High Holiday Bulletin 2022

HIGH HOLIDAYS

Table of Contents

High Holiday Schedule

EREV ROSH HASHANAH

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

5:30 PM Mincha and Maariv services

6:51 PM Candle lighting

ROSH HASHANAH DAY 1

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

8:30 AM Morning service

7:50 PM Candle lighting

ROSH HASHANAH DAY 2 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

8:30 AM Morning service

7:48 PM Havdalah

FAST OF GEDALIAH

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

5:47 AM Fast begins

7:39 PM Fast ends

EREV SHABBAT SHUVAH

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

6:42 PM Candle lighting

SHABBAT SHUVAH

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

9:30 AM Morning service

8:20 PM Havdalah

EREV YOM KIPPUR

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4

7:00 PM Kol Nidre

6:35 PM Candle Lighting

YOM KIPPUR

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5

8:30 AM Morning service + Yizkor

5:15 PM Mincha service

6:00 PM Ne’ila service

7:34 PM Havdalah & Fast ends

EREV SHABBAT PARSHAT HA’AZINU

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7

6:29 PM Candle lighting

PARASHAT HA’AZINU SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

9:30 AM Morning service

7:29 PM Havdalah

EREV SUKKOT

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9

5:00 Family Sukkot Dinner & Program 6:30 PM Mincha and Maariv services

7:15 PM Community Sukkot Dinner

6:26 PM Candle lighting

SUKKOT I

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10

8:45 AM Pre-Shul Kiddush in the Sukkah

9:00 AM Morning service

7:25 PM Candle lighting

SUKKOT II

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11

8:45 AM Pre-Shul Kiddush in the Sukkah 9:00 AM Morning service

7:23 PM Havdalah

EREV SHABBAT SUKKOT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

6:17 PM Candle lighting

SUKKOT VI & SHABBAT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 9:15 AM Morning service

7:53 PM Havdalah

SUKKOT VII (HOSHANA RABA) & EREV SHEMINI ATZERET: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16

6:14 PM Candle lighting

SHEMINI ATZERET & EREV SIMCHAT TORAH MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

9:15 AM Morning service including Yizkor

5:30 Tots Torah Celebration

6:00 PM Simchat Torah Service and Celebra tion

7:14 PM Candle lighting

SIMCHAT TORAH TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18

9:15 AM Morning service

7:12 PM Havdalah

President’s Message

As we approach the start of a new year, 5783, there is a very exciting sense of renewal at Shul. While so much has changed at Beth Torah over the past year, it has remained an exciting vibrant and progressive community which continues to build on the successes of its rich past.

Looking back over the past year, we were very fortunate to have both Rabinett Rachael Turkienicz and Rabbi Glazer lead our services as interim leaders while we completed our successful search for a new Rabbi, while Cantor Edwards remained a constant for us as we went through these changes. A very dedicated search committee met in person and virtually with numerous candidates, and while many were not the right fit for us, this ensured when the perfect candidate came along, we were able to recognize how good a fit he would be for us.

When I first met Rabbi Sachs, I immediately recognized that he was exactly what our congregation had identified in the congregation survey and what many of our members had described to me as the characteristics of the clergy they wanted to see lead Beth Torah. If you have had the opportunity to meet Rabbi Sachs, either in person or to speak with him, I am certain that you share my enthusiasm.

When I look back over the past 2 years, when most of us were out of the synagogue and attended virtually or more recently, maybe in person, time seems to blur events together. But now as we can comfortably return to the sanctuary in person, Beth Torah can return to its integral place as part of our Jewish community. Rabbi Sachs strongly supports this with his ideas to make Beth Torah a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone.

More than ever before, I look forward to seeing many of our members in person at Shul over the High Holidays. I wish you and your loved ones a sweet New Year filled with peace, prosperity and most of all, good health.

On behalf of my family, Gayle, Noah, Samara & Joshua, Shana Tova, David Lewis

Rabbi's Message

This year, we have selected renewal, or hithadshut, as our theme for the High Holidays. It is appropriate because renewal is one of the central motifs of the hagim

In life, it is easy to get complacent, to accept that how things are is how they will always be. We accept that who we are today, is who we will be tomorrow. But the holidays come to set us free from that mentality and remind us that things can change. They remind us that we can change.

The blast of the shofar is meant to rouse us, to get us to wake up rather than sleepwalking through life. The liturgy of the makhzor challenges us to reflect on the past year and ask ourselves what we want our world to look like in the year to come. The words confront us with the truth that we can be different in the coming year. We can break bad habits and acquire new ones this year. We can develop the character traits we wish we had. We can be a new version of ourselves when we gather for the holidays next year.

