Or Shalom Spiritual Community, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Kislev/Tevet/Shevat 5758 -- December 1997/January 1998

In This Issue . . .

• The Reb Site: The Window to Eternity is Always Open
• Len Ryant 1945-1997
• Greetings From Your New Board
• We Need You to Build a Community That Nurtures the Soul
• May We All Be Awakened to the Importance of Tzedaka
• Meshugena Ceildh Needs Volunteers for Fundraising Party of the Year
• Bat Mitzvah Dvar Torah: Noah Teaches Us to Never Give Up
• Bar Mitzvah Dvar Torah: Learning From Our Weaknesses
• Hebrew School News
• The Sukkah: Building Judaism in Wood, Branches and Cloth
• News and Schmooze

The Window to Eternity is Always Open

By Rabbi David Mivasair

We, who are so very finite, are each a fragment of the infinite. Each and every one of us lives within limits. We each have a beginning and an end, in both time and space. We can exist only within the bounds of our bodies. Before our time and after it, we simply are not. There is no other way. As did Avraham Avinu, we can be tempted to plead, "I am but dust and ashes." And yet, in our essence, each and every one of us is a spark of the eternal drawn into the temporal, a glimmer of the Ain Sof garbed in the veil of the Sof. Each of us is a tzelem Elohim, an image of the One. Every human being is, as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, a shiviti, a reminder of God's presence.*

Living within our limitedness, as we do in the course of each day, it is easy to forget that we are bounded by our limits, to have no consciousness of what lies beyond them. Our focus can narrow down to the simple here and now, to the tangible, to today, to tomorrow.

However, when the extraordinary occurs -- as when a life stops, when the spark of one of us passes from the realm of the finite back to the realm of the Ain Sof, the infinite -- the transcendent reaches in to the finite and touches us right we live. We are brought into an encounter with a greater vision of the nature of our being. We glimpse the All of Being. When the extraordinary occurs, a window opens to eternity.

When only the ordinary occurs -- as when life simply goes on in its daily-ness, when light continues to roll away before darkness and darkness before light -- eternity is just as present. Within the finite dwells the infinite. The window to eternity is open all the time. As Heschel taught, "Through all the things in the world it is possible to come close to the Source. All things are like traces of God's footprints in a barren desert."

The Jewish sense of spirituality is grounded in the commonplace, in the daily-ness of life. Six days of labour -- of the ordinary -- precede every Shabbat. May we learn to hold the glimpse of eternity in the here and now of every day. Shiviti YHVH le-negdi tamid.

* A shiviti is a work of Jewish calligraphy, usually intricately written verses of Psalms, that serves as a reminder to maintain God-consciousness always. The word shiviti comes from Psalms 16:8 "Shiviti YHVH le-negdi tamid. -- I place God before me always." Shivitis can be seen on the walls of shuls, study halls, and homes throughout the Jewish world.

Shiviti by Betsy Platkin Teutsch, from "Kol Haneshamah"

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Len Ryant, 1945-1997

From 'Seeds We Have Sown'

Words and music by K. Ryant, 1997

I will go home, home to the soil of strife,
I shall return, turn to the waters of life.
I will go home, far from the cries and demands,
I shall return to the time when my soul's in God's hands.

The Or Shalom community is mourning the loss of Len Ryant, a much-loved member who passed away peacefully at his home on Nov. 17 after a year with cancer.

Benjamin Leonard Binyamin Leib Ryant was born on Jan. 16, 1945, in Montreal, the son of Samuel Simcha and Ena Chaya.

Of the many challenges Len faced in his life, the first major one came just short of his eighth birthday when his father died of a massive heart attack. There was a lot of Sam Ryant in his son Len: a strong sense of right and wrong; a sense of vision; a talent for art; they were both voracious readers, largely self-taught intellectuals; and they both loved working with their hands, especially in woodworking.

Ena worked hard as a single mother and Len helped by looking after his younger sister Sue and by taking on different jobs beginning in high school. He was fortunate to have an extended family, especially his cousin "Aunt" Edith, a renowned sculptor who helped to nourish Len and to provide him with comfort and support.

