Thursday, May 18
7:30-9:30PM
@Makom – 402 College St (map)
$18
Registration required.

May 18th, 2023, marks Memorial Day for Ethiopian Jews who perished on their way to Israel. Observed annually on the 28th of Iyar through a national memorial ceremony in Jerusalem, Israelis gather to commemorate and honour all the lives lost on the journey from Ethiopia to Israel. The Miles Nadal JCC and Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism welcome Yonatan Belete to share his personal thoughts on this Memorial Day, a brief history of Ethiopian Jewry, and pertinent perspectives on the present and future of the Ethiopian-Israeli community. Light refreshments will be served.

About Yonatan:

A proud member of the Ethiopian Jewish community, Yonatan Belete has presented on the history of Ethiopian Jewry on university campuses across Canada. Dedicated to his community, Yonatan was a tutor in the English Language Program at Friends by Nature, a non-profit organization committed to educating and nurturing the next generation of Ethiopian-Israeli leaders. A co-founder at No Silence on Race, he previously served as the Director of Speechwriting and Public Relations at the Embassy of Israel in Ottawa. Yonatan holds a BAH in Political Studies and History from Queen’s University.

We ask that folks who are not feeling well stay home; masking is encouraged but not required. We are committed to ensuring our programming is accessible to anybody who wishes to attend. Please email shanat@mnjcc.org with any accessibility questions or requests and we will work together to find ways for you to join us. 

Supported by the Kolel Legacy Fund at the Jewish Foundation.

Makom & Shoresh invite you to…

Celebrate Lag ba-Omer!

Tuesday, May 9
5:45pm – 9pm (see full schedule below)
@Dovercourt Park (map)
Optional dinner-add on requires registration.

{What’s Lag ba-Omer? A minor holiday marking the joyous 33rd day between Passover & Shavuot.}

Events for Families with Kids, Pre-Teens, Teens & Adults

5:45-7pm  Families with kids (babies through grade 8)

• Fun & active games (separate activities for younger kids & grades 5-8)
• Dinner (choose pizza or falafel; must be ordered in addition to registration)
• S’mores over the bonfire
• Guitar & songs around the fire
• Optional “What’s Lag ba-Omer?” 15-minute mini-class for parents

7-8pm  Teens only (grades 8-12)

• Hang out with other Jewish teens
• Dinner (choose pizza or falafel; must be ordered in addition to registration)
• S’mores over the bonfire

8-9pm Adults

• Hang out with new and old friends
• S’mores over the bonfire
• Guitar & songs around the fire
• Optional guided meditation

Deadline to order pizza & falafel: Monday night, May 8

B.Y.O. Water Bottle

All are welcome, including LGBTQ+ folks & interfaith/intercultural couples/families.

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

Presented by Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism & Shoresh

Fri, Dec 2
6-9pm
@Makom – 402 College St (map)
Services: Free
Dinner: $20 adults/teens, $12 kids (10% discount for Makom Members)
Volunteers eat free
Dinner Registration Required by Wed night!

Celebrate Shabbat with spirit! Wind down from the week and welcome Shabbat with soulful, song-filled services, in which everyone can participate.

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

After services, we’ll enjoy a delicious, catered kosher vegan Shabbat dinner together.

Limited space; register for dinner by Wednesday night!

Become a Makom Member first and save 10%. (We’ll send all members a discount code Wed morning.)

If cost presents a hardship for you, please contact Rabbi Aaron.

Volunteers Eat FREE!

We need two volunteers who commit to helping set up dinner after services, bringing out food, and cleaning up. If you want to volunteer, register for a volunteer ticket instead of a paid ticket.

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 dinner are welcome to remove their masks.

*As a diverse and inclusive Jewish community, Makom has mens’, womens’, and mixed (all genders) 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).
 

Friday, June 3
6:45-8:00pm
@Makom – 402 College St

Free – donations greatly appreciated!

Registration Required by Friday at noon – register below.

Please join us for Makom’s soulful, song-filled Friday night services!

As a diverse and inclusive Jewish community, Makom has mens’, womens’, and mixed (all genders’) seating sections. Female, male, and gender non-binary Jews can lead parts of services, and count in our double minyanim of both 10 Jewish men and 10 Jews regardless of gender. At our services, we follow the full traditional liturgy (prayer text).

Covid Precautions

Because Makom’s storefront is so cozy, we’re imposing a capacity limit so that we can properly distance. The open windows and stand-alone HEPA air purifier unit provide good ventilation.

Everyone age 2 and over must wear a mask at all times while in the building. Adults and age 5+ must wear a surgical mask or respirator (KF94, KN95 or N95); cloth masks are no longer acceptable. We will provide adult- and kid-sized surgical masks for anyone who doesn’t have one. Kids 2-4 should wear whatever mask they will wear consistently and fits best.

Anyone who, within the last 10 days, had symptoms of Covid-19 or a household member with a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19 must not attend.

Vaccination Policy

Adults, teens, and kids 5+ must be vaccinated to the fullest extent eligible* (including boosters), and must provide an enhanced vaccination certificate** with a QR code upon registration. If you have a valid medical exemption you must provide your verified certificate with a QR code.

*In most cases, the “fullest extent eligible” means:

• Adults (18+) need boosters, or to have received their second dose within the past four months.
• Teens (12-17) need boosters, or to have received their second dose within the past seven months.
• Kids 5-11 need three doses, or to have received their first dose within the past two months.
• In all cases, 14 days must have passed for a vaccine dose to be counted.

Adults and teens 12+ who were infected with Covid within the past four months, and had received two doses prior to this Covid infection, are exempt from the booster requirement. (This is in accordance with guidance from NACI that people infected with Covid after completing their primary vaccine series but before getting their booster should get their booster three months after infection.) If this applies to you, please upload your enhanced vaccination certificate showing two doses and email us with the date your symptoms began (or your positive test date if you were asymptomatic).

If you have questions about our policies, please contact us.

**You must provide your enhanced vaccination certificate with a valid QR code. You can download your proof of vaccination from the Ontario website here. If you were vaccinated outside Ontario, you can obtain an Ontario certificate by first reporting your vaccination information to your local public health unit. For Toronto residents, that form is here.

Registration