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YETZIRAH
- Heart Connections Jewish mysticism refers
to this as the realm of emotions, the place of the heart: the high and the
lows. One symbol of this world is water which can be liquid, solid or gas.
The tides rise and ebb. Human beings are primarily composed of water. We
can't live without it, just as our emotions keep us connected.. |
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At Or Shalom we are
committed to celebrating our joys and triumphs as well as finding loving
support for the sorrows of life. More than anything, we are a community, a
group of people connected to one another in a large web of personal
relationships. We have a lot of fun together and in difficult times, we care
for one another in a loving, respectful and sensitive manner. Music.
Song is in the heart of Or Shalom davenen. It is said that one who sings,
prays twice. Singing opens a channel from our inner neshama--our soul-- to
God, the Soul of the entire cosmos. On Shabbat morning we use melodies which
come to us from different strands of Jewish tradition - Ashkenazi liturgy,
Hassidic niggunim, compositions by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and compositions
of our own members, especially Hanna Tiferet Siegel, one of our founders. Inclusivity. Many Jews wonder if
they're Jewish enough, observant enough, knowledgeable enough, etc. At Or
Shalom, everyone who feels the need to be here is welcome. That means that our
community embraces both Jews and non-Jews, frummies (orthodox) and liberals,
gays and straights, singles and families. However you label or don't label
yourself, you are welcome. Choosing
Judaism. A number of
us were not born into Judaism, but came to it later in life and have found a
spiritual home at Or Shalom. This community recognizes that Jews by choice
with their varied backgrounds and experiences enrich us all and reflect
Judaism back to those who were born into the tradition. Are you approaching (or
returning to) Judaism for the first time? The Exploring
Judaism course might help in your
quest. A non-OrShalom website which
might prove helpful is www.convert.org Patrilineal Descent?
Or Shalom has followed 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 Special
events:
Or Shalom Retreat. A long-standing Or Shalom
tradition is to head out of town on the Victoria Day long weekend to spend
the time with each other: learning and laughing, playing and praying, hiking
and dancing, singing and sharing, and talking and talking and talking. The
retreat is held at Camp Hope, a few hours east of Vancouver. Before Yom Kippur, women and men gather (at different times) to go to the
mikvah (ritual bath) - a physical act that helps to clarify the spiritual
through the physical. Join us. For further information,
check out our calendar of events. Gemilut
Chesed:
The Gemilut Chesed committee helps
members support one another in times of crisis or transition. The Committee has
prepared a resource
list of local agencies that provide transportation, counseling, and
other types of support. To connect with the committee, please contact Bat-Ami
Segal at bfsegal@shaw.ca. For
further information on any of these matters |
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[ Home ] |
[ Asiyah ] |
[ Yetzirah] |
[ Briyah] |
[ Atzilut] |
[Calendar] |
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( Doing ) |
( Feeling ) |
( Knowing ) |
( Being ) |
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