Len completed high school at night and later studied at Dawson College. His early working years were in refrigeration and air conditioning.

Len and Kymn met in Montreal in 1978 and married a year and a half later, honeymooning in a hurricane in the Bahamas. One of the first things they talked about was their mutual attraction to Vancouver and they moved here within a year of their marriage.

In 1984, Len created a job for himself as the B.C. representative for Montreal-based Auto Photo, solely responsible for sales and service of photo booths at malls and other sites until he could no longer work.

Len and Kymn became parents when Jason was born in 1986, followed by Mark in 1992. Len was an especially loving and devoted father to his boys.

Len and Kymn joined Or Shalom in 1989 and quickly became integral members of the community. Whenever Len was in shul on Shabbat, any and all newcomers were warmly and genuinely greeted. When Or Shalom needed a permanent home, Len found the Scottish Presbyterian church that we subsequently bought and renovated. Len had so many ideas for how things could be done maybe a little bit better, offering suggestions for community, for people -- so willing to lend his hands to the task. A beautiful example was his creation of a stylized white tent for the old gym at Talmud Torah that connected every one of us during the High Holy Days. We could also always rely on Len's lively sense of fun.

As Reb Hillel Goelman said in his hesped (euology): "Underneath his quiet and gentle calmness was a sense of humor that when unleashed in TheatreSports or at other times, brought us so much laughter and so much joy. His quick mind, his bright smile, his wonderful laugh, his soul-ful eyes."

Hillel said that Len "was a giver and he gave to others simply and only because of one reason: he loved to give. He gave without ulterior motives, he gave without hidden agendas and, perhaps most importantly, he gave to others with absolutely no expectation of receiving anything back in return."

In his hesped, Reb David Mivasair said "Len was a man who embodied an extraordinarily graceful balance of nobility and humility, a man of deep sincerity and honesty, capable of great love for those closest to him and of sure and steady caring for nearly everyone, a man of good humor and light. A man whose hesed (lovingkindness) and gevurah (inner strength) blended and balanced into an exquisite tiferet -- a beauty that could be felt, a beauty that made a difference in this world."

After Len died, friends stayed with his body at the Schara Tzedeck Funeral Chapel in New Westminster until the service there on Nov. 19. Burial followed at Mountain View Cemetery, close to the family home. The Ryant home nearly burst at the seams as crowds of friends gathered for Shiva services and told story after amazing story about this amazing man.

Len was an organ donor and his corneas were used for two corneal transplants.

To support his dream of developing meaningful activities for our children during Shabbat services, donations can be made to the Len Ryant Children's Fund, Or Shalom, 710 E. 10th Ave., Vancouver, V5T 2A7.

Photo by Sandy Wheller

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Greetings From Your New Board -- Shalom Uvracha

By Gerry Cutler and Steve Goldberg, Co-Chairs

In the last issue, Or Shalom's new and returning board members were mentioned in Keren Or. At our first meeting of the new board in October, Or Shalom officers were elected: Gerry Cuttler and Steve Goldberg will act as co-chairs, Pam Ratner was elected as treasurer and Martha Barker has agreed to continue to serve as our secretary. We are very excited with the enthusiasm that has already been displayed by the board, committees and the community as a whole. We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their energy and support and to let the community know about our process and direction for the coming months.

Last spring, Or Shalom members embarked on a process of reviewing our beginning and creating a vision for the future. As we explored, it became clear that our community fit the image of a beautiful growing tree. Or Shalom is sustained by its roots, planted by our members in the soil of Jewish Renewal. Our individual and collective inspirations allow the community to flourish and grow. We used the image of a tree to represent the whole of Or Shalom. The roots illustrate the board's primary activities. We have named these the "Roots of Sustainability" and they include, the financial, physical, personnel, spiritual and outreach activities. These endeavours are carried out in a way that is consistent with our core beliefs and values, and are essential to sustain the community.

The members of Or Shalom, both individually and collectively, give energy and direction to the community and the board. The branches entitled, The "Branches of Inspiration", represent the various innovations-inspirations that come from individuals to help make Or Shalom and our world a better place. Some of the inspirations to date include, purchasing the house next door to Or Shalom, starting a community store, an Or Shalom cemetery, a communal living environment for singles and empty nesters, and food programs for those less fortunate in our community.

