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May 2011

Dear DJC Members:

It is such a pleasure to write this month's message just after the end of Passover.  This year, my home was filled with laughter, good food, singing and storytelling as we enjoyed our Seder with family and friends - including many who had never attended a Seder before.  The DJC Passover Day of Learning, which Rabbi Miriam Margles led the week before Passover, helped me think a bit differently about my Seder this year and I so appreciated the opportunity to learn amongst my DJC friends.  Rabbi Miriam also led this year's DJC Community Seder, along with Cantor Lisa Kent and Hartley Wynberg, which was a joyful, musical and thought-provoking evening.  And the food was simply amazing!  It was wonderful to see so many of you there.

This coming month, we look forward to some important events for the children in our community.  At the end of each academic year, students in the DJC Children's Jewish Studies program lead a Shabbat service.  This year's service is taking place on Friday, May 6 and I hope to see many of you there - you are welcome to attend alone or with others, whether you have children in the school or not.  All are welcome!

An important milestone for our children is the DJC B'Nei Mitzvah Ceremony.  This year's ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 14. Our students work tremendously hard to prepare for this important event and are supported along the way by Alysse Rich, the B'Nei Mitzvah program coordinator, Assaf Weisz, the program's incredible teacher, and Lisa Kent, our phenomenal Cantor.  I want to send a heartfelt thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who help to make this program such a meaningful experience for our students. And to the students themselves, who make each year's Ceremony unique and inspiring.

This month, the DJC also will be offering a Saturday morning Shabbat service & Torah study, led by Rabbi Miriam with Cantor Lisa.  We invite all of you to attend and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

With my very best wishes for a happy and healthy Spring!

Warmly,

Josie Lalonde
Chair, DJC Board of Directors

DJC Community Passover Seder

A third Seder may be a third for many, a second for some and even a first for those who missed the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with family and friends.    And so the DJC's community Seder may have held a different meaning to many, but all would agree it was a joyous event.

Some 60 people gathered in the Hurndale Room at "Bethminster" to participate in a Seder that was marked by songs new and old, and the opportunity to reflect on a range of issues that anchored the festivities in meaningful discussions.  Led with equal helpings of grace and generosity by Rabbi Miriam, who offered insights and questions, the evening struck a lovely balance between music (made richer with Cantor Lisa Kent and Hartley Wynberg on guitar) and text, with a hands-on craft for good measure: each participant was given a cardboard foot to decorate, symbolic of the journey that is synonymous with Passover.  A potluck dinner capped the Seder, a perfect way to end an evening of food for the soul.

May NEWS... AT A GLANCE

DATE	TIME	EVENT/Details	LOCATION
Friday, May 6	6:00 - 7:00 pm	Children's Led Shabbat With Rabbi Miriam	Eastminster - Sanctuary Potluck Vegetarian dinner after service in Hurndale room 310 Danforth Ave *JACKMAN ST ENTRANCE*
Saturday, May 14	9:30 - 11:30 am	B'Nei Mitzvah program ceremony With Cantor Lisa	Eastminster - Sanctuary 310 Danforth Ave *DANFORTH ST ENTRANCE*
Saturday, May 14	2:00- 4:00 pm	DJCYG: grades 8-9 Fruit Picking around TO	*Rsvp by May 11: Mika Gang, e-mail: mika.gang@gmail.com
Saturday, May 28	10:00 am - 12:00 pm	DJC Community Shabbat morning services With Rabbi Miriam & Cantor Lisa	Eastminster- Sanctuary 310 Danforth Ave *JACKMAN ST ENTRANCE*
Saturday, May 28	4:00- 7:30 pm	DJCYG: grades 8-12 East-West walk down Bloor St	*Rsvp by May 25: Mika Gang, e-mail: mika.gang@gmail.com

MAY SHABBAT SERVICES & EVENTS

CHILDREN'S LED SHABBAT AND POTLUCK DINNER

With Rabbi Miriam

On Friday, May 6th at 6:00 pm, the DJC Children's Jewish Studies Program will be holding its annual Children's Led Shabbat and Potluck Dinner at "Bethminster" Sanctuary & Hurndale room. The community is most welcome to attend.

This year, we are delighted to have Rabbi Miriam assisting in leading our service. As always, this will be a meaningful event with our children performing the Shabbat service in the sanctuary, followed by a vegetarian potluck Shabbat dinner in the Hurndale room.

