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Oct 5: Hativah Launch! Middle School Pizza Party in the Sukkah

Calling all Jewish middle school students! You’re invited to the launch of Hativah – our new youth group for grades 6-8.

Come hang out with other downtown kids your age, enjoy some pizza, and play fun games together, all in a sukkah.

View into a sukkah with a set table and lots of light.

Thursday, Oct 5
5:45 – 7:00pm

@Kiever Synagogue Sukkah (map)
Free!
Register by Thurs, Oct 5, at 12noon

Feel free to invite friends. Please note that this is for middle school students (grades 6-8) only, not for parents.

Middle school kids of all Jewish identities are warmly welcome, including from interfaith/intercultural families and LGBTQ+.  No Makom affiliation necessary.

Oct 4: Teens’ Pizza & Chill in the Sukkah

Chill in a sukkah with other downtown Jewish teens!

View into a decorated Sukkah against a night sky. Inside the sukkah there is a table with lit candles, a lulav and etrog, and wine.

Enjoy some pizza with new and old friends and learn about the holiday of Sukkot.

Feel free to invite friends, JSAs, etc.

Please note that this is for high school students (grades 9-12) only.

Wednesday, Oct 4
6:00 – 8:00pm

@Rabbi Aaron’s Sukkah (near Bathurst & Dundas)

Free! 
Register
by Wed, Oct 4, at 12noon

Oct 3: Families’ Pizza, Falafel & Crafts in the Sukkah

Connect with other families with kids over dinner and crafts while celebrating Sukkot.

Bring your kids for a fun and relaxed community dinner in the sukkah!

A craft sukkah, complete with walls, roof, table, chairs, and decorations, made of lolly sticks and tissue paper.

Families will learn about and get to shake lulav and etrog, do a quick craft, and enjoy a yummy kosher dinner and dessert together, all in a sukkah.

Tuesday, Oct 3
5:45 – 7:00pm

@Kiever Synagogue Sukkah (map)

Registration required by Tues, Oct 3, at 12noon

Schedule

5:45pm: Lulav & Etrog, Crafts
6:15pm: Dinner

Please note that this program is for families with kids from infants up through grade 5.

Families of all Jewish identities are warmly welcome, including interfaith/intercultural and LGBTQ+. No Makom affiliation necessary.

Sept 29: Friday Night/Sukkot Services + Dinner

A well-lit, decorated sukkah with nearby citrus trees.


Friday, Sept 29
6:45 – 9:30pm

@Kiever Synagogue Sukkah (map)

Dinner registration required by Wednesday night, Sept 20
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Services are free and don’t require registration
Join us for doubly-joyous services in the sukkah as we simultaneously welcome the start of Shabbat and Sukkot!
After services, we’ll enjoy a delicious, catered kosher vegan Shabbat dinner together in the sukkah.

Arrive at 6:45 to light candles, socialize, and find a seat. Services will start at 7pm sharp.

Services in the sukkah will have men’s, women’s, and all genders (mixed) seating sections.

In the event of rain, services and dinner will be held inside the Kiever Synagogue and services will have men’s and women’s seating sections only, in keeping with the Kiever’s practice.

Sep 24-25: Yom Kippur

Join us to welcome in the new Jewish year!

Please join us at Hart House for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Our uplifting, inspiring High Holiday offerings will include traditional services, family services, chanting, and meditation

We look forward to celebrating, reflecting, and singing our way through the Days of Awe together with you!

Registration is open to Makom members. We’ll send a High Holiday registration form to everyone who signs up for (or renews) their Makom membership.

Sep 16-17: Rosh Hashanah

Join us to welcome in the new Jewish year!

Please join us at Hart House for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Our uplifting, inspiring High Holiday offerings will include traditional services, family services, chanting, and meditation

We look forward to celebrating, reflecting, and singing our way through the Days of Awe together with you!

Registration is open to Makom members. We’ll send a High Holiday registration form to everyone who signs up for (or renews) their Makom membership.

Sep 9: High Holidays Kickoff: Musical Havdalah, Dessert, Days of Awe Singalong + Selihot

The word selihot written in Hebrew in bright blue over a dusky blue background with yellow stars.

