Programs - Makom

Jan 24 – Friday Night Services + Shabbat Dinner

Wind down from the week and welcome Shabbat with soulful, song-filled services, in which everyone can participate. After services, we’ll enjoy a delicious, catered kosher vegan Shabbat dinner and each other’s warm company.

Friday January 24
6:00pm – 9:00pm
@ Makom (map)
Please register for dinner by Thursday, January 23 at 10am

No need to register if you’re coming just for services and not staying for dinner.
Become a Makom Member first and save 10%. We also have various price options so that finances aren’t an impediment to anyone’s participation.

Services

Makom is a diverse and inclusive community that welcomes participants with many different approaches to Judaism, from secular to traditionally observant. Our services blend traditional and progressive practices, so our community can join together without regard to denominational labels.

We offer men’s, women’s, and mixed (all-genders) seating sections. All genders may lead parts of services. We need an egalitarian minyan of 10 Jews and a non-overlapping traditional minyan of 10 men to start the maariv service, so we encourage you to come on time.

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

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

Accessibility

Makom welcomes participants of all abilities. Makom’s main space is wheelchair accessible; unfortunately, the washroom and playroom are not. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms one block away at the coffee shop at the corner of Bathurst and College. If you have an accessibility need or require any accommodations, please reach out to us.

Jan 19 – Weaving Stories, Weaving Warmth

Family stories weave us all together…let’s weave warmth for those in need while we share our stories with each other. Grandparents are the foundation-builders in our families. Their experiences are threads that help us to weave our own personal stories.

Sunday, January 19
4pm – 6pm
@ Makom (map)
Register here

For this unique event, we’re extending a special invitation to grandparents, parents, and pre-teens/teens to come together at Makom to share family history and family stories while we craft fleece blankets for those in need on Toronto’s streets this winter.

All supplies will be provided, and no sewing experience is required. We’ll enjoy some delicious snacks while we work and chat.

We hope that you’ll join us for this informal afternoon of connection and tikkun olam as we partner with Ve’ahavta, a humanitarian Jewish organization, to make and distribute the blankets to the Toronto community.

Please note that you and your friends are warmly welcome, even if you’re attending without family members. 


*Students in grades 6-8 and high-school teens of all Jewish identities are warmly welcome, including from interfaith/intercultural families and LGBTQ+.  No Makom affiliation necessary.

Looking forward to seeing you there!


Accessibility Information

Makom welcomes participants of all abilities. Makom’s main space is wheelchair accessible; unfortunately, the washroom and playroom are not. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms one block away at the coffee shop at the corner of Bathurst and College. If you have an accessibility need or require any accommodations, please reach out to us.

Any Qs? Please contact Sarah English, Director of Education and Youth Programs.

Jan 19 – Family Tree with You and Me!

Calling all grandparents, parents, and kids! Join us for an intergenerational afternoon of meaningful fun as we build family trees and share stories.

Sunday, January 19
1:30pm – 3:00pm
@ Makom (map)
Register here

Our family histories are what link all of the generations of our families together, and all of the Jewish people as a whole. Understanding where we come from is a hugely important part of our personal stories. Grandparents build the foundations of our families and help us to understand what makes us…us!

Grandparents, parents, and kids are invited to build kid-friendly family trees. We’ll also be sharing family stories, with a special focus on the experiences that our parents and grandparents have to share, and enjoying snacks as we chat.

This event is Geared for kids in JK through grade 5; younger siblings are welcome.  This is designed to give grandparents, parents, and kids a chance to do a hands-on activity and talk together (not a drop-off program).

We hope that you’ll join us for this wonderful opportunity to pass on family wisdom and a sense of connection to each other.


Accessibility Information

Makom welcomes participants of all abilities. Makom’s main space is wheelchair accessible; unfortunately, the washroom and playroom are not. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms one block away at the coffee shop at the corner of Bathurst and College. If you have an accessibility need or require any accommodations, please reach out to us.

Any Qs? Please contact Sarah English, Director of Education and Youth Programs.

Jan 11 – Shabbat Morning Services + Lunch n’ Learn

Join us for soulful and song-filled Shabbat morning services, followed by a delicious Shabbat lunch and stimulating learning! Supervised childcare will be provided in our playroom during services.