For this holiday season, renewal seemed to be an even more appropriate choice given how much will be new at Beth Torah this year.

There are new staff members on the team, myself included. Like many synagogues and organizations, we are navigating a new world after two years of lockdowns and isolation. We are facing new challenges as the demographics of the Jewish community shift, and we will experiment with new programs and ideas to engage members of all ages.

In short, this year, there will be a lot that is new. But the most important reason for this choice is that renewal is not only about what is new or different, but also about the past.

Renewal is about restoring what has come before. This year we will focus on returning to our roots, to what has made Beth Torah stand out as an exceptional community among the many different synagogues and Jewish organizations in Toronto.

Renewal is about revitalizing and rejuvenating. This year will be the 60th High Holiday

season celebrated since our synagogue was formally incorporated. As we reflect on the past 60 years, we will be looking toward the future. We will work to ensure that Beth Torah will continue to be a leading institution for the next 60 years.

As we look back and celebrate the contributions of those who founded and built our community, we will look towards the future and continue the work that is their legacy. We stand on a solid foundation, and will build the next chapter together.

I am honoured to be a part of this community and the work that we are doing, and I am excited to celebrate our first High Holidays together. I have enjoyed these past few months meeting many of you at Shabbat, programs, or over a cup of coffee. I look forward to meeting others who I haven’t yet, and to being a part of your lives and celebrations.

As we approach the High Holiday season this year, I ask that we keep this motif of renewal in our minds. That we let these traditions and rituals inspire us individually to make the changes we need in our own lives. I also hope that this time of reflection will inspire us to work together to ensure Beth Torah will continue to be the vibrant and engaging community that it is for generations to come.

On behalf of Lauren, Lillie, and myself, I wish each of you a happy, healthy, and sweet new year! Shanah Tovah!

Rabbi Louis Sachs

Cantor's Message

My article for the High Holidays been prepared during steamy summer days. However, during this relatively quiet period in the Jewish Calendar, it does give one time to pause and reflect which is one of the primary purposes of the High Holiday Season. The timing also allows me to share with you my thoughts as we approach the busiest time in the Jewish Calendar.

When I think about where we were with the pandemic this time last year, it is so nice that our shul is open, and we are getting a steady attendance of regulars and new faces who are coming to enjoy our Shabbat Services. It is a pleasure to be working with our new Rabbi Louis Sachs, who has “hit the ground running” as he assumes his tenure at Beth Torah, and we are enjoying the opportunity to learn and grow with each other. At the same time, I want to take the time to thank Rabbi Glazer and Rabbanit Rachael who worked with me during the past year so for me as the Cantor, it has been interesting learning about differing styles of rabbinic and pastoral moments from my esteemed colleagues.

As I reflect during this month of Av, I am so grateful to enjoy the blessings of good health after a difficult couple of months last Winter but thankfully my medical reports seem to be telling me the news I want to hear and that is a blessing from above. Since this coming High Holiday Season will be my 26th leading a congregation, the task of constructing a meaningful, spiritual davening experience is always challenging but enjoyable as we endeavor to provide a vehicle for us to come together as a kehillah. Combining the traditions of the holidays with new and innovative ideas is the task at hand. For us as clergy, the question is always, “How can the prayer experience in 5783 be relevant and meaningful in a world controlled by sound-bytes and social media?”

An old voice coach taught me that we can only hear 20% of what we really sound like, and the perception of the listener is totally different from what we might imagine. Recordings of services and concerts can always give us an opportunity to hear the good and bad and of course to learn from it. An experience like this is often emotional indeed and it is certainly a moment that can be stored in our memory banks. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for us to be able to turn on a smartphone recorder once a year to listen to how we sounded during the many interactions we had with our family, friends, and colleagues! How much could we truly learn about our behaviour, the way we spoke to

one another and how we could modify that in some way so that by doing it again, the results might be further improved or constructively different!

In a sense, the High Holiday Season gives us an opportunity to do just that by revisiting our recent past, evaluate our lives and plan to move ahead by making some changes in our relationships with G-d and our fellow human beings. By listening and learning from our individual recordings, G-d gives us a chance each year to atone for our sins and our failures and therefore, resolve to be better going forward. This past year has been one of progress in some respects, but in the meantime, there will always be room to learn and improve. That must be the stated goal and good modus operando to follow. Humanity doesn’t allow for perfection, but it does allow us to be measurable and accountable in our personal commitments.

In closing, I thank my wonderful partner Sharon, who has provided me unconditional love and support throughout the past year, my bimah partners, our dedicated volunteer leadership, our team in the office who work tirelessly to ensure our shul runs smoothly and all of you who are the life and soul of our beloved congregation.

