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Vayera
Dear friends, This week, Vayera, we continue to follow Avraham and Sarah as they welcome Yitzhak (“he will laugh”) into their family – their long awaited son. So much happens in this reading, but near the end we read of probably the most inexplicable command in Torah – God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son […]
Lech Lecha
Dear friends, The weeks are flying by, are they not? This week we are following the journey of Avram and Sarai as they leave their homeland to a place “that God will show” them. As someone who grew up here, and still lives here, this story always astounds my heart. I am not sure if […]
Well Done, Jack!
Congratulations to Kolot Mayim’s Jack Shalinsky, who, over the weekend was presented with a certificate in recognition of his 17 years of service on the board of Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island. Presenting him with the certificate is KM’s Aaron Devor.
Noach
Dear friends, As I am composing my thoughts, I am listening to the rain, drip, drip, drip. We are so blessed to have rainfall, even as we may need to rearrange ourselves as we try to have outdoor visits. We know that without adequate rain, much vegetation around us will suffer. What is the geshem, the […]
Ruach
Dear friends, What a month plus of celebrations we have had. We have Zoomed around the world and into each other’s homes and hearts. As the wind knocked over the willows from our sukkah on Shabbat, we are reminded that the seasons have shifted. We now change the wording in the Amidah from Moreed ha’tal, a […]
Even in Danger, We Sang
Dear friends, The announcement page looks very bare after the fullness of this past month with so many announcements about our Yomtov preparations and services! I have heard back from many of you and am so pleased that you enjoyed the array of videos and singing that we included in our Rosh Hashanah and Yom […]
The Blessing of So Many Days of Celebration
From Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah we have the blessing of so many days of celebration – a blessing that can feel never ending some days! We have days of great joy and anticipation – eating favourite foods, dancing, shaking the lulav – and we gather for more somber days, where, for example, on Yizkor […]
Holding Ourselves Upright
Dear friends, One can learn from the smallest of details. As I was preparing this message, I attempted to diminish the photo of myself (above). If I diminished the photo too much, it flipped and showed upside down. What occurred to me in that moment was a lesson in being careful to not diminish ourselves […]
Chaye Sarah
November 8, 2020 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: chaye sahah •
Dear friends, In memory of: Pnina Benyamini, Ruth Lewis Bloomfield, Sharon Guralnick and Dina Wolfe, all of whom died over this past week. Our condolences to their families. This week we enter into Chaye Sarah – technically we read these words as the life of Sarah, but we quickly realize it is her life as remembered by […]