DJC CHILDREN'S LED SHABBAT

Friday, May 6 at 6:00 pm
Potluck Vegetarian dinner after service in the Hurndale room
Eastminster Sanctuary - 310 Danforth Ave - *Jackman St. Entrance*

*For more details & to Rsvp, contact: Diane Wise by e-mail: diane.wise@ontario.ca

DJC B'NEI MITZVAH CEREMONY

Five years ago the Danforth Jewish Circle launched its first official 'B'Nei Mitzvah' program – a year of learning with a group of other Jewish students, about Jewish identity, about growing up into Jewish community, and about tikkun olam as a particularly important part of the Jewish identity of the DJC. This year, on May 14th, 2011 – the DJC will proudly be celebrating the fourth B'Nei Mitzvah Ceremony.

This year, the following students will be honoured:

Sara Milne Flamer
Benjamin Henry Page
Emily Michaela Harrington
Emily Anne Shabsove
Hana Willa Brath
Hayley Brooke Kathryn O'Brien
Jake Joseph Edward O'Brien
Julia Woolf Hagon
Rory Benjamin Conway

As our community grows to meet the needs of those who are part of the DJC, we are discovering the meaning, value, joy and beauty in bringing community together to celebrate life events. Bar/Bat Mitzvah is an honourable tradition – it gives our young people a moment to shine and show their passion and beauty; it gives us a moment to treasure and honour them.

While the DJC B'Nei Mitzvah ceremony is always packed with friends and family of the B'Nei students, we are always hopeful that some from the DJC community will celebrate with us. We consider the B'Nei Mitzvah program to be an integral and meaningful part of what we do at the Danforth Jewish Circle, and we hope very much you will come to launch our young ones into the next stage of their lives.

We welcome the presence and support of the DJC community at our ceremony. We hope to see you there…

Nadya Burton, B'Nei Mitzvah Coordinator
On behalf of the DJC Education Committee

DJC B'NEI MITZVAH CEREMONY
With Cantor Lisa
Saturday, May 14 at 9:30 am
Eastminster Sanctuary - 310 Danforth Ave
*Danforth entrance*

*For more information, contact Nadya Burton at nadya.burton@ryerson.ca

DJC COMMUNITY SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES
with Rabbi Miriam and Cantor Lisa
Lifting our voices in joy and song!

DJC Community Shabbat morning services

Eastminster: 310 Danforth Avenue
SANCTUARY

Saturday, May 28
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

*Join us for Kiddush after services in the Parlour for a nosh & schmooze*
*JACKMAN ST. ENTRANCE*

DJCYG

*For grades 8-9

Saturday, May 14th: Together we'll be doing some spring cleaning around Toronto to gain some community service hours and get to know the different corners of our city. This event will include our involvement in Toronto's "Not Far >From The Tree" organization where we'll do some fruit picking in Toronto of which 1/3 will be offered to the tree owner, 1/3 will be shared among us (the volunteers!) and 1/3 will be donated to Toronto food banks! After our volunteering we'll have a snack together outdoors. This event will run from 2pm-6pm, make sure you bring enough bus fare for three rides, and some cash for a midday snack (around $10).

*RSVP by May 11th to Mika Gang: mika.gang@gmail.com

Details at a glance...

What: FRUIT PICKING with "Not Far From The Tree"
When: Saturday, May 14: 2- 6 pm
Where: Locations around Toronto
What to bring: TTC fare (3 tickets); $10 for snacks
*RSVP by May 11: mika.gang@gmail.com

*For grades 8-12

Saturday, May 28: Join us for a walk down Bloor street (East to West) to observe the changes in scenery and the changes in the demographic regarding socioeconomic status. We'll be enjoying this beautiful day with a long walk while surveying pedestrians and shopkeepers about their experiences in the area and what their neighborhoods mean to them. At the end of our walk we'll end up at Dufferin Grove Park where, in the spirit of Lag Ba'omer we'll build a fire and roast ourselves dinner. Bring your walking shoes for this event, a sun hat and sunscreen, we'll be meeting at Bloor and Bay at the North East corner at 4pm and this event will end around 7:30pm at Dufferin Grove Park.

This will be our last DJCYG event for the year so let's make it our finest and most enthusiastic!

*RSVP by May 25th to Mika Gang: mika.gang@gmail.com

Details at a glance...

What: EAST-WEST walk down Bloor St & fire/dinner in Dufferin Grove Park
When: Saturday, May 28 4-7:30 pm
Where: North/east corner Bloor/Bay at 4 PM
What to bring: Good walking shoes, sunscreen & hat!
*RSVP by May 25: mika.gang@gmail.com 647.444.7291

COMMUNITY NEWS

Yoga to support the Immune System
7 week yoga series on health through Kundalini Yoga

As we continue our move from the dark and cold into the "hope of spring and summer", the immune system calls for its "tonic" to cleanse and renew as part of the spring rites. In this series you will learn various yoga exercises that help remove body toxins and improve glandular function. You will learn relaxation techniques and ways to be energized. "Research shows that the body/mind/spirit dimensions play intimate roles in Immune System Health." Using yoga exercises, learn to listen more deeply to your body/mind/spirit "wisdom", and activate your Inner Healer.

