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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). 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! Members and High Holyday participants can request advance seating for Erev Yom Kippur, by returning the request envelope a few
weeks beforehand, or by contacting the office. 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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[ Home ] |
[ Asiyah ] |
[ Yetzirah] |
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