The Roots of Sustainability and Branches of Inspiration are each vital to the Jewish Spiritual Community that we have created. The directors of Or Shalom function within the community attempting to ensure that the right conditions are in place, so that our whole "Tree" continues to thrive and be healthy.

Our challenge to you, as we discussed at our spring Community Visioning session, is to consider your skills, interests and the legacy you want to leave at Or Shalom and in the larger community. We are asking that you bring your inspirational ideas-thoughts-dreams forward, as well as your energy and commitment to make your ideas happen, or help support others' ideas. Specifically, we are also looking for assistance with the committees that are needed to make Or Shalom work. This is particularly true of our ritual committee as well as the proposed publicity committee.

In considering the contribution that you can make, it is important to remember that Or Shalom inspiration and direction has always come from our members, guided by our Jewish tradition and its continual evolution. In this vein, we thought it would be a good idea to include the High Holy Day inspirational thoughts from recent past presidents of Or Shalom, Gloria Levi and Hana Wosk. Gloria spoke about the roots of Or Shalom and Hana explained the concepts of teshuvah, tefillah and tzedaka and how they form a kind of spiritual compass for us on the Jewish path. Their talks appear on Page 6.

We welcome anyone to attend our board meetings. They are being held at Fran Ritch's home, 3447 W. 1st Ave., from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, except December, where we will meet the 2nd Thursday in December to accommodate vacation plans -- Dec. 11, Jan. 15, Feb. 19 and March 19).

Members of the board and their phone numbers appear below. Feel free to contact anyone on the board to discuss your ideas and find out how to participate. If anyone wants to raise an issue to the board, we are asking both Board and community members to submit items to Steve (222-2276) or Gerry (925-4569), no later than one week prior to the meeting, so that we can assure that the item will be worked into the meeting or dealt with in another appropriate manner.

To keep you informed about board activities, we hope to write a column in each Keren Or, communicate through the Or Shalom e-mail list and hopefully our soon-to-be-functioning Web site. We also will be seeking creative means for communicating important events with folks who are not on or don't want to be on electronic mail-communication. Till next time.

BOARD MEMBERS LIST

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We Need You to Build a Community That Nurtures the Soul

From Gloria Levi's president's address during the High Holy Days:

When I first joined Or Shalom, it was a small havurah of approximately 20 to 30 people. We had a budget of $20,000 to $25,000. We were an extended family. Sure, we still had our cliques and in/out groups, but when it came to the fundamentals we were there for each other. We were a family. It was a loving and compassionate and joyful community. Something we are all seeking.

Inevitably, we began to grow. We couldn't say, "You can come in" and "You can't". So we grew, and as we grew, we faced new and unexpected pressures: finding and maintaining an adequate building to house us and allow for the inevitable continued increase in growth. Connecting with new and diverse individuals. Developing new administrative systems and expanding our services. Ensuring effective communication between our members. Moving away from a very participatory ritually engaged community to one less engaged with only a certain number of members actively engaged in leading rituals.

Life is not easy in a family. A family can often become contentious. Some members feel very responsible and take on major tasks. Others feel that their voices are not heard or even understood. Some members are diffident and insecure. Others feel less attachment to the family. There are those who want to feel affirmed and validated by their family. And there are many who, at one time or another, need our help in a variety of ways.

Our challenge was and still is: can we keep the vision and virtues of that loving, compassionate, joyful extended family who took their spiritual life so seriously? Frankly, it is much harder to sustain. In recent years, we have often become preoccupied with financial pressures, with administrative systems, and with policies and procedures.

A certain amount of apathy and inertia has set in where many leave too much of the work to the few.

Being a family means going beyond anger, disappointment, and disillusionment. It means staying power and commitment. But our vision must also include the inevitability of error, mistake, accident, tragedy and even loss.

Or Shalom can still be that extended family, a community that nurtures the soul. We have a chance to build the kind of fellowship within Or Shalom that we would like to see replicated in the broader world.