May we all grow from strength to strength in good health – Sharon and I extend a Shana Tova to everyone for a Happy and healthy New Year, an Easy Fast and a Year of Peace and Contentment.

Cantor David Edwards

Getting Kids Passionate About Prayer

By: Joe Hirsch, The Times of Israel

I watched silently as two dozen 4th graders trickled into my classroom, dropped their backpacks by the wall, and obediently took their places. Time for our daily morning ritual: the feigned prayer. The scene doesn’t draw much attention from passersby; it’s easy to miss the mechanic looks on the children’s faces or the way their bodies seem to sink into their seats. The optics can be deceiving. My students sing along. They have their fingers on the place. Most of them even read the words aloud, some with great devotion. But I know better. My students are present and absent, all at once. There may be a rhythm to their singing, a familiar ring to their cadence and beat. But beneath that façade lies a starker feeling, one that is at once apprehensive, mystified and defeated. When morning tefillah rolls around, I get the feeling that my students are ready to leave just as soon as they arrive. Their siddurim are open, but their hearts are closed.

These kids are praying without passion.

Talking to colleagues from around the country, I know their passive state is hardly unique. The passionless prayer reverberates across denominational and age lines. It creeps its way into coed and single-gender classrooms. It lives inside of

schools of all stripes and sizes. Short-term fixes – the crisp-looking tefillah guides, the alluring incentive programs, the outright bribery and recriminations from teachers – they do little to breathe meaning into an utterly predictable, painfully prescribed morning rite that is simply not resonating with kids in day schools. For my part, I’ve swung the tefillah pendulum back and forth over the years in an effort to capture and sustain passion. More singing. Less singing. More room for reflection. More room for expression. Longer selection of prayers. Shorter selection of prayers. Somehow, nothing tips the scales of passion. As their teacher, it’s not my job to force students into a relationship with God. But it is my job to help them make acquaintances.

So on Tuesday, after a particularly comatose round of tefillah, I handed out slips of paper to my students and asked them for brutal honesty: What do you find so challenging about prayer? Their answers were touching and sobering: I don’t know what the words mean. We go too quickly. People around me are whispering to one another. It’s hard to concentrate. But the one that struck hardest: It’s not like I can see God, anyway.

This last sentiment hangs like a dark cloud over tefillah gatherings everywhere. Feeling like you’re talking when no one

is on the other line can be a lonely and frustrating experience. It tests the limits of the human mind to imagine an “other” that is, well, unlike any other out there. When our conversations feel one-sided, we never experience the subtle joys of communication: the give-and-take, the practiced empathy, the chance to listen to another’s voice. With tefillah, it seems like we’re living inside ourselves and can’t break through.

I imagine these kids at their siddur celebration three years earlier and remember a different time. The wideeyed marvel of receiving their very first siddur. The way they carefully massaged its pages, brand new and crackling with every turn. They were so happy then, so full of optimism and promise. So much passion. What happened?

The answer is complex, but I think it has to do with another “p” – purpose.

As kids grow, so does their need for understanding. And with that understanding comes an appreciation of how and why things work and what it all means. Life becomes more familiar, more intuitive. In their emerging worldview, children assign value to the things they can comprehend. If they can’t grasp an object’s purpose, it has little or no value.

I believe this is part of the reason we start to see diminishing returns on our tefillah investment when kids move past the honeymoon period. The pages don’t crackle anymore. The siddur celebration is a cherished but distant memory. All that’s left is a series of words and behaviors

that seem to belong to another time and place. A sense of unfamiliarity settles in, giving way to pointed questions about prayer itself. Why do we do it? Who’s really listening? Why does it have to be so repetitive? There always seem to be more questions than answers. The cognitive rank of tefillah falls. The passion erodes. Slowly, tefillah becomes a mindless and motorized action, something that we do out of habit but not conviction, like blinking.

How can we put the passion back into prayer? By defining its purpose and taking the strangeness out of it. Some well-intentioned educators, sensing this urgency, default to the text. They explain the siddur, line by line, until its prayers no longer read like a dispatch from a foreign country. That’s a noble pursuit, but it’s intellectually painstaking and time exhaustive. We need a “right now” solution for our kids, something that captures their hearts, not just their minds.

