Exodus Magazine - April 2020

#210 | April 2020 • Nissan 5780

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April 2020 • Nissan 5780

7

5 | JEWISH SOUL

Faith and Healing

8

10

8 | JEWISH THOUGHT

Finding Security in Uncertain Times

In addition to trust being one of the foundations of our faith and way of life, it is also a channel to receive G‑d’s blessings, especially for the success of the medical treatment.

Unlike personal tragedy and loss, which affect the lives of individuals and those close to them, upheaval is large-scale disruption that imperils communities, destabilizes nations or even endangers the entire world.

— From the Rebbe's correspondence

— by Simon Jacobson

6 | MADE YOU THINK

10 | JEWISH THOUGHT

From the Trenches

The First Step

When we truthfully recognize our present spiritual darkness and confusion - and call to G‑d from there - will G‑d respond with divine revelation.

If we translate historical events into terms pertaining to each individual’s pilgrimage toward his true goal in life – the Promised Land – then the three festivals can be seen as landmarks along that path.

— by Shaul Leiter

— by Adin Even-Israel (Steinsaltz)

7 | LIFE ON EARTH

18 | PERSPECTIVES

After several hours, my legs and feet were hurting, and I felt a bit dizzy from lack of air. I was considering going outside for a break when, without warning, the Rebbe turned my way.

We are experiencing a revelation of the inescapably interlinked nature of our humanity, the covenant of human solidarity, the thing that makes each of us not only an I, but part of the greater human we.

— translated by Tzvi Freeman

— an interview with Jonathan Sacks

A Plea to a Friend at a Time of Illness

Pulling us Together, Apart

18

editorial jewish soul made you think life on earth jewish thought ask the rabbi our community simchas perspectives holiday guide marketplace memorials

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There are those among us who feel, some more than others, that the challenges of life are more than they can bear. There is faith, buried somewhere deep within, that everything is for the best, that there is meaning and purpose in the suffering. And yet, for some, life is sometimes simply overwhelming. We are known as human – mighty enough to stand firm and stare down the brutal facts of our reality, yet not quite mighty enough to rise up against them.

Challenges are meant to be overcome. Even the greatest challenges are also, and probably primarily, opportunities. The current COVID-19 crisis is no different. What is the key to unlocking the opportunity within the challenge?

I’m not going to get into the physical and medical aspects of the challenge. There’s enough being said about that. In our growth as individuals and as a people with a shared destiny, what ultimately matters in the long term (immediate practical concerns aside) is how we deal with the spiritual and mental aspect of the challenge. How do we overcome the anxiety, depression, stress and weight of it all? How do we reconcile the situation we’re in with our view of the world and how it ought to be? And how do we handle all of this uncertainty while retaining our center, without succumbing to the temptation to either freak out or be in denial?

Let me share with you a secret I discovered in the teachings of Jewish mysticism that illuminates a path out of this feeling of despair. A simple and clear exercise that works. I know, because I memorized it and it has worked for me every time I have deployed it over the last few years. (I won’t tell you what happened when I chose, for whatever stupid reason, not to use it.) Take a step back and a quiet time out to try it yourself. It might work for you, too.

Attune yourself to the notion that everything, yourself included, is constantly being created at every moment. Otherwise, nothing would exist.

The idea here is not only to understand this concept or accept it to be true. The key is to be attuned to it, to internalize it, to feel it.

Harness your purest and highest self, take some

deep breaths, and think about it deeply. Creation is not only an historical event that occurred way back at the beginning of time. It happens at every moment, to every living being, every molecule and every particle in the universe. It is happening right now, to you. You can tap into that reality.

Contemplate it and meditate upon it.

Visualize how your very existence is constantly being brought into being, out of nothing, at every moment, with every breath.

Let go of the normal limitations of human consciousness, the willful blindness you usually embrace out of necessity in order to function in this world. Open your mind, and allow this inner reality of constant recreation and rebirth to permeate how you think and see and feel and look at the world, and how you perceive yourself – without judgement, without prejudice, as a simple fact of being, in the moment, in this moment. Feel it within you.

Open your eyes and see it all around you.

Now ask yourself: Is it possible that this reality that emerges at every moment out of nothing could be a bad thing, that all of reality and existence or any detail within it are a mistake? Yes, you are suffering, whatever way it may be – family, health, business. The mere fact of existence is fraught with struggle. And yet, the “nothingness” from which you are being brought into being is actually the source of all good and pleasure, material and spiritual. But we are limited. Some things are beyond our ability to see, like a light that is outside the visible spectrum. Since it cannot be grasped by the mind, we presume it to be darkness. and we see only the pain and the suffering. In truth it is merely disconnected from its source, an illusion that is a result of limited human perception. Go beyond those limits, and it is all light, it is all good.

The transcendental perspective that emerges from this exercise is that everything in existence stems from that source of all life, which is pure goodness. And so, in essence, everything is good. It doesn’t always appear that way. That’s part of the plan. It allows us to toil, to wander, to discover.

It empowers us to create the world we want. It enables us to be free.

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jewish soul

Faith

and

Healing

Excerpts from the Rebbe's correspondence

I

received your letter of the 19th of Tevet in which you write that you are in the hospital under the care and supervision of doctors. You describe the state of your health and your apprehensions.

It is known in general that each and every one of us must be firm in our trust — our faith and trust — in G‑d, the “Healer of all flesh and Performer of wonders.” The greater your degree of trust in G‑d, the greater will be the improvement in your health.

However, at the same time, our holy Torah also says, “and he shall heal”: that the doctor is the agent of the “Healer of all flesh” to bring about healing to the person in need of it.