With all its differences, diversity, and needs we can continue to honor and respect each other and work toward common goals. We need to support our extended family financially, intellectually, and socially. We need your money, your energy, your wisdom and insights. Let's start with tikkun olam right here at Or Shalom, Let us build a family guided by chesed, rachamim, and maasim tovim. We can't leave it to the other guy to do. We need your help. We need you.

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May We All Be Awakened to the Importance of Tzedaka

Excerpts From Hana Wosk's Yom Kippur talk:

I believe that teshuva, tefillah and tzedaka are important concepts which form a kind of spiritual compass for us on the Jewish path. In teshuva, we are directed to return to our essence, to our soul, to our true nature. Teshuva literally means return. In our tefillah, we are directed to pray---to connect ourselves in a dialogue with the eternal, with God...to reach beyond our selves to another plane of awareness. And with tzedaka, we are directed to be conscious of others -- to act compassionately, justly and with a generous spirit.

Our spiritual work today, and throughout the year is on these three planes: reaching inwardly to our soul, reaching toward the Infinite, and reaching beyond ourselves toward others with tzedaka.

The importance placed on tzedaka makes it clear that our spirituality includes the experience of community. We are all connected. As Rev David taught on Rosh HaShana, there is a unity which pervades all creation. This precept is central to our experience as Jews. In many ways we are taught that we are responsible for one another.

Tzedaka, in Hebrew, has as its root the strong word tzedek, -- justice. It is not translated as charity. It is, more accurately, doing justice. It will often include contributing financially where needed. But it includes more breadth, more subtlety, and more varied means of expression.

I wonder how often we look around us and truly see how much we have been blessed with. When we have our health and energy, do we appreciate how amazing that is, and sense how much we have to offer? Or do we find ourselves so busily engaged in our personal business that we somehow lose our balance and forget our role in creating a just and caring society? I think we forget how much we have to offer. So I'm here to remind myself and all of us, that tzedaka is an important opportunity for tikkun, a corrective, one which we are called to remember and to do on our highest of days.

I hope and pray that we will all be granted clarity and be awakened to the importance of tzedaka. And I wish everyone a wonderful, inspired, and generous New Year!

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Meshugena Ceildh Needs Volunteers

The Meshugena Ceildh (kay-lee) will be Or Shalom's fundraising party of the year on Saturday, Feb. 28. Party-goers of all ages will dance to the music of Mad Pudding and Kreplakh at the Roundhouse. We are all familiar with our very own high-energy Kreplakh. Mad Pudding is a spirited Vancouver group that combines old-time, Celtic, country and funk music. You can eat good food, schmooze with old and new friends, and pick up something very special through the silent auction. Mark your calendars and tell your friends. If you can help with the planning, advertising, ticket sales, set up, clean up, poster distribution, silent auction organization, food preparation, logistics, and so forth, please call Roma Katz at 264-7544 or Pam Ratner at 224-8049. Please think about volunteering.

Or Shalom's Fundraising Party of the Year

Meshugena Ceildh

Music for All Ages
by Kreplakh and Mad Pudding

Saturday, February 28, 1998 ­ 7:30 p.m.

at The Roundhouse on Pacific Boulevard

Dance 'Till You Drop * Great Food at Great Prices * Silent Auction

All Tickets in Advance: $25/$35

For Information on tickets and volunteering,

call Roma Katz 264-7544 or Pam Ratner 224-8049

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THE PARADOXES OF SIN

For the sin we committed before you . . .

by not reading enough.
by reading too much and not acting on our reading.

by not serving our community.
by serving our community and neglecting ourselves and our families.

by having a narrow point of view and not listening to those who disagree
by listening to others always and not having convictions of our own.

by chasing after material possessions.
by thinking we are unworthy of owning nice things.

by neglecting our dearest friends.
by chasing friends and running away from ourselves.

by saving the world and ignoring our own people
by saving Jews and ignoring the rest of humankind.

by disobeying our parents.
by obeying our parents and suspending our rational mind.

by ignoring our children
by indulging our children.

by letting our anger control us.
by suppressing our rage and righteous indignation.

by foolishness and childishness.
by not laughing enough and not playing enough.

by being selfish.
by not loving ourselves and not caring enough for ourselves.

by ignoring God.
by relying on God instead of ourselves.

by ignoring the past.
by living only in the past.

by saying "We don't make a difference."
by pretending we can save the world.

-- Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins

from "Moments of Transcendence -- Inspirational Readings for Yom Kippur" edited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins. Read at High Holy Day services by Myrna Rabinowitz

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Noah Teaches Us to Never Give Up

By Lauren Phillips

PARASHAT NOACH: NOVEMBER 1, 1997

This week in the Torah we're reading the Noah story. Let me recap it for you. God saw that humans were doing much evil in the world, and regretted having created them. God decided to rid the world of humans, land animals, and birds, except for Noah and his family. Two animals from each species were also to be saved. Noah built the ark and the flood came. A year later, Noah sent out a bird that came back with an olive branch. Then the land dried up, so Noah and his family could get off the ark. God then promised not to destroy the world by flood again.

Practically everybody knows this story. Did you ever wonder why? I think this is such a popular event because it starts off evil, but in the end everything is nice and happy again. Or is it? Take a look in the newspaper. You'll see happy stories and stories of victory. But you'll also see articles about war, abuse, and murder. So why aren't we worried that God will punish us again? Sure, God promised not to destroy the world by flood again, but we all know that there are more ways than one that God can wipe us off the face of the earth. But say God did get rid of all of us. Do you think that would be fair? I don't. It's not like all humans are sinful, at least not in any big way. But how could God single out each and every corrupt person in the world? And where should the line be drawn between plain old wrong that they should be killed for, and sins that can be forgiven? I've thought about these two questions for a long time, and I still haven't come to a conclusion. For example, suppose that someone had really hurt another person, so badly that God killed this wrongdoer. But if God hadn't, there's always the chance they might change and become a good person after all. Maybe that's what God is doing -- giving us humans the chance to change and sort things out. I think that time may have changed a couple of things, but many others are just getting worse every day. My dad has told me how my aunt hitchhiked across Asia a number of years ago. I wouldn't even think about doing anything like that nowadays. Why, my mom says no when I ask to go downtown, even if I'm with a group of friends. At times like that, I feel kind of angry towards the people that cause my parents to think that way. What right do they have to ruin my and many others' freedom?

I'd like to talk about life on the ark. Could you imagine being on an ark for one whole year, with only your spouse, your children and their spouses, with nothing to do but shovel manure and take care of animals? You would be totally isolated, surrounded by endless water. I'm sure you've all heard about the Red River flood and how destructive it was, but the flood that Noah survived was much, much, worse. At the Manitoba flood, people came from all over to offer their strength, support, and help. Maybe if the people in Noah's time did all that, God wouldn't have thought that they were evil. But Noah and his family had no one else.

This is a universal story with many universal themes. Two examples are: rescued in the nick of time. And, the good guys win and the bad guys are punished by God. Not only does this story have many themes, but it has been used to teach so many lessons, including to fear God and God's punishment and never to give up.

Versions of the Noah story appear many times in our culture. When I began preparing this Dvar Torah, I started keeping what I call a "Noah Journal." In it, I recorded appearances of the Noah story in our everyday life. One entry is a comedy routine that Bill Cosby did on the Noah story. It starts off with God talking to Noah, telling him to build an ark. Noah thinks that God is crazy, and doesn't know why he should build an ark, or why he should believe that he actually is talking to God. But in the end, it comes down to Noah building the ark. Why? Because of one of our themes: fear of punishment. God clearly threatens, saying "How long can you tread water?" In Bill Cosby's version, Noah argues with God. But, in the Torah, it doesn't appear that Noah argued with God at all. In fact, Noah did everything exactly as God said. So, if Noah didn't care enough to try to talk God out of killing all those living beings, why was he considered righteous? Scholars have argued over whether or not Noah would have been considered a righteous person in a different generation. He certainly wouldn't have been compared to Abraham, who argued with God to save the people of Sodom and Gemora. No, Noah proved true to his name, meaning easy, or, comfortable. Noah took the easy way out.