I see two ways forward. The first is to personalize prayer by making it relatable to a child’s everyday world. In my 4th grade classroom, we just started a daily feature called “News for Jews,” where we share news stories ripped from day’s headlines and relate them to a phrase or concept from the tefillah. The whimsical story about a German pig who solves digital puzzles gave rise to a short discussion about mankind’s superior intellectual gifts described in the fourth blessing of the Amidah. A profile of a deep-sea diver who narrowly escaped an oceanic tragedy helped us appreciate the sentiment in

chapter 145 of Psalms that “God is good to all, and His kindness rests upon all of His creations.” Politics and sports make great fodder for highlighting connections about struggle, perseverance, service and compromise, all described at various points in the daily prayers. The news stories form an imprint on the child’s mind and make it stick to the text, so that the next time the phrase or concept is reencountered, there’s an image attached to it. Tefillah then becomes a personal story about the world, helping students write their own chapters within a much larger narrative.

The second enhancer is thematic. If prayer is supposed to open a portal to the soul, then we need to define the scope of the journey. What are the raw human spirits we want students to touch during their prayer encounters? In my classroom, we focus on a different nobility for each day of the week and then use the silent moments following the Amidah to reflect: Could I be doing a better job in this arena? How will I live this lesson today?

When prayer becomes an exercise in human consciousness, we stand a better chance of igniting the passions of students who want things to matter. They’ll appreciate the circles of meaning that are traced from the text to the wider world and then spill back onto the pages of their siddur. Prayer experiences no longer follow a straight line, but a curved path – through places big and small, near and far, familiar and mysterious. The wonder of prayer can return, and with it, the passion that comes with discovering something for the first

time, all over again.

On the days following these changes, I noticed a resurgence in the students’ energy and attention. They mouthed the words with new meaning. They seemed more focused and self-aware. Maybe they sensed that they were on the verge of something different and exciting – an adventure of the heart. Whether these enhancements are enough to sustain more passionate prayer is still an open question. I hope they are. One student, acting on his own, produced a drawing that gives me hope:

Maybe that’s the secret to passionate prayer: Believing that it’s important to keep talking, even if you don’t hear anyone on the other line.

High Holiday Reminders

HIGH HOLIDAY SECURITY

A friendly reminder for your peace of mind and safety: Improved more rigorous security measures are in place this Holiday Season. Only those with a High Holiday 2022-5783 ticket will admitted to services.

HIGH HOLIDAY PARKING

Parking attendants will furnish drivers with a dash board ticket – identifying available parking in the area. Before you leave your car –remember to put the dash board ticket in a visible place on your dashboard allowing Toronto Police parking enforcement officers to see it.

The Toronto Police Service has granted Beth Torah Congregation consideration for parking during High Holidays for violations such as the three-hour limit parking zones and no parking anytime areas.

All other offenses will be enforced. There will be no consideration for offenses such as no parking within 9 metres of inter section, no standing, no stopping, stopping on sidewalks and parking on boulevards, fire hydrants, fire routes, rush hour hours and permit parking streets.

If the police receive a parking complaint, they will enforce the bylaws. Please do not park illegally or in the Lady York parking lot. You will likely be ticketed or towed.

HIGH HOLIDAY SEATING

The executive committee and board wish to remind you that all our members must have fair and equal access to the seats located in the main sanctuary during the high holidays. To ensure equality, we cannot allow the practice of saving seats by placing tallitot, prayer books and other objects on the seats prior to the start of the service. Items left on the seats for that purpose will be respectfully removed by the ushers and placed in the coat check area for retrieval by their owner.

Please also note that persons sitting in the main sanctuary may not save extra seats for family members who will join them at a later time in the service. You may, however, save seats for your family and friends if you are sitting in the chapel or the social hall until notified that it is no longer feasible to do so.

HIGH HOLIDAY COMMUNICATION

In respect of the sacred Holiday please refrain entirely from texting, tweeting, updating Facebook or any use of phones and communication devices in and around the Synagogue.

High Holiday Survival

It’s not always easy to pray. It is not always a simple matter to focus on those obscure Hebrew words or to listen to the intoning of ancient tomes amidst the fervour and hesitance that mark Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

How can you make prayer become a relevant and meaningful experience? Think about some of these ideas before you step inside the synagogue. They may help:

• Try not to expect too much! Don’t try to get everything out of every prayer or to follow along the whole service.

• Use a translation, preferably with explanations. There are some excellent bilingual festival prayer books on the market today.

• Select one or two prayers that are objectively more significant on these High Holy Days, or that seem to have special meaning for you.

• Read through them carefully. (Don’t worry if you are “falling behind” following the reader...) Think about what the prayers mean to you.

• Why did you select them? Of what wider significance could the prayer be to your community, someone you know, mankind?

• Close your eyes. Take in the atmosphere. Now look around and share a feeling of togetherness with others in the synagogue.