Let’s conclude Shabbat together with a musical havdalah, and then socialize over dessert. We’ll kick off the High Holiday season with a singalong to learn soul-stirring High Holiday melodies, followed by the powerful prayers of selihot.

Saturday, Sept 9
9:15-11:45pm
@Makom
 (map)
Free – donations greatly appreciated

9:15pm – Doors open
9:30 sharp – Musical Havdalah
9:45 – Dessert & Socializing
10:15 – High Holiday Tunes Singalong
10:45 – Selihot Service
11:45 – Lilah Tov (Goodnight)!

Selihot are special penitential prayers recited on the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. They’re also a great opportunity to learn some of the powerful prayers and gorgeous melodies we’ll use on those Days of Awe.

Aug 19: Family Shabbat Afternoon in the Park

Saturday, August 19
4:30-6:30pm
@Vermont Square Park (map)
Free – donations greatly appreciated
B.Y.O. Picnic Dinner, Blanket & Water Bottle

Join other downtown Jewish families for a special Shabbat in the Park + Picnic! Enjoy some playground time, outdoor games and songs in a relaxed environment.

B.Y.O. Picnic Dinner, Blanket & Water Bottle, etc.
We’ll provide grape juice & mini-hallah rolls.

Geared for families with children ages 0-11. All families welcome, including LGBTQ+ and interfaith/intercultural families!

In the event of rain, the program is cancelled.

Any Qs? Email Racheli Mandleker, Makom’s Director of Youth Education & Programming.

Aug 11: Outdoor Friday night services + picnic

Outdoor services & picnic Shabbat dinner
This Friday, August 11
7-10pm
@Bickford Park (map)
Free – donations greatly appreciated
B.Y.O. Dinner, Plate, Utensils, Napkin, Water bottle, Blanket, etc.
 
Register for Outdoor Services & Shabbat Picnic Dinner
Gather in the great outdoors (of downtown TO) to wind down from the week and welcome Shabbat with soulful and song-filled services, followed by a picnic Shabbat dinner! B.Y.O. Dinner, Plate, Utensils, Napkin, Water bottle, Blanket, etc. We’ll provide grape juice for kiddush & rolls for ha-motzi. (Please note that this is NOT a potluck.)

Optional items to bring: Siddur/prayer book; we’ll have photocopies of services in Hebrew & phonetic transliteration available Kippah/head covering (if you wear one during services) We’ll have separate sections for women’s, men’s, and mixed (all genders) seating. Since we’ll be outdoors and not in a regular prayer space, there won’t be curtains between these sections. Children are welcome.

Washrooms should be open, based on information from the Parks Department, but can’t be guaranteed.

In the event of rain, the program is cancelled.

Feb 11: Shabbat Morning Services + Lunch’n’Learn


Sat, Feb 11
9:30am – 2:00pm

@Makom – 402 College St (map)
Free – donations greatly appreciated!
Lunch Registration Required by Fri, Feb 10 at 12noon

Join us for soulful and song-filled Shabbat morning services,followed by Shabbat lunch and stimulating learning!

Lunch is generously sponsored by Aviva and Jonathan Ben-Choreen Freedman in honour of their daughter Elishua reading Torah for her first time!

Please come on time so we can start services strong with a double minyan,* especially for anyone saying kaddish.

Supervised childcare will be provided in Makom’s playroom during services.

Lunch is FREE; registration’s required and donations are greatly appreciated!

Our teacher at lunch TBA.

Covid Precautions

To make services safer for community members who have health concerns, everyone age 5+ must wear a surgical or higher-quality mask (KN-95, KF-94, etc.) throughout services. Children 2-4 can wear any mask they’ll keep on. We’ll provide masks for those who don’t have.

After services conclude and folks who aren’t staying have a chance to leave, those staying for lunch are welcome to remove their masks.

*As a diverse and inclusive Jewish community, Makom has mens’, womens’, and mixed seating sections. Female, male, and gender non-binary Jews can lead parts of services, read and be called up to the Torah, and count in our double minyanim of both 10 Jewish men and 10 Jews regardless of gender. Makom services follow the traditional Ashkenazi liturgy (prayer text).