The symbols and lessons from the Noah story are all around us. The story teaches us to be prepared to accept the consequences of our actions, to preserve nature, to treat others kindly, and to never give up hope.

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Learning From Our Weaknesses

By Solomon Rosenberg

Parashat Lech Lecha: November 8, 1997

The story of Abram is an extremely fascinating one. I will summarize the parsha and then share some thoughts. The section of the Torah that I chanted from today begins with God talking to Abram. God tells Abram to leave his land, his birthplace and his father's house -- Lech Lecha -- and to go to a place that God will show him. God tells Abram that he will give him a great nation and a guarantee that he will be protected. God also predicts that all the families of earth will be blessed through him. Abram agrees to go and Abram, Lot, Sarai and their caravan leave. When they reach Canaan, God appears to Abram again and tells him that He will give this land to Abram's offspring, and so Abram builds an altar there.

Soon, Abram heads south to Egypt because of a famine. There, Abram feared that the Pharaoh would kill him in order to take Sarai, who was very beautiful, as his wife. So he decides to lie to the Pharaoh and tell him that Sarai is his sister. The Pharaoh really likes Sarai and showers Abram with many gifts like sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels.

But the next thing that happens is that God strikes Pharaoh and his palace with terrible plagues because he had taken Sarai as his wife. The Pharaoh asks Abram, "Why did you lie to me?" Then he banishes them from the land of Egypt.

They head north through the Negev until they arrive at the place of the first altar. Because both Abram and Lot had acquired so much wealth -- like sheep and cattle and tents -- the land could not support them all living together. Friction developed between them. Abram suggested that they divide the land instead of having the friction. Lot chose to go in one direction and Abram took the other.

Why is this story in the Torah? Abram is not portrayed as a very strong or trusting person. I think it is included because it shows that no matter how important a person is, he or she is still not perfect and there must be something to learn even from our weaknesses.

When I read this story, I was most interested in the part where Abram lied to the Pharaoh. I wondered why he chose to lie -- especially when he had already been told by God that he would be protected. I believe that Abram lied because he thought it would be the only way to save his life. Maybe because it was the first time that Abram had heard God's voice, he wasn't yet sure if he could totally trust in God since he didn't know Him very well yet. I was wondering if it's OK to lie in order to survive? And if it gets someone else in a lot of trouble -- like it did for the Pharaoh -- is it still OK?

I remember the first time that I lied. It was about knocking over a pail of apples when my mom and I were feeding some horses. I think I was three years old. I got in more trouble than if I had told the truth -- so I think that it's worse to lie. Would Abram have got in more trouble if he had told the truth?

I believe that someone trusts someone more if you know them better and if they don't usually lie. I also believe that we were all taught to not lie but that all of us do it sometimes.

The other part of my portion that caught my attention had to do with wondering what I would do and how I would feel if God told me to leave my home -- Lech Lecha -- and go to a place that I didn't know. I think that I would feel weird and I'd wonder why God wanted me to go. But I'd definitely go. I guess I'd trust God.

When I thought about what I'd need to bring with me, I realized that it would probably take a lot of organization to figure out all the categories -- like clothes and food and tools and sleeping stuff. But I also realized that I'd want to take a clear mind, a good humor and an open heart.

I'd have a clear mind by getting all the things done that I'd have to do so that I didn't leave anything undone. I'd have a good humor if I wasn't touchy or moody or distraught. So I'd need to make sure that I got enough sleep and took care of myself properly. The way that I would have an open heart is by focusing on what is good in each person I meet or what is good in each situation I encounter. I would try to not be jealous or envious or mad at anyone.

I think that I'd be really excited about this new adventure. Actually, even if I didn't prepare anything, I'd still feel ready and prepared!

I wonder if I will know it, if or when God talks to me. Sometimes, when I hear what seems like two different voices in my head, I often choose what seems like the right or unselfish thing to do. I think this is because, in some way, this is what God wants me to do.

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Hebrew School News

By Nurit Fox, Hebrew School Principal

Our students have been hard at work studying Hebrew, Torah, Mitzvot, prayer, history, Israel and our holidays all condensed into only two weekly hours. If you are considering sending your children to Hebrew school, we do accept new students during the year where space allows. Give the school a call at 872-1614 if your children are not yet enrolled and I will be contacting you.