• Think about the fact that millions of Jews around the world are doing exactly what you are doing. What does that mean to you?

• Use the time to “time out” and reflect on yourself, your family, those you care for - and the rest of the world. Any special thoughts?

• Think that just by being in synagogue you have made a commitment as a Jew.

• Do you want to strengthen that commitment somehow? If so, how? Think of three things you could do once the day is over.

• Join in with the prayers. Even if you don’t understand what you are saying, your thoughts and feelings are communicated. Your words join those of your fellow congregants in the synagogue: they combine together. Your prayers, if sincere, will be heard and understood...

• And may you be inscribed for a Happy and Healthy year.

What Foods Do Jews Eat To Celebrate The New Year?

By Stav Ziv (Newsweek Magazine)

Holidays in any faith are about many things, and luckily one of those things is food. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, comes with one of the best lists of traditional and symbolic foods of any holiday, especially if you have a sweet tooth. Here’s a list of some of the foods Jews might eat as they celebrate.

APPLE DIPPED IN HONEY: One of the most iconic combinations of Rosh Hashanah—and one of the most delicious—slices of apple dipped in honey are meant to symbolize the hope for a sweet year ahead. A blessing can be recited beforehand, usually in Hebrew. The translation: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree. May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year.”

HONEY CAKE: The same idea applies for honey cake, with its sweetness a tangible and tasty manifestation of the hope for a sweet new year. Recipes differ—and many families swear by a particular one—but the best honey cakes are moist (get over it) and sweet with a depth and flair contributed by spices such as cloves, cinnamon or allspice, as well as ingredients like coffee, tea, orange juice or alcohol (like rum, rye or whiskey). It’s not uncommon for the baker in the family to make several honey cakes and deliver a few to friends and family to wish them, “Shana tova!” or “Happy new year!”

POMEGRANATE: The pomegranate symbolizes a hope to have a year filled with mitzvot, or “good deeds,” just as the fruit is filled with seeds.

NEW FRUITS: On the second night of the holiday, the table might include a new fruit, i.e. a fruit that has recently come into season or one that hasn’t been eaten in the last year, to symbolize the new start. Pomegranates might double as a new fruit for some; others might use star fruits, lychees or other fruits.

ROUND CHALLAH: Challah is a delicious staple of the Jewish table. But on Rosh Hashanah it takes a different shape— instead of an elongated braid, Jews often

serve round loaves for the new year. In some interpretations, the shape symbolizes the cyclical nature of time, of seasons and holidays that repeat. Others compare the shape to a crown, alluding to the leadership of God and serving as a reminder that God is central to the Jewish faith. Like the apples, challah on Rosh Hashanah is sometimes dipped in honey. Beforehand, some recite the HaMotzi blessing, which translates, “Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”

HEAD OF A FISH: Not all the foods of Rosh Hashanha are as appetizing and sweet as the rest. Some holiday tables will include the head of a fish (or sometimes of a ram or another kosher animal). The blessing here translates, “May it be Your will, Lord our God and the God of our fathers, that we be a head and not a tail.” In other words, since Rosh Hashanah is the “head of the year,” the literal head represents the hope to be at the “head of the class” in the coming year, the desire to be a leader rather than a follower and the wish for a year of good fortune. The fish head can also symbolize fertility, prosperity and abundance.

DATES, LEEKS, BEETS: Several symbolic Rosh Hashanah foods are the result of puns or plays on words. For example, the date, or tamar in Hebrew, is a pun on the word tam, which is the verb “end.” The leek, or karsi in Aramaic, is related to the Hebrew word karat, which is the verb “cut,” or karas, which means “collapse.” The beet, or selek in Hebrew, is similar to the Hebrew verb sillek, which means “take away,” “dismiss” or “banish.” The related blessing translates, “May it be Your will, Lord our God and the God of our fathers, that there come an end to our enemies, haters and those who wish evil upon us,” or “... that our enemies, haters, and those who wish evil upon us shall be cut down” or that they will be “dismissed.”

GOURD, SQUASH: Again with the puns! One word for pumpkin, gourd or squash in Hebrew is kara, which is similar to the words for “rip” and “announce.” The related blessing is, “May it be Your will, Lord our God and the God of our fathers, that the evil of our verdicts be ripped, and that our merits be announced before you.”

Fasting on Yom Kippur (From a Medical Perspective)

By Michael M. Segal, MD PhD

Each year on Yom Kippur, Jews wish each other a khatima tova (a good seal in the Book of Life) and tolerable fast. The route to a khatima tova is beyond the scope of this article; the route to an easy fast is simpler to describe. The following are the essentials of human physiology that will help you have a tolerable fast.

