DJC Blog

During the afternoon of Yom Kippur the Social Justice Committee led an interactive discussion and learning workshop on “Identity, Oppression and Racism — Starting the Conversation”. Over 30 people participated on Zoom. The session kicked off with a very informative and provocative presentation made by long-time SJC members, Lynne Raskin and Eve-Lynn Stein. They posed […]

Greta says that our climate actions send messages to others and encourage governments to take action. We know our DJC community is concerned about the climate crisis and, as a community, we can make a difference by taking both individual and collective action. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stressed that individual […]

I was going to give this sermon on Rosh Hashana day, when our theme was Dismantling and Building Anew, but between all the challenges with technology and timing, I didn’t share it then. I want to share it tonight. The last community-wide program we ran at the DJC before we went into Covid lockdown was […]

A cluster of 4 rabbis made their winding way to Jerusalem. When they reached Mount Scopus, they looked out across the valley and could see what was once the magnificent and holy Temple, the centre of Jewish life, now destroyed, and they tore their garments in grief. This scene takes place some time after 70 […]

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With the holidays being different this year, the Accessibility Initiative has been working to make sure anyone who wants to participate is able to do so. With this in mind, we wanted to let you know a few important things: 1. If you have any questions or accommodation needs, for any of the services (in […]

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Your support is needed! Every year at the time of the high holidays, the DJC launches a FOOD DRIVE to support the Bethany Church Food Bank in our Riverdale ‘neck of the woods’. Before services, we come to Eastminster bearing food offerings and place them in the bins set out in the front lobby so […]

The month of Elul, leading up to the High Holydays, is a time for inner awakening, spiritual accounting and turning toward our deepest individual and collective calls to action for justice and compassion. Practices include sounding the shofar every morning to wake us up!, reciting Psalm 27 daily, focused reflection on the past year and […]

BetterHomesTO is a City of Toronto program that supports energy efficiency and deep retrofits in Toronto’s single family homes. Sign up at Eventbrite for their free 1:00 pm webinar seminars: Wednesday, August 26 – Solar PV and Battery StorageThursday, September 3 – Prepare Your Home for an Electric VehicleThursday, September 10 – Introduction to Passive […]

Nestlé has taken billions of litres of pure, clean and vital water from underground aquifers in Canada and sold them for a huge profit. Meanwhile, communities are struggling with severe droughts, dwindling water supply for community uses, and plastic bottles clogging up our landfills and waterways. Nestlé’s departure from Canada is a direct result of […]

Mask Order Form As we move through the different stages of living with COVID-19, it seems clear that wearing masks is something that we’ll be doing for quite a while. To help facilitate this, the Threads Project is continuing to offer masks to any and all members of our DJC community who may need them. […]

Mask Order Form As we continue to deal with COVID-19, we hear more and more about the importance of wearing masks. It seems that this will be the case for the foreseeable future. To help facilitate this, the Threads Project is continuing to offer masks to any and all members of our DJC community who […]

Our Children’s Jewish Studies Program classes will begin on September 17! We are monitoring the public health recommendations and TDSB plans closely, and hoping that we can be together in person. We’re also considering hybrid (in-person mixed with online) and creative programming, and we’ll be ready for you in September! *Especially this year, we ask […]

As we wrapped up this year in our Jewish Studies program, it was hard not to notice that it wasn’t the wrap-up we had hoped for. Our Jewish Studies teachers, assistant teachers, staff, and students all missed being together in person and celebrating all of our hard work and achievements. Nevertheless, our online send-off and the […]

We each have a responsibility to fully address the racial, social, and economic inequities present in our world. We each have a responsibility to stop consuming and powering our lives the way we do now. Remember that your every action, good and bad, matters. Remember that we each must do the heavy lifting. 4 simple actions to make […]

A big part of the solution to climate change is to electrify everything: cars, trucks, home heating, industrial processes, and so on. Clean Energy Canada, looked at the growth in clean energy in Canada since 2010. The report found that Canadian clean energy industries are growing faster than the rest of the economy. Over the […]

Whether your connection to Jewish celebrations comes through brisket-making Ashkenazi lineage, Moroccan-heritage lamb and couscous tagine or Sephardic pastelicos (meat and rice pies), to name but a few meaty Jewish cultural delights, the upcoming chag (holyday) of Shavu’ot puts a full stop to the rich, slow-cooked fleishig/meaty festival meals. After counting the Omer each day […]

There are many things the DJC is doing to help our community at this difficult time. As part of a community, it’s the responsibility of each and every one of us to prevent transmitting the virus to others. We realize, however, that not everybody has easy access to masks, which are recommended at this time […]

Website: jfandcs.com Jewish Family and Child (JF&C) The Jewish community is not immune to the challenges of today’s complex society. We are touched by poverty, violence, abuse, divorce, difficult teens, and unemployment. JF&CS reaches out into all corners of the community, delivering counselling services and educational programs to address these and other issues. We are […]