Saturday January 11
9:30am – 2:30pm
@ Makom (map)
Please register for lunch by Friday, Jan 10 at 12 noon.

Become a Makom Member first and save 10%. Services don’t require registration.

We have various price options so that finances aren’t an impediment to anyone’s participation.


At lunch, Daphna Jackson will teach us on “Toratah: The Regendered Bible.”

Daphna Jackson is a lay educator with Beit Toratah, a project of Yael Kanarek and Tamar Biala to reconsider the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) through a matriarchal structure by changing the genders of the Biblical characters. Daphna leads study sessions and contributes to the English translation of the Toratah text as a co-editor.

Daphna works as a physiotherapist specializing in pediatrics and previously served on Makom’s Board of Directors.

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

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

Accessibility

Makom welcomes participants of all abilities. Makom’s main space is wheelchair accessible; unfortunately, the washroom and playroom are not. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms one block away at the coffee shop at the corner of Bathurst and College. If you have an accessibility need or require any accommodations, please reach out to us.

Dec 15 – Make Your Own Olive Oil Hanukkah Workshops

Low flickering oil-lamp flames with a black background. Text above that says Make your own olive oil! Hanukkah workshops for everyone

Join us for a hands-on experience! Press olives and make your very own oil for lighting hanukkiot (Hanukkah menorahs). Get a taste of what it was like to make oil in olden times and share the warmth and light of your own freshly pressed oil with family and friends.

Along with your oil, you’ll take home a set of glass inserts that can be used in most hanukkiot to enable them to hold oil, along with floating wicks.

All three events are on Sunday, December 15 at Makom (map).

Please register by as soon as possible so we can order supplies! Click the links below to register and get full details:

 

Families with Kids

Press your own olive oil,  make a “stained glass” dreidel, and hear a Hanukkah story. Geared for kids in JK through grade 5; younger siblings are welcome. This is designed to give parents and kids a chance to do a hands-on holiday activity together (not a drop-off program).

Sunday, Dec 15
1:00 – 2:30pm


Hativah (Grades 6-8)

Make your own olive oil, play fun Hanukkah games, and make (and eat!) latkes with other kids your age. Feel free to invite friends. This event is for middle school students (grades 6-8) only, not for parents.

Sunday, Dec 15
3:00 – 4:30pm


High School Teens

Make your own olive oil, play fun Hanukkah games, and make (and eat!) latkes with new and old friends. Feel free to invite friends. This event is for high school students only, not for parents.

Sunday, Dec 15
5:00 – 6:30pm


Suggestion for all events: everyone should wear or bring an old shirt/smock and old pair of pants, as oil can leave marks on clothing.

Any Qs? Please contact Sarah English, Director of Education and Youth Programs.

Dec 13 – Friday Night Services, Shabbat Dinner + Guest Speaker

Wind down from the week and welcome Shabbat with soulful, song-filled services, in which everyone can participate. This time, we’ll be joined by guest speaker Rabbi Mike Moskowitz. Supervised childcare will be provided in our playroom during services.

Friday, December 13
6:00pm – 9:00pm
@ Makom (map)
Please register for dinner by Thursday, December 12 at 10am.

Become a Makom Member first and save 10%. Services don’t require registration.

We have various price options so that finances aren’t an impediment to anyone’s participation.


At lunch, we’ll learn with Rabbi Mike Moskowitz“Allyship as Spiritual Jewish Practice”

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is a deeply traditional and radically progressive advocate for trans rights and a vocal ally for LGBTQ inclusivity. He serves as the Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue. Rabbi Moskowitz received three Ultra-Orthodox ordinations while learning in the Mir Yeshivah in Jerusalem and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ. He is a Wexner Field Fellow, Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Hartman Institute, and the author of Textual ActivismGraceful Masculinity, and Seasonal Resistance. His newest book, Ancestral Allyship, is now available. Rabbi Moskowitz’s writings can be found at www.rabbimikemoskowitz.com.


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

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

Accessibility

Makom welcomes participants of all abilities. Makom’s main space is wheelchair accessible; unfortunately, the washroom and playroom are not. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms one block away at the coffee shop at the corner of Bathurst and College. If you have an accessibility need or require any accommodations, please reach out to us.