DON'T GET THIRSTY: One important way to remain well hydrated is to avoid drinks or foods that cause your body to get rid of water. These include alcohol, tea, caffeinated coffee and chocolate. Another important rule is to avoid consuming much salt. Salt causes a person to feel thirsty despite having a "normal" amount of water, because extra water is needed for the extra salt. For this reason you should avoid processed foods such as pickles, cold cuts, or cheese. Most tomato sauces, salad dressing, canned fish and smoked fish have a lot of added salt, and bread is a leading source of salt in the diet. Since Kosher meat has a high salt content it may be best to choose a main course such as fresh fish, canned no-salt tuna fish, or a de-salted meat such as boiled chicken. By avoiding these types of foods and drinks in the several hours before a fast, you can avoid either losing water or needing extra water. Other actions that cause the body to lose water, such as perspiring in warm clothing, should also be avoided during the fast.

DON'T START THE PRE-FAST MEAL ON A FULL STOMACH: The pre-fast meal often begins at 5 PM, so it is best to have a small lunch, or no lunch at all. A large breakfast early in the day based on cereals, breads and fruits can provide the energy you need during the day, yet these high-fiber foods will be far downstream by the time of the pre-fast meal and will not keep you from eating enough food at the pre-fast meal. A large breakfast is also helpful because it stretches the stomach. After eating breakfast, it is best to consume beverages during the day. This will not fill you up, since liquids are absorbed quickly, and this will ensure that you have absorbed enough fluids to start the pre-fast meal being well hydrated. Be sure to avoid beverages with alcohol or caffeine. You should also drink at least two glasses of fluids with the pre-fast meal because many foods need extra water to be digested properly.

EAT FOODS THAT ARE DIGESTED SLOWLY: Include some foods high in oils and fats in the pre-fast meal, since such foods delay emptying of the stomach and effectively prolong your meal. However, beware of fatty meats or salted potato chips that could

load you up with too much salt. Salads and other high fibre foods that are so important in one's normal diet should be de-emphasized for the pre-fast meal since they travel quickly through the digestive system. Fruit, despite its high fiber content, is worthwhile since it carries a lot of water in a "time-release" form. Avocados or salt-free potato chips, despite containing a lot of potassium, are good choices because the body largely handles potassium by taking it up into cells.

DON'T GET A HEADACHE: Withdrawing from caffeine produces a headache in people who drink several cups of coffee a day. If you consume this much caffeine in coffee or other foods or drinks you should prepare yourself for the caffeine-free period by reducing or eliminating caffeine from your diet in the days before Yom Kippur. Don't try to get through the fast by drinking coffee right before Kol Nidre, since this will cause you to lose a lot of water.

MAKE THE MEAL TASTY ENOUGH SO PEOPLE WILL EAT: The pre-fast meal doesn't have to be bland. Spices such as lemon or herbs are fine for fasting, but salt and monosodium glutamate should be reduced as much as possible.

DON'T DO A COMPLETE FAST IF YOU HAVE CERTAIN MEDICAL PROBLEMS: People with medical conditions such as diabetes should consult their doctors and rabbis before fasting. Certain medications need to be taken during Yom Kippur, and it is important to swallow them with enough water to avoid pills getting stuck on the way to the stomach and damaging the esophagus. Fasting by women who are pregnant or breast feeding can also be dangerous. If a young person who has not fasted much before has unusual difficulty fasting you should discuss this with your doctor since this happens in some serious metabolic problems in which fasting can be very dangerous.

DON'T EAT IMPROPERLY AFTER NEILA: Even people who have prepared well for fasting will be hungry after Neila. Be sure not to eat food too quickly at the post-fast meal. Begin the break-fast meal with several glasses of fluid: these counteract the dehydration and occupy space in the stomach, discouraging you from eating too rapidly. Also be careful about eating high salt foods such as lox, since you will still be a little dehydrated and will need to drink a lot of fluids to avoid waking up extremely thirsty in the early morning hours. Expect to drink as much fluid in the post-fast evening as you drink in a regular day. These preparations for the fast will be different from your normal routine, but they can serve as a concrete reminder of the approaching Day of Atonement.

