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Friday, December 2nd ~ FIRST FRIDAYS FAMILY SHABBAT
 5:45 PM - ONEG SHABBAT
Meet & Greet & Treats
6:15 PM - Family Shabbat Service
Led by Rabbi Cohen & Cantor Baruch
In Person & ONLINE
7:00 PM - SHABBAT DINNER
Must be registered to attend
Saturday, December 3rd ~
SHABBAT VAYETZEI
9:15 AM - Religious School
10:30 AM - Shabbat Morning Music & Prayer with Cantor Baruch
11:00 AM -Torah Study with Rabbi Cohen
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וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃
Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely יהוה is present in this place, and I did not know it! -Genesis 28:16
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In this week's Torah portion, Vayetzei, Jacob has run from his family home. Perhaps he is wondering who he even is anymore? He has passively followed his mother's request to impersonate his older twin brother, Esau, and steal his blessing from their blind father. Jacob can't be feeling good about himself. He has lot his home and security. Then, at a place on his journey, he has a vision in his sleep where he sees a stairway to heaven (are you hearing that music reference?) with angels going up and down. There God speaks to him, making promises that Jacob is longing to hear: Jacob will dwell in the land, he will always be protected and become the father of generations that will bring blessings to the world, and that God will always be with him.
Jacob's amazement at this encounter is understandable. He is in awe and grateful. Later in the Torah he will dream again and wrestle with an angel. God will not appear in this dream, and Jacob will start detailing what he needs to stay close and faithful to God. It seems a little chutzpadik when Jacob says to the angel:
אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹקִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃ וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה יקוק לִ֖י לֵאלֹקִֽים׃
“If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey that I am making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safe to my father’s house—the Eternal shall be my God" (Genesis 28:20-21).
This is actually a big development for Jacob. He is finding his own voice...growing up...becoming his own person. What he asks of God is actually minuscule compared to God was promising him originally. This is true for all of us. We cannot even imagine all the blessings that await us. Instead we long for the security of the next meal or paycheque. Growing spiritually helps us enlarge our view of what is possible. Let's all dream big as we continue our journey together.
B'Shir,
Cantor Paula Baruch
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COVID UPDATES FROM YOUR TAS LEADERS
Temple Anshe Sholom Community
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, TAS has taken an adaptable and flexible approach to mitigation strategies, aligned with our values. All decisions regarding restrictions (or removal thereof) are taken by the Board of Trustees with the thought and goal of keeping our community safe and healthy; both physically and spiritually.
As many of you may be aware, there is currently wide-spread community transmission of not only COVID-19, but also Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). At this time, children have been particularly affected. Our children’s hospital is in crisis. McMaster University Medical Center has been over 130 % capacity for several weeks. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) has been caring for 14 patients when they only have space for 12. Children who require this level of care have been sent to other hospitals, as far away as London. This takes them out of their community and their families away from their support systems. Older children are now being cared for at the Adult hospitals in the city, because there simply isn’t room at Mac Kids. We have never had a crisis like this before in the history of Ontario.
Two weeks ago, the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health made a recommendation that every person who is able should wear a mask indoors to help combat the spread of these respiratory diseases. This week, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board passed a motion to “ask all staff and students to wear a mask.” These appeals are a result of the crisis our children’s health care system is currently facing.
In light of this crisis, the Board of Trustees has adopted a motion to “strongly recommend wearing of a mask inside Temple Anshe Sholom”. This measure is undertaken to help protect all members of our community, particularly our children and our seniors. You will see our clergy without a mask leading services. We are not cancelling Onegs or restricting the consumption of food and drink. We are asking the TAS community to be aware of the crisis facing our health care system and to make use of masks as the effective tool they are in helping slow the spread of respiratory illnesses. As before, we are constantly monitoring the situation and the recommendations from Public Health, and will make changes as appropriate.
L’Shalom,
Your TAS Board of Directors
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ARTS at TEMPLE ANSHE SHOLOM
BREAKFAST CLUB continues this Sunday, Dec 4th at 10:15 AM
Cost is $15 per person and our presenter is Lishai Peel. Lishai is an award winning poet, creative consultant and community animator with roots in diasporic oral tradition. “I chose to pursue a career as a storyteller because it is an extension of who I am and because I trust that some stories need to be told, some stories heal and forgive and there are some places you can only travel to by gathering with community, sharing stories, and trusting that people will catch your words and hold them.” ~ Lishai Peel
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DON'T FORGET THESE OPPORTUNITIES
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TASTY SENIOR & JUNIOR YOUTH GROUPS
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 Hi! I'm Yael Morais, your friendly Youth Advisor & Songleader at Temple Anshe Sholom.
We've got some FUN planned for our Junior and Senior Youth Groups.
Hope to see you there!
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Derech Tzelecha to our teens who depart for Cleveland on Dec 9th for the NFTY NEL Winter Kallah 2022! Have a wonderful time!
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IN OUR TEMPLE FAMILY
- THANK YOU to Alan Weddum for livestreaming our services this week and to Michele Gunn for Zoom hosting
- THANK YOU to Roy Pollington for preparing our Oneg Shabbat this week
- THANK YOU to Cheryl, Joel & Karen Dembe for lighting Shabbat Candles
- THANK YOU to our greeters Roy Pollington, Morley Weinberg & Doreen Korman
- THANK YOU to Rhonda Dahan for baking challah buns and to Sheila & Mark Levitt for baking supplies.
- MAZAL TOV to Rachel Weiss & Andrew Sia on the birth of their daughter, Clara.
- MAZAL TOV to Andrea Copeland & Daniel Axelrod on the birth of their daughter.
To all the youth who came out to bowling last Sunday, thanks for making the day so FUN!
IF YOU KNOW OF A MEMBER celebrating a milestone, please let us know! We'd love to celebrate with them!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO Marla Frank Davis, Mark Rosenblatt, Emily Eisenberg, Sam Korman, Linda Miller, Suzanne Harris, Jeffrey Rochwerg, Shoshana Adler
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YAHRZEIT יזכור
Sheloshim
Doug Byrne
Yahrzeit
Abraham Newman
Annie Pearlstein
Bella Goldhar
Brian Coussin
Ellen Hoffman
Emilia Krausz
Evelyn Ross
Harold S. Levy
Harry Michaels
Hilda Levy
Joseph Finkelman
Lilly Schwarz
Linda Salamon Todd
Manuel Fine
Mark Nagler
Max Ross
May Baskin
Mickey Sole
Mildred Caplan
Murray Halpren
Ronald Bloom
Sadie Kelner
Samuel Eisenberg
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DOWNLOAD THE ANTI HATE APP JUST LAUNCHED BY BNAI BRITH CANADA
Hundreds of Antisemitic incidents in Canada go unreported every year. You can be the change. The App is free and easy to use. Be ready when you see something. Click on the graphic to access the download.
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