We recently welcomed Chayim Sklar to teach our 6th graders, replacing Robert Edel who retired to dedicate more of his time to his art. Chayim brings to our school his extensive experience in education as well as the love of teaching.

Our older students will be visiting the Holocaust Education centre to view the exhibit "Open Hearts -- Closed Doors," an exhibit that marks the 50th anniversary of the arrival in Canada of 1,123 Jewish children orphaned during the Holocaust. The exhibit chronicles the lives of these children as they emerged from the devastation of the war and forged new lives in Canada.

We are implementing a book club, which is intended to inspire our students to read more Jewish literature. If you have any children's books that you could donate to the school please bring them to the office so we can enrich our library. We also are in need for a donation of a used guitar to accompany our singing. Your help to the school is much appreciated.

Many thanks to Elaine Cuttler whose help in the school is highly regarded. Elaine shared her creative art ideas and techniques with our students and helped them produce beautiful masterpieces.

On our calender for the winter is a family Kabbalat Shabbat service followed by pot-luck dinner Jan. 16 at 6 p.m.

Our school's primary grades will participate in Shabbat morning services on Jan. 31. Our annual Havdalah service and special musical educational evening will take place in January. Watch for notices. All Or Shalom families are invited.

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Recent Donations

Acknowledge a birthday, graduation, any auspicious occasion. Celebrate a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, anniversary, marriage, birth, etc. Honour a Yahrtzeit by donating to any of the following Or Shalom funds:

In keeping with rabbinic tradition, donors' names will not be published. However, the name of the person being honoured will be acknowledged.

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Bikkur Holim

Some members of Or Shalom are able to help you during a difficult time. We could walk the dog, do the laundry, shop for food, bring you a meal, drive you where you need to go or just visit. We are here for you when you need us. Please call. Micha: 877-1208 Alina:732-6631 orshalom@bc.sympatico.ca

The sukkah team poses with their fine creation.

The Sukkah: Building Judaism in Wood,
Branches and Cloth

By Geoffrey Katz

To build a sukkah, first of all you need skhakh. So I called up the City of Vancouver Parks and Street Trees Department. A year ago, these guys were very helpful: we got all the skhakh we needed for the Or Shalom sukkah last year and then some -- which I took over to Reb David's. It all came from Stanley Park.

But this year we got a truckload of street tree branches -- plum, all red-purple leaves. We were afraid that they wouldn't last but they did. Anne Daskal and I drove up to Trimble and 41st to collect them. We also picked up some coniferous stuff on the way back to Or Shalom. Motti Ehren-Lis dropped off a few branches, too.

Second, you need people. We announced the sukkah-building during shabbat between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, at the Yom Kippur Break Fast, and I also had put a message on the OrShNet. So on the Sunday after Yom Kippur, I got there in time to begin to lay out the structure ahead of everyone arriving.

I wanted to try out a slightly different structural framing than we built last year: I wanted to test a design for a simple structure that would go together like Lego, which wouldn't need construction or design expertise to put up and take down. That way, in future years, others could take on the building of the sukkah where they otherwise might not. Building a sukkah is a very special experience. It's like you get to build Judaism, get to manifest it in wood and branches and cloth. And after all the deep spiritual davenning of Yom Kippur, it is good to reconnect with these materials which are also haShem.

People began arriving eager to work. The only hitch was: I forgot to purchase nails. So one person went off to Revy. When he came back, things got going in earnest. The sukkah went up so smoothly, like a hot knife in butter. Everyone worked together. Two or three people each assembled one of the three post-and-beam assemblies. Then while some lifted two and held them up, others connected them with horizontal pieces. Then the third assembly was lifted up and we hammered that in. Lots of triangular bracing. Then rafter joists to carry the skhakh, then we launched the skhakh up, up and over onto what became the roof. We took pictures, you can see for yourself.

We used blue tarps for the walls because we couldn't find the faux-burlap we used last year. We also stapled in on the inside the wall hangings we used last year. Nurit and the schoolchildren made and hung decorations.