Nov 30 – Shabbat Morning Services + Lunch n’ Learn

Join us for soulful and song-filled Shabbat morning services, followed by a delicious Shabbat lunch and stimulating learning! Supervised childcare will be provided in our playroom during services.

Saturday November 30
9:30am – 2:30pm
@ Makom (map)
Please register for lunch by Friday, Nov 29 at 12 noon.

Become a Makom Member first and save 10%. Services don’t require registration.

We have various price options so that finances aren’t an impediment to anyone’s participation.


At lunch, we’ll learn with Dr. Alan Morinis on the topic: “Why Be Ethical in an Unethical World?”

Dr. Alan Morinis, Founder of The Mussar Institute, is a leading figure in the contemporary revival of the Mussar movement, a 1,100-year-old authentic Jewish personal and communal spiritual tradition that was nearly lost following the Holocaust. A filmmaker, Rhodes Scholar, and anthropologist whose focus had been Hindu religious pilgrimages, he reached a personal turning point in his life in 1997 that led to his exploration of Mussar. Alan sought out Rabbi Yechiel Perr, an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition. Following years of study, he reinterpreted the ancient Mussar learnings and practices for modern audiences and founded The Mussar Institute in 2004. He is the author of Climbing Jacob’s LadderEveryday Holiness; Every Day, Holy Day; and With Heart in Mind. Alan continues to explore and interpret original Mussar sources in Hebrew and is making these valuable teachings available to the contemporary world.


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

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

Accessibility

Makom welcomes participants of all abilities. Makom’s main space is wheelchair accessible; unfortunately, the washroom and playroom are not. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms one block away at the coffee shop at the corner of Bathurst and College. If you have an accessibility need or require any accommodations, please reach out to us.

Nov 24 – Family Holiday Calendar Crafternoon

Join us for a fun afternoon of family time and Jewish holiday calendar crafting! Help your family visualize all the Jewish holidays, and talk about our favourite holidays as we go! We’ll glue and paint interactive holiday calendars that kids can take home and display proudly.

Sunday November 24
1pm – 2:30pm
@ Makom (map)
Please register by Thursday, Nov 21.

Geared for kids in JK through grade 5; younger siblings are welcome.  This is designed for parents and kids to do together (not a drop-off program).

Suggestion: everyone should wear or bring an old shirt or smock, since we’ll be painting. Looking forward to crafting with you!

Any Qs? Please contact Sarah English, Director of Education and Youth Programs.

Accessibility Information

Makom welcomes participants of all abilities. Makom’s main space is wheelchair accessible; unfortunately, the washroom and playroom are not. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms one block away at the coffee shop at the corner of Bathurst and College. If you have an accessibility need or require any accommodations, please reach out to us.

Nov 24 – Hativah (Grade 6-8) Games Gathering

Join Hativah – our youth group for grades 6-8 – for a fun afternoon of board games and good company! Come hang out with other downtown Jewish* kids your age, enjoy unlimited pop and juice, and play some board games at Snakes & Lattes on College with us. Feel free to invite friends!

Sunday November 24
3pm – 5pm
@ Snakes & Lattes College (map)
Please register by Sun, Nov 24 at 12 noon.

The registration fee covers admission and unlimited pop and juice. Snacks are also available for sale by Snakes and Lattes and mostly not kosher.

If finances are a barrier, please contact Sarah in advance.

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

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

High school students: register for the Teens’ Game night here.

Any Qs? Email Sarah English, Director of Education & Youth Programming.

Nov 24 – Downtown Jewish Teens’ Games Night at Snakes & Lattes

Photograph from last year's Snakes and Lattes event

Join Downtown Jewish Teens for a fun evening of board games and snacks! Come hang out with other awesome Jewish* high school students and play an incredible variety of board games at Snakes & Lattes on College with us. Feel free to invite friends!

Sunday November 24
5pm – 7pm
@ Snakes & Lattes College (map)
Please register by Sun, Nov 24 at 12 noon.

The registration fee covers admission and unlimited pop and juice. Snacks are also available for sale by Snakes and Lattes and mostly not kosher.

If finances are a barrier, please contact Sarah in advance.

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

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

Middle school (grades 6-8) students: click here to register for Hativah Game Day.

Any Qs? Email Sarah English, Director of Education & Youth Programming.