For families with kids 0-10 and tweens/teens in grades 5-8… Thurs, May 19 5:45-7:00pm @Dovercourt Park Free (just pay for falafel if you want it) Registration Required Final deadline to order falafel: Thurs, May 19, 12noon!
Fun & active, Israeli kids’ games (groups for younger kids & tween/teens)
Fresh falafel sandwiches
Bonfire with potatoes, s’mores & songs
“What’s Lag ba-Omer?” 15-minute mini-class for parents
Meet other downtown Jewish families
B.Y.O. Water Bottle
All families are welcome, including LGBTQ+ families & interfaith/intercultural families.
Posted on by Adina in Programs | Comments Off on May 21: Shabbat Morning Services
Sat, May 21 9:30am-12:00pm Free Near Harbord & Spadina (Exact location provided upon registration) Registration Required by Friday 12noon – register below!
Please join us for soulful and song-filled Shabbat morning services with Torah reading and a devar Torah (Torah teaching).
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 full traditional liturgy (prayer text).
Covid Precautions
Because Makom’s storefront is too cozy for Covid, we’re renting a much larger space so that we can properly distance. The HVAC system and large, 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 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 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.
Adults must bring ID with their name and birthdate to services.
*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 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.
We’ll deliver Torah right to your home! We’ll focus on a brief piece of the parashah (weekly Torah portion) together with a commentary or midrash (interpretation). Through guided text study and discussion, we’ll arrive at an inspiring message we can apply in our lives.
Everyone is welcome! No prior Jewish study or Hebrew knowledge required.
Registration Required by Friday at noon – register below. You must bring photo ID in order to enter the building.
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 will 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.
Adults must bring ID with their name and birthdate to services.
*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, Programs | Comments Off on Weds, May 4 – June 22: 8 Prophets in 8 Weeks
8 Wednesdays, May 4 – June 22 12-1pm Online $120 for the series ($80 reduced rate available) Registration Required Automatic Closed Captioning
What do our ancient Jewish prophets have to say to us? And why did Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel call the prophets “some of the most disturbing people who have ever lived”? Let’s delve into eight of their very shortest books to find out!
Each week, we’ll explore the historical context, literary features, soaring rhetoric, and personalities of one of eight books of the “minor” prophets of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible): Yoel, Ovadiah, Yonah, Nahum, Havakkuk, Tzefania, Haggai, and Malakhi.
We’ll both overview each book and engage in a close reading and discussion of key passages.
So we can make the most of our class time together, please prepare for class by reading that week’s prophet (only 1-4 chapters) in English, Hebrew, or whatever language you prefer. Reading from a print Tanakh is best (recommended: Robert Alter’s English translation or JPS Hebrew-English edition), but you can also find the JPS Hebrew-English free online.
No prior Jewish study or Hebrew knowledge required Questions? Contact Rabbi Aaron
Bring some cash if you want to make a donation of sadaqah / tzedakah* for Fort York Food Bank to help those in need. (*literally, justice & righteousness in Arabic & Hebrew)
Want to volunteer with setup 6:30-7:30pm &/or cleanup 9:00-9:30pm (for volunteer hours, if you want)? Check the box when you register.
Traditional Jewish law (Torah – Shemot/Exodus 12:19) forbids not only eating any hametz (leavened grain products) during Passover, but even owning any hametz.
While it’s ideal to consume or donate (e.g., to a soup kitchen) all hametz prior to the morning before Passover starts, rabbinic tradition allows you to sell your hametz to a non-Jew, even while it remains on your premises.
If you’d like to sell your hametz through Makom, please complete and sign the linked form (in either doc or pdf format), scan it, and email it to aaron@makomTO.org by 12noon Thurs, April 14.
Or mail the completed and signed form to: Rabbi Aaron Levy, 141 Markham St., Toronto, ON M6J 2G4. Mailed forms must reach Rabbi Aaron by Thurs, April 14.
FYI, the latest time to finish eating hametz on Friday, April 15 is 11:03am.
There is no fee for this service. Donations to Makom are greatly appreciated and tax deductible. Minimum suggested donation: $18. You may donate by e-transfer to admin@makomTO.org (please include your email address in the message), by credit card, by PayPal, or mail a cheque along with your form.