Honey Cake Recipe

Make the cake 1-2 days ahead of time. It will taste better and the flavors will be stronger. Keep it in the fridge but serve it at room temperature. If you want a super fluffy and airy cake, you can use the same recipe but separate the eggs. When the recipe calls for mixing eggs with sugar and honey, use only the egg yolks. After mixing all the ingredients, whisk the egg whites with a mixer until they form soft peaks, then gently fold into the batter using a spatula.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¼ cups (175g) all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves , optional

• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or nutmeg , optional

• 2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS:

• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar

• ½ cup (120 ml) honey

• ⅓ cup (80 ml) canola oil (or vegetable, safflower)

• ½ cup warm coffee or tea (mix ½ cup hot water with 1 teaspoon instant coffee or 1 tea bag)

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ cup (25g) sliced almonds, pecans or walnuts, optional

1. Preheat oven to 340°F/170°C. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom/nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, and honey on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. On low speed and with the mixer running, slowly add the oil and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Turn off mixer. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the coffee/tea in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Beat until smooth. Do not over mix.

4. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the top is browning too fast while baking, cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

5. The cake tastes better a day after it’s made. It's best served at room temperature. Cake will keep for 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Dippers

Stovetop Tzimmes

Apple Pie Bliss Bites

Ingredients

• 1 large diced apple

• 1 ½ cup rolled oats

• ⅓ cup desiccated coconut plus extra for rolling

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients into a food processor with the s-blade attachment.

2. Process on high for around three minutes or until well combined and the ingredients are chopped finely.

3. Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and roll to make a ball in between your hands.

4. Roll the ball lightly in the coconut to coat then roll again in your hands so that the coconut sticks to the ball. Repeat until all the mixture is used.

5. Store the bliss balls in the fridge in an airtight container.

• 6 medjool dates

• 50g dried apple

• 25g sultanas

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

About Sukkot

Sukkot is a seven-day harvest holiday that arrives during the Hebrew month of Tishrei. It starts four days after Yom Kippur and is followed by Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Sukkot is also known as the Festival of Booths and the Feast of Tabernacles.

THE ORIGIN OF SUKKOT: Sukkot hearkens back to times in ancient Israel when Jews would build huts near the edges of their fields during the harvest season. One of these dwellings was called a “sukkah” and “sukkot” is the plural form of this Hebrew word. These dwellings not only provided shade but allowed the workers to maximize the amount of time they spent in the fields, harvesting their food more quickly.

TRADITIONS OF SUKKOT: There are three major traditions associated with Sukkot: Building a sukkah, eating in the sukkah and waving the lulav and etrog.

At the beginning of sukkot (often during the days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot) Jews construct a sukkah. In ancient times people would live in the sukkot and eat every meal in them. In modern times people most often build a sukkah in their backyards or help their synagogue construct one for the community.

Few people live in the sukkah today but it is popular to eat at least one meal in it. At the beginning of the meal a special blessing is recited, which goes: “Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us to dwell in the sukkah.” If it

is raining then the commandment to eat in the sukkah is postponed until the weather is more accommodating.

Another custom on Sukkot involves waving the lulav and etrog. Together the lulav and etrog represent the Four Species. The etrog is a kind of citron (related to a lemon), while the lulav is made of three myrtle twigs (hadassim), two willow twigs (aravot) and a palm frond (lulav). Because the palm frond is the largest of these plants, the myrtle and willow are wrapped around it. During Sukkot, the lulav and etrog are waved together while reciting special blessings. They are waved in each of the four directions - sometimes six if “up” and “down” are included in the ritualrepresenting God’s dominion over Creation. The lulav and etrog are also part of the synagogue service. On each morning of Sukkot people will carry the lulav and etrog around the sanctuary while reciting prayers. On the seventh day of Sukkot, called Hoshana Rabba, the Torah is removed from the Ark and congregants march around the synagogue seven times while holding the lulav and etrog.

The eighth and last day of Sukkot is known as Shmeni Atzeret. On this day a prayer for rain is recited, demonstrating how the Jewish holidays are in tune with the seasons of Israel, which begins on this day.

Condolences

We offer our sincerest condolences to the following families on their losses from April 22, 2022 to August 15, 2022. May you know no more sorrow.

HELEN YERMUS ESTHER ATKIN Adored aunt of Joanna Sugar & Michael Wunder.

ART SCHWARTZ Adored Brother of Rhonda Shulman, David Schwartz, and Rob Schwartz. Brother-in-law of Barbara Miller Schwartz, and Ken Shulman.

HARRY BERKLEY Loving father of Harvey Berkley and father-in-law of Laura Berkley.

JEAN WOLFMAN Loving mother and mother-in-law to Donna and Steven Goldenberg, Perry and Dan Wolfman, Diane Wolfman, grandmother to Jeff, Zachary, McKenna, Jack and Dylan, greatgrandmother to Gia, Olivia and Sonny.

MARTIN SHEFFIELD Devoted husband of Debi Sheffield, loving father to Brandon, Samantha, Holden, Chelsey, Colin, and Lauren and grandfather to Frankie, Alistair, Charlie, and Xavier.

