on
the participation of families and youth. Once a month we hold a Kabalat
Shabbat service on Friday nights. To learn the
schedule of Friday night services, alternate minyan
locations, Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremonies and other special prayer times, please
consult the calendar of
events. Please note that we have some shared practices for the sake of
community: ie. We don't use cameras on Shabbat.
Please turn off all beepers. Men cover their heads. Anyone is welcome to wear
a tallit. Call out your appreciations - don't clap.
Observe our food and kashrut
guidelines. Holiday
celebrations. We
celebrate the full cycle of the Jewish Year: Shabbat, all the holidays,
including Rosh Hodesh (the beginning of the new
Hebrew month). It is our custom to daven together
on Shavuot and on the first and last days of Passover and Sukkot.
At Passover, we usually have a community seder open
to all. Naturally we have a roaring good time on Simchat
Torah, wild costumes on Purim, candlelit evenings at Chanuka,
bonfires on the beach for Lag B' Omer, study evenings for Tisha
B'Av and Leil Shavuot,
etc. All of these events take organizing effort - and reflect the interests
of the people who make them happen. YOUR EFFORTS are needed here - please
call the office to get involved. Because our community expands significantly for the High Holidays, we
observe Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur at the Jewish
Community Centre at 41st Ave. and Oak St. (insider's tip: the second day of
Rosh Hashanna is usually smaller and more personal
than the first). Here is (in pdf) the schedule and descriptions for our
5769 (2008) services. It will tell you also about Children's services, Mikveh, Tashlich, etc. It is our policy not to require
tickets for the High Holidays - but we certainly expect that all attendees will contribute financially what
they can! We also have a reservation
system for Kol Nidre
in order to manage priority seating. For current information about holiday activities, listen to the
recorded message at (604) 872-1614 or click on the calendar of events. Life
cycle events. All the
traditional markers within Jewish life, as well as many non-traditional ones,
can be celebrated within the Or Shalom community. Ceremonies are designed to
combine new and old liturgy, music and customs into a personally meaningful
event for the celebrating individual or family. Read about our
Bar/Bat Mitzvah policies. Baby namings
bless our Shabbat services. A committee of members is helping shape our
responses to death and burial. We do perform same-sex marriages in accord with civil
legislation and in a way in keeping with Jewish tradition. While Or Shalom's
rabbi does not conduct intermarriage ceremonies, interested persons can
contact Rabbi
Dina-Hasida Mercy
or link to her web page www.rabbi-mercy.com Social
Action. Or Shalom is committed to tikkun olam, helping to repair
the inequities in this world. Past tikkun olam projects have included sponsorship of refugees from
Bosnia, fund-raising for Rosa House (a centre for women and children war
refugees in Zagreb, Coatia), participation in
Vancouver's annual Gay Pride Parade. Another initiative is Adam va'Adamah,
a group concerned about our environment and a Jewish response to it. Adam va-Adamah has grown to a separate organization - here is their
website. We are pleased to consider supporting any projects - whether they be
for community welfare, environmental action, political change, etc- which a
group of members undertakes to organize. To initiate or support such action,
or to make a donation towards any tikkun olam project, contact our Administrator at (604)
872-1614. For information about our Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) Committee, email hwilkes@interchange.ubc.ca
For further information on any of
these matters |
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[ Asiyah ] |
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