Archives for Downtown Jewish Community

June 4 – Downtown Tikkun Leil Shavuot

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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!

Cancelled: June 18 Shabbat Morning Services

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Partially open Torah scroll, as read from in Shabbat morning services

Sat, June 18
Unfortunately, this service has been cancelled. We hope to see you next time!

Makom is hiring – come work for us

Posted on by in Makom Afterschool | Comments Off on Makom is hiring – come work for us

Makom is hiring!

We have several job openings available. We’re looking for a Curriculum Designer, Hebrew teachers, Jewish life teachers, teaching assistants, and additional specialties for the 2016-17 school year.

Request for Proposals: Curriculum Design, Makom Afterschool

Makom Afterschool is an innovative, pluralistic, Hebrew-immersion Jewish after-school program for children in junior kindergarten through Grade 4 (and growing) in downtown Toronto. Makom Afterschool enables children to attend their local neighbourhood school while gaining high-quality Jewish and Hebrew education and a warm Jewish peer community. We have three sites, at three different downtown public schools. Students attend between 2 and 5 days a week, with approximately 1.25-1.5 hours of class learning time per day (in addition to recess and snack). We have multi-age classrooms, with each classroom having 2 or 3 grades in it. Learn more about Makom Afterschool »

We are looking for an experienced, creative curriculum designer trained in experiential/informal education methodologies to design a multi-year, spiraling Hebrew and Jewish learning curriculum for our school. This project will take our school to the next level, help hone a “Makom approach” to Jewish education, and delineate a radically different approach to Jewish supplemental education than other programs in Toronto.

The project is to be completed by August 2017, with various deliverables throughout the project timeline.

The final deliverable will include:

  • A multi-year, spiraling curriculum, incorporating Hebrew-language immersion and Jewish learning through experiential education methods.
  • A curricular guide to help teachers execute learning goals through experiential methods.
  • Recommendations on types of professional training for teachers that would complement the curriculum, including potential to direct teacher training as part of curriculum implementation.
  • A chart of annual, monthly, and weekly learning milestones specific to our age groups, around which teachers can design lesson plans, including both Hebrew language and Jewish learning.
  • Background information with which teachers can train themselves on the topics.

Deadline for application: Rolling.

View the full job posting, qualifications and application instructions »

Makom Afterschool

Makom Afterschool is an innovative, pluralistic, Hebrew-immersion Jewish after-school program for children in JK through Grade 4 (and growing!). Founded by parents in 2011, Makom Afterschool enables children to attend their local neighbourhood school while gaining high-quality Jewish and Hebrew education and a warm Jewish peer community. We have three sites, at public schools in Kensington Market (College and Spadina), Seaton Village (Bathurst and Bloor), and Hillcrest Village (St. Clair and Christie). Learn more about Makom Afterschool »

We are looking for experienced, creative, and energetic teachers for Makom Afterschool for the 2016-2017 school year.

Job Openings:

  • Hebrew & Jewish Life Teachers
  • Hebrew Immersion Arts and Music Teachers
  • Hebrew Immersion Movement, Sports, and Israeli Dance Teachers
  • Teaching Assistants

Deadline for application: Rolling.

View the full job posting, qualifications and application instructions »

Its Apple-Picking Time!

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Hurrah, it’s that time again! Join Makom Families at Avalon Orchards

Apple-picking time again, HURRAH!

Apple-picking time is here again.

Sunday, Sept 6

Get ready for Rosh Hashanah and spend a beautiful afternoon outside with kids and friends of Makom, apple-picking at Avalon Orchards in Innisfil.

Please bring a picnic lunch and a blanket — and BYOB (bags). The day begins at 11:30 at Avalon Orchards, located at 3150 5 Line in Innisfil just south of Barrie. Directions on Avalon Orchards’ website here. Google map directions here.

11:30  Meet outside at Avalon Orchards

11:45   Kids: Storytime and Rosh Hashanah crafts with Jen;

Adults: Making Rosh Hashanah meaningful, with Rabbi Aaron

12:15   Picnic lunch together

12:45  Apple picking

Please bring strong grocery bags to hold all your apples! Avalon supplies wagons to help you get your haul to your vehicle.

apple picking

Whoa that’s a lotta apples, kid.

If you have space in your vehicle and are able to give others a ride, please let Jen Turack know — and thank you!

Add this event to your family calendar now. Friends are of course welcome.

In the event of heavy rainfall the program is cancelled.

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur 5776

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Makom High Holidays, Makom Rosh Hashanah, Makom Yom Kippur, Makom 5776

photo: Sabrina Malach, Shoresh

* CLICK HERE for the detailed schedule of services *

Need last minute tickets? available here 

Makom High Holidays
Sept 14-15 & 22-23

Makom is once again delighted to offer warm, meaningful, participatory and song-filled Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services.

We will be returning as a community to the beautiful Hart House space on the University of Toronto campus to meet the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) with joy and awe.

Services will be led by Rabbi Aaron and returning guest prayer leader Steven Goldstein. He’s on faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music and a long-time member of The Carlebach Shul in New York, and we look forward to Steven helping us elevate our Days of Awe prayers with his beautiful voice and extensive repertoire of participatory melodies.

Steven’s husband Rabbi Steve Greenberg will also be present to inspire us with thoughtful teaching. Steve is Senior Teaching Fellow at CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership and a founding Co-Director of Eshel: Community for LGBT Orthodox Jews. Author of the award-winning book Wrestling with God & Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition, he has worked to make communities around the world more inclusive.

Full childcare provided throughout services – and we also offer engaging, thoughtful, and fun services for children, in two age groups. Parents are welcome but not required to attend the children’s services with their kids.

You can purchase tickets online here. 

Want to plan a break-fast? Read Torah? Schlepp stuff? Set up or Tidy up? Anything else? We need volunteers for both logistical and ritual roles. Please let us know how you can help.

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