GLENDA GOLDLIST Daughter to the late Max and Molly Goldlist, sister to Jay Goldlist, and Clifford (Leslie) Goldlist. Beloved niece to the late George and Kay Goldlist, Dr. Erving and Tippi Kirsh, and Sally Cantor.

FRIEDA TRAUB Beloved wife of the late Simon Traub, loving mother and motherin-law of Ronald and Sandy Traub, the late Victoria Traub-Revzen, Debi Traub and Steven Sheffer. Dear sister to the late Mark Goldenberg and sister-in-law to Esther Goldenberg.

STEWART KATZ Beloved husband of Liz Pearl, loving father of Zoey & Eyal, Sonny & Rachael, and Jasmin & Yarin.

ESTER FREIDENRICH Beloved wife of the late Peter, and dear mother of Ricki & Avi Black and Susan & Jack Waserman.

Natalie Abbott

Nara & Brian Abrams

Jeremy & Mindy Alter

Lenny Baranek & Ita Kleiner

Marlene Baranek

Brett Beber & Toni Zhong

Michael Belz

Andrea Bernstein

Terri Binder

Raquel Black Shirley Brown Robert & Arlene Caplan

Henry & Layah Cohen

Marni Cohen

Robert Daniels

Deborah Davis

Adrian & Rhonda Feigelsohn Fenwick

Ephraim & Penny Fiksel Elyse Flicht

Sheldon Freeman & Sharlene Wilder

Michael Gangel

Michael Garber Shirley Glick Adam Goldenberg Esther Goldenberg

Shawn & Lori Goldenberg

Steven & Donna Goldenberg

Lori & Mark Goodfield

Jack & Tolsa Greenberg

Ira & Merle Greenspoon

Irina and Avi Greenspoon

Alan Gutmann

Donors

Haggart Roofing

Jon & Sari Hanser

Rita Isenberg

Tammy Joffe David Kaufman Brian & Jessica Kimmel

Deborah Kleiner & Lawrence Zucker

Andrea Kleinhandler

Donna Koffman Shirley Korenblum Andrew Kotler & Lisa Colt

David Kreindler & Debbie Fenichel

Jocelyn Levine-Middlestadt

Saul Libstug Dr Perry Lichtblau Wendy Litvak Lukofsky Holdings Sandi Mandel

Helen Mueller Angela Nikolaou Whitney Noble Melvin Perlmutter Adam & Robyn Polan

Pnina Ptasznik Lesley Raubvogel

Pearl & Ken Rose

Carl Rosen

Jamy & Michele Rotman

Kenneth & Gayla Schwartz Rise Schwartz Todd & Alison Sheriff Faith Sherman

Kathy and Hy Shore

Jordana & Neil Smiley Lillian Sokoloff

Robyn Solomons Rochelle & Mark Stenzler

Steve Till & Pauline AbbottTill

Harry & Pnina Turk

Jonah & Heather Turk

Ira Tytel

Jeff Wainberg

Jeffrey Waldman & Simone Collier

Libbi Walter

Howard & Marilyn Walton Robert Wasserman & Jacqueline Shinfield Barb & Kenneth Weinberg Lisa Weinberg

Andrew & Fay Weisberg Harold & Shelley Wolkin Fraydel Yamron

Michael & Dianne Yanofsky Jeffrey Zoltak

Best wishes for a happy, healthy & peaceful new year to all our family, friends & Beth Torah Congregation!

Shirley & Marty Glick z"l Jonathan & Helen Glick Michael & Bianca Glick

Wishing the Rabbi, Cantor, Friends and Family a happy and healthy New Year.

Lori, Shawn, Brooke, Lior, Stephanie & Jordy Goldenberg.

Wishing all of our friends and family a happy and healthy New Year.

Dr. Shawna Perlin, Paul Bain and Ari Perlin-Bain

Wishing all of our family and friends a very happy, healthy, and sweet New Year.

Mark Krantzberg, Iris Rosenbluth, Alyssa, and Zoey

Wishing our family and friends a very happy and healthy New Year!

The

WISHING THE BETH TORAH CONGREGATION A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Tree of Life

Honour or memorialize a loved one, commemorate a simcha, or recognize a

achievement with an inscription on our magnificent Tree of Life.

PLEASE SELECT YOUR LEAF OR BARK SIZE:

$360 -

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$180 - Small (1" x 4")

$5,000 - Medium (2" x 6")

$7,200 - Large (2.5" x 8")

Ordering is easy!

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order online,

, or fax your form to 416.782.4496

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Board of Directors

Board of Trustees

SAMUEL