DJC Blog

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Chanuka celebration! It was a wonderful day filled with art, music, learning, treats and community. Below are some highlights from the day. *Photo credit: Justine Apple Photography (justineapple.com)

Dear DJC Friend, Will your home soon glow with the light of the Chanuka candles? Will you light the candles in the window so they are visible from the street? Candles in a window are “a public statement of what you believe in… It’s a statement that I want to preserve my values…, not that […]

Chanukah celebrates the Maccabees’ rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish people’s sacred home, and the relighting of the ever-burning menorah within the Temple, after they had been desecrated by the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE under the oppressive rule of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Much later, rabbinic tradition ascribed the 8-day rededication celebration […]

The Chesed Caring Committee is a small group of dedicated volunteers, committed to supporting DJC families dealing with an illness or loss of a loved one. Working closely with Rabbi Miriam, we reach out to those in need to let them know we care and want to help. Just in the past two and a […]

Kol Nidrei Sermon 5780 The theme we’re focusing on this Yom Kippur is The Capacity to Change. What a valuable theme. What a challenging endeavour. On a day that is focused on repentance, renewal and change, it is important to be honest about how difficult it is to change. When we are wired for survival […]

Erev Rosh Hashana Sermon 5780 In the not too distant future, the news is announced – the environmental apocalypse is here. In 3 days, every continent on planet earth will be underwater. Religious leaders from around the world address their followers, offering words of guidance and solace to face this cataclysmic moment. The […]

Rosh Hashana Sermon 5780 This sermon was greatly inspired by and draws from We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer. Ready? Dai-dai-ey’nu… Don’t worry. I’m not confused. I know it’s not Pesach. But these words that we sing out with glee at the Pesach seder – […]

The Federal Election on Monday October 21st falls on the Jewish Holyday (Yom Tov) of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah. Any elector can choose to vote in the Advance Polls, without having to prove a special reason to do so. In years past, people used to have to give a reason for voting ahead of election day, but […]

We are offering hybrid services this year, people can join on zoom or from the sanctuary. The Eastminster building is wheelchair-accessible, including washrooms. There is a ramp up to the side entrance off Jackman Avenue, power buttons to open the door, and an elevator. There are 3 wheelchair-accessible, single-stall all-gender washrooms, one on each of […]

This time of the year, with the ending of summer and a turning toward fall, stirs sweetness and loss, anxiety and anticipation all at the same time. I feel myself residing in the in-between time – between seasons, between ways of being. There are still cherry tomatoes to ripen and harvest. The afternoons can still […]

In keeping with the DJC’s core value of inclusivity, your AI Committee has been working hard to promote accessibility in our community. This means identifying and removing barriers that impede access for all who wish to attend DJC events. With the High Holy Days in mind, we want to alert you to our ongoing initiatives […]

We are approaching the one year anniversary of last July’s shooting on the Danforth. There are several events that will bring community together to mourn and remember, to touch back into shared support of the families whose loved ones were killed and to support everyone who has been shaken by this terrible tragedy. This has […]

The DJC Multifaith Committee has been involved in a community-wide planning effort to commemorate the tragic shootings on the Danforth last year on July 21st. Two events are being planned and DJC members and friends are encouraged to attend to show your support to the families, victims and emergency support workers who were deeply affected […]

A Jewish Studies Year in Review, by our Principal Alysse It has been another fabulous year for our Jewish Studies program! We wrapped up our weekly Jewish Studies classes in early May, followed by a DJC shabbat morning service that our students helped to lead. This was an exciting year – one that included not […]

Of the three pilgrimage festivals – Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot – Shavuot, celebrating receiving Torah at Mount Sinai and celebrating the harvest of first fruits, seems to get the short end of the celebratory stick. Pesach is perhaps the most celebrated Jewish holyday (with Chanukah a ready rival, the shorter cousin trying to keep up […]

Our DJC film fundraiser was a great success thanks to many of you. On Monday May 6, 138 members and friends of the DJC came together for a screening of the film Curtiz followed by a lively question and answer session with one of the producers, the screenwriter and the lead actress. Afterward, all who […]

The Nominating Committee consists of one Board representative and three community members who responded to a broad call for members. We were asked to reach out to the membership for recommendations to fill upcoming vacancies on the Board, consider potential candidates who self-nominated through the open call for new Board members, and present a list […]

The Danforth Jewish Circle is seeking a Treasurer to join its Board of Directors. Our vision The Danforth Jewish Circle is a joyous and inclusive, accessible and inspiring Jewish community located in the heart of Riverdale. Our members include singles and families of all ages who come from diverse Jewish backgrounds and cultural traditions, interfaith […]

I’m writing to you from Israel. I’m here with 130 Jewish leaders from around the world working on issues of anti-Semitism and Jewish liberation in the context of working to end all interconnected systems of oppression. It is powerful to be here, during Pesach, during the time that is called “zman cheruteynu/the time of our […]

Do you want to be part of our tradition of welcoming DJC members into your home who need somewhere to celebrate the festival of Passover? Are you already cooking for so many that an extra mouth or two won’t be a problem? We need your help to make sure everyone has a seat at a Seder table […]