Learn:

1. Yoga exercises: and how they improve lymph and immune function
2. Breathing methods: that support immune function
3. Meditation techniques: that ease worry or sleep difficulty, or stress

Who: For anyone whose health has been compromised by cancer. This series would also benefit those with autoimmune disorders or those seeking an immune system "tune-up". Yoga exercises accommodated to physical limitations.

When: Thurs., May 19/11, 6:00p.m. - 8:00p.m. 611 St. Clair Ave. W. (St. Michael's Anglican Church)
or
Sun. May 1/11 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon 59 Cambridge (close to Danforth and Broadview Subway)

Cost:$140/for series of 7 classes; $25/drop-in class *For anyone from the Danforth Jewish Circle, the first class is free!

Teacher: Deborah Stewart Finestone, RSW., M.Ed., RYT, has 20 years experience as a body/mind psychotherapist. Deborah recovered from metastasized cancer in 2004; her daily practice of Kundalini Yoga was an important element in her healing. She became certified as a Kundalini Yoga Teacher in 2006 and has taught yoga to 100's of students.

To inquire or register: call Deborah 416.859.5063 or email deborahstewfine@rogers.com. The class size is small to accommodate individual differences, so call early with inquiries. Advance registration required.

SUNDAY, MAY 15 AT POSLUNS AUDITORIUM
TORONTO JEWISH FOLK CHOIR'S 85TH ANNUAL SPRING CONCERT

The Toronto Jewish Folk Choir celebrates its 85^th annual spring concert by commemorating the original immigrant workers who founded the choir.  Its performance – under conductor Alexander Veprinsky – features special guests Beyond The Pale (2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards' Instrumental Group of the Year).  The concert takes place at the Posluns Auditorium at Baycrest, 3560 Bathurst Street, north entrance, 2nd floor (wheelchair accessible), Sunday, May 15, 3 p.m.

Tickets are $25; seniors and students, $20; children 12 and under free.  Information and ticket reservations may be obtained by calling 416.789.5502 or e-mailing tjfolkchoir@sympatico.ca (calls accepted until 5 p.m. May 12).  Info will also be available at www.winchevskycentre.org/institutions/choir.html and at the Toronto Jewish Folk Choir on Facebook.

The May 15 concert is presented with the assistance of the Toronto Arts Council, and Choir members and friends.

More information on the Choir is at this site.

Tikkun Leil Shavuot - All-Night Learning Fest

Tuesday, June 7, 9:00 PM – 6:00 AM
Sharoni Sibony 416.924.6211x154 sharonis@mnjcc.org

WHERE SINAI MEETS SPADINA

Join with the downtown community for our third annual all night learning festival for the holiday of Shavuot. Come for an hour or two or stay the whole night and enjoy a variety of classes.

Special programs for Kids and Teens!
FREE. All are welcome.

Presenters confirmed... a growing list that includes:

Dr. Jay Brodbar, Aviva Chernick, Mark Clamen, Risa Alyson Cooper, Yacov Fruchter, Dr. Aviva Goldberg, Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, Rabbi Tina Grimberg, Ilana Hirt, Rabbi Aaron Levy, Dr. Aurora Mendelsohn, Dr. Andrea Most, Eden Nameri, Jessica Radin, Baruch Sienna, Noam Sienna, Tema Smith, Rabbi Michael Stroh, Dr. Harold "Hesh" Troper, Dr. Kalman Weiser, Harriet Wichin

*Presented in partnership with the Annex Shul, Camp Gesher and Habonim Dror, Congregation Darchei Noam, Congregation Shir Libeynu, Downtown Jewish Community School, First Narayever Congregation, Jewish Family and Child, Kolel and the Prosserman JCC, Limmud Toronto, Makom, Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School, Shoresh*

Beginning in May
Meditation for Stress Management with Anne Shaddick

*No meditation experience necessary*

"Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?" Mary Oliver

Meditation is a way to slow down the mind and the body, bringing ourselves deeper into the present moment. When we experience stress, anxiety, fear or just a sense of our life being too hectic, we are often focusing on the future. By practicing meditation even for a few minutes everyday, we start anchoring ourselves in the present. From here we can start to see what is important, what we can change and what we can't.

Anne Shaddick has been teaching meditation for 10 years and has a background in Stress Management and is a Certified Trager® Practitioner.

"Peace.  It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." - Author unknown

For more information please contact Anne either by phone at: 416.532.5079 or email at: anne.shaddick@rogers.com Trager is a registered trade mark of Trager Canada

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