The next step, of course, is to enjoy the sukkah. The mitzvah is lashev basukkah -- to sit in the sukkah. And lots of people did, during the week and especially on the shabbat during Sukkot.

It is an important step to take down the sukkah. But you're not just bashing it up and tossing out the stuff. The sukkah is carefully dismantled (as carefully as you might, given that it is structural timber), all the nails removed, and stored dry for next year under the ramp at the back of the bayit. The skhakh we bundled up to put out for garbage pickup. It would be great if we could get it delivered back to the City where they could mulch it up.

What was different about dismantling the sukkah this year was that we did it in the pouring rain. Shona and I got there mistakenly an hour early because of the change back to Standard Time. We were completely soaked by the time that Michael Smus, Alan Posthuma and Marianne S. arrived. Reinforcements! So we finished dismantling.

Taking down the sukkah is the end of the High Holy Days. At the end, haShem calls you to pay attention to hol, to common things.

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NEWS & SCHMOOZE

Membership Committee Compiling Up-to-Date List

Thanks to all of you who have sent in your membership declaration forms. We are well on our way to compiling an up-to-date membership list, which will be sent to all members in January. For those of you who have forgotten to do so, don't fret. You will be receiving a phone call to gently nudge you into completing the declaration form. In case you are not sure what we are referring to, here is a brief explanation: the membership committee is in the process of formalizing our membership and has asked all members and friends to declare their intention regarding membership status and also to consider making the strongest financial commitment possible to ensure our community's stability. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions or suggestions. -- Sally Thorne (733-0584 or Salthorne@aol.com)
Ruth Hershler (224-3070 or hershler@sfu.ca)

Bosnian Refugees on Way

Diana and Dragan Koprivica, beloved friends of Nada and Zadik Danon and their children from Mostar, will finally be arriving in Vancouver from Germany in the next month or so. They are Bosnian refugees who have been living in Germany since war broke out in the former Yugoslavia and are being expelled from Germany now that the shooting is over in Bosnia. Or Shalom is providing legal sponsorship for this couple, although the bulk of the costs of their absorption will be provided by the Danon family. Please call me (875-1781) if you have some or all of the things that this couple will need to get started here. Some ideas are furniture, kitchen dishes, pots and pans, TV, alarm clock, blankets, sheets, etc. I will be able to store these items for them until they arrive. Thank you in advance for searching through your homes. -- Michal Mivasair

How Goes Your Garden?

Some of you may have noticed the new plants in the garden bed on 10th Avenue in front of the shul. My husband Michael Barkusky and and I have purchased the plants and provided the labour for these low-maintenance evergreen shrubs, which will eventually grow and fill up the entire bed. We would like to recoup some of our costs, so I am offering gardening advice to anyone who could then donate a $20 bill (or more at their option) towards the cost of the plants. We understand that any donations would qualify for a tax receipt by Or Shalom. So if you wish to contribute in a financial way to the Or Shalom garden, you can get some free gardening advice at the same time. Please give me a call at 874-4118 if you want to talk about your garden. -- Celia Brauer

Phone Tree Needs Callers

Our community has grown to 267 adults. There are occasional times when we need to inform folks of important or urgent events in a hurry. Thus we have a phone tree system to call everyone. We need a few more callers to ease the load on the current volunteers. Would you be willing to help us out? It would mean calling no more than 10 people very occasionally. We also need a few back-up callers in case we are unable to reach the front-line callers. If you are willing, please call or f'e-mail me: 736-4110, and friedom@istar.ca.
-- Carol Ann Fried

KEREN OR (A Beam of Light)

Published six times a year by the Or Shalom Jewish Spiritual Community, 710 East 10th Ave., Vancouver, B.C., Canada V5T 2A7. Tel: (604) 872-1614 Fax: 872-4406. E-mail: orshalom@bc.sympatico.ca. February/March Issue Deadline -- 3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15, 1998. Please save files on disk as plain text or send e-mail. © The authors, 1997

Editor: Lorne Mallin, lmallin@smartt.com

Proofreader: Azima Buell

Contributors

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