Join us in the park to welcome Shabbat and celebrate Tu be-Av – the Jewish holiday of love!
Enjoy some time on the playground, PJ Library story time, a song and craft for the holiday, and family-friendly Shabbat activities in a relaxed environment.
BYO Picnic dinner; we’ll provide hallah and grape juice!
We invite all family members to wear white, an ancient custom for Tu be-Av.
Families MUST pre-register by Thurs, Aug 11, as we will not be registering families at the park. As spots are limited, please let us know ASAP if you are no longer able to attend. Please register for each person attending.
We are committed to accessibility. Please email Lauren or call 416-924-6211 to let us know about your access needs as soon as possible.
Presented in partnership with Families @ the J & PJ Library
Sat, Aug 6 (Tishah be-Av Eve) 10:00 Doors Open 10:15 Sharp Maariv (evening service) 10:30 Eikhah (Lamentations) 11:15 Kinnot (singing elegies) 11:30 Conclusion @ The Kiever Synagogue – 25 Bellevue Ave FREE BRING FOOD or $$ to DONATE + FLASHLIGHT
Usher in Tishah be-Av, the ninth day of the lunar month of Av, in community.This date marks the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies in Jewish history. It is traditionally observed with fasting, refraining from wearing leather, and other mourning customs. (For more background, see here.)
Please BRING FOOD or CASH for our neighbours at Fort York Food Bank, in keeping with the spirit of Isaiah 58:6-7, “This is the fast I desire… It is to share your bread with the hungry.” Fresh produce, grains, and canned or boxed foods are all welcome, as are cash donations.
We’ll pray the brief evening service and listen to the Biblical book of Eikhah/Lamentations, hauntingly chanted by community members. As signs of mourning, it’s customary to sit on the floor of the synagogue with the lights dimmed, so please BRING A FLASHLIGHT. We’ll also sing some songs, kinnot (elegies), and niggunim (wordless melodies).
FYI, Shabbat ends at 9:23pm, but the fast begins earlier Saturday at sunset,8:34pm, and ends Sunday at nightfall, 9:21pm.
There will be a low partition between women’s and men’s seating for the evening service, which will be removed for Eikhah and the rest of the evening’s program.
COVID Precautions
In order to make Makom safer for all community members, including some who may have health concerns, we continue to take a cautious approach to COVID.
Everyone age 2 and over must wear a mask at all times while in the building. Adults and kids age 5+ must wear 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 children 5+ must show an enhanced vaccination certificate with a QR code upon entry. If you have a valid medical exemption you must provide your verified certificate with a QR code.
Adults and teens (12+) must have received three doses.
Children 5-11 must have received two doses.
Please arrive at 10:00 to show your enhanced vaccination certificate with a QR code upon entry.
If you have questions about our policies, please contact us.
**You can download your proof of vaccination from the Ontario website here. If you got your vaccinations 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.
After more than two years of disconnection and distance, we’re thrilled to join together for an immersive experience of Jewish mindfulness, learning, prayer, and connection with nature.
We’ll celebrate Shabbat and the unique, seasonal Selihot prayer service as we focus and reflect on the process and experience of teshuvah/returning in preparation for the Yamim Nora’im/Days of Awe.
Each day, we’ll practice meditation and yoga, and engage in text study and contemplative prayer, along with abundant opportunities for paddling, hiking, pottery, and other arts in our beautiful camp setting. Half of our day will be spent in silent practice (with instruction). No previous experience with meditation, text study, or yoga is required.
Presented by Camp Ramah in Canada with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and the Beth Tzedec Centre for Spiritual Well-Being, in partnership with Adath Israel, Annex Shul, Holy Blossom, Makom, neyShev, Shoresh, and Temple Emanu-El.
Posted on by Adina in Programs | Comments Off on July 22: Outdoor Friday Night Services + Picnic
Fri, July 22 7-9pm @Bickford Park (map) Free – donations greatly appreciated! Registration Required
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!
Brought to you by Makom & Annex Shul
B.Y.O. Dinner, Plate, Utensils, Napkin, Water bottle, Blanket, etc.
We’ll provide grape juice for kiddush & rolls for ha-motzi.
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 and must be registered as well.
Please note that washrooms should be open, based on information from the Parks Department, but cannot be guaranteed.
In the event of rain, services will be held indoors at Makom (402 College) with masking required; picnic will be cancelled.
Posted on by Adina in Class, Programs | Comments Off on June 30: Jewish Sources on Abortion
Thurs, June 30 8-9pm Online Free – donations greatly appreciated! Registration Required Zoom link sent upon registration
What does Judaism teach about abortion?
In light of the US Supreme Court’s tragic decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion, join Rabbi Aaron online to explore relevant Jewish sources, from ancient to contemporary.
In addition to learning the texts, we’ll discuss the changing legal ground in the US and its implications for women’s bodily autonomy and freedom of religion.
Everyone is welcome!
No prior Jewish study or Hebrew knowledge required.
Posted on by Adina in Programs | Comments Off on June 12 – Art Opening
If you haven’t yet seen Parchment – artist Rob Shostak’s wonderful new FENTSTER installation in Makom’s storefront window – join us for the opening, Sunday, June 12, 2:30-4:30pm.
We’ll gather outdoors to enjoy the art, homemade challah bites, and live music from The Horables, blending Klezmer, Django-style jazz, polkas, and rags from the age of steam.
After a two-year Covid hiatus, this incredible festival of diverse Jewish learning is back in person, in a condensed format, from 6:00 to 11:30pm.
Among the many fascinating sessions (and snacks!), our community will offer holiday ma’ariv/evening services (9:30pm on the MNjcc rooftop) and Rabbi Aaron will teach “When’s Shavuot?! Adventures in the Jewish Multiverse” (10:45pm in Robert Street Park at Sussex). In the event of rain, sessions will be held inside the MNjcc.
It’s free and open to all, but registration’s required by Friday afternoon. You won’t want to miss it!
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* (includingboosters), 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 Covidwithin 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.
Posted on by Adina in Class, holidays | Comments Off on May 18: Interfaith Couples’ Conversation: What’s Lag ba-Omer?
ALL* interfaith/intercultural/interracial couples** with one Jewish partner are invited to come together (virtually) to join our growing, warm community!
Get to know other interfaith couples and learn about the mysterious Jewish holiday of Lag ba-Omer!
*LGBTQ and straight couples warmly welcome!
**One or both partners of interfaith couples are welcome to join us.
Zoom link sent upon registration; look for an email from support@guestlist.co