In order to strengthen one’s trust and increase G‑d’s blessings, one’s performance of Torah and mitzvahs must also be augmented, each and every individual according to his spiritual level.

Moreover, do not be content with working on yourself only, rather, encourage those who are in your locale as well — surely you can affect and encourage them to some extent — both with regard to faith and trust in G‑d, as well as increasing their performance of Torah and mitzvahs.

Since G‑d conducts Himself “measure for measure, [but many more times so,”]9 by seeking to enhance the spiritual or physical health of one’s fellow Jew, the A-mighty rewards this effort many more times over.

May G‑d grant you success, so that you will be able to convey glad tidings regarding all the above.

— when one recognizes that “G‑d is testing you in order to know whether you love Him with all your heart and soul” and one withstands the test, then the [troublesome] situation [and test] disappears (for it has already fulfilled its “purpose”), and the person returns to his previous strong state.

With blessings for a full and speedy recovery. * * *

but in a way that truly permeates one’s entire being.

In addition to trust being one of the foundations of our faith and way of life, it is also a channel to receive G‑d’s blessings, especially for the success of the medical treatment, which has to be undertaken in the natural order since our holy Torah empowers and authorizes doctors to heal and cure.

You surely know, too, that living one’s daily life in accordance with the will of G‑d is the channel through which Jews receive G‑d’s blessings in all their needs; added efforts in this direction bring supplementary Divine blessings. ...

I vigorously frown upon the conduct of some who view with pessimism and inflate the severity — both verbally and in writing — of all their aches and illnesses, Heaven forbid.

This is contrary to the desire of our Rebbes, for I have heard many times — and in public as well — from my father-in-law, the Rebbe, in the name of many of the leaders of Chabad: “Think positively, and you will see positive results.”

Now, if this is true with regard to mere thoughts, how much more so does this, (i.e., positivism vs. negativism,) apply to speech and to writing/deed, as speech and deed are so much more concrete than thought. EM

* * * * * * I duly received the telephone message as well as the letter regarding your state of health, and I remembered you in prayer at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, of saintly memory, in accordance with the request.

From what I have been informed about your progress in matters of Jewish observance, it is surely unnecessary to emphasize to you the importance of trust — complete faith and trust in G‑d — not just as an abstraction,

April 2020

The purpose [of that which I mentioned above regarding individual Divine providence, etc.], is not to justify your situation, but to suggest to you that possibly the meaning of it all is that you are being subject to a test [from Above,]10 (something that comes about specifically from something problematic and incomprehensible).

Then — as is the pattern with Divine tests

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exodusmagazine.org

5

made you think

From

the

Trenches

Shaul Leiter

I

n 1905, during the Russo-Japanese war, the Rebbe Rashab (the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe) made an enormous effort to send matzah and wine to Jewish Russian soldiers on the front. In return, the Rebbe received a telegram of gratitude from the soldiers, which they signed, "Soldiers of the Trenches of Shanghai".

This account reminded our Rebbe (the 7th, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson) of something told by the Alter Rebbe (the first of the dynasty) explaining why some letters written by the Baal Shem Tov are signed "Yisroel from Akuf". The Baal Shem Tov did not mean literally that he was from Akuf, since we know that he was from the town of Tlust. Rather, Tlust had been a walled city, but the stones of the walls were long gone and all that was left were deep ditches down to the foundations. The Baal Shem Tov's parents were so poor that they could not afford a regular house and lived in those dug out places. That was where the Besht was born and that is why he sometimes referred to himself as being from Akuf, which means "ditches" or "trenches". The Rebbe Rashab concluded by saying that it was with the strength of the trenches of the Besht, i.e. he knew what it meant to come from a "low place", that he was able to push away the trenches, meaning the low places, of others.

Since this story was told during Passover, there must be a connection to the meaning of Passover for us, today. During the holiday of Passover we are confronted with two opposites: 1) The Jewish people, because they had sunk to the level of the Egyptians, were in a very lowly spiritual state - the 49th Gate of Impurity. For this reason, the great kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed explains that the redemption from Egypt had to be in great haste, because had the Jewish people remained in Egypt even a short while longer they would have fallen to the lowest (50th) gate, and it would have been impossible for Moses to redeem them.

2) In contrast, at that very same time, there was an enormous revelation: the King of Kings, the Holy One Blessed be He, revealed Himself to them, "in His honor and His essence" (from the Passover Haggadah).

6

Chassidism explains that "in His honor" means Kingship of the Infinite – the highest level of the high; and "in His essence" means the Essence of the Infinite - a state of such pure divinity, it is indescribable, sometimes called "the Hidden Beauty". Even at the time of the Holy Temple, there were not revelations like those.

The point is that these revelations came at the same time as an extreme, aggravated state of lowliness. This is what is described in the verse, "From the depths of my distress I called G‑d's name." (Psalms 118:5) It is specifically when we call out to G‑d from the depths, that "G‑d (the end of the verse), answered me with liberation".

It is the same for us now. Each year on Passover, the Seder is a process of drawing the revelation of G‑dliness into the world, from the highest - "Kadesh" (meaning holy), to This World - "Nirza" (meaning that our service be accepted). Only when we truthfully recognize our present spiritual darkness and confusion - and call to G‑d from there - will G‑d respond with divine revelation.

This applies also to Moshiach. When you tell someone that Moshiach can be here within the hour, his first reaction is to think about how lowly the world is and how we are dwelling in redoubled darkness, how he is also on an extremely low level and how improbable it is that in such a short time there could be such a jump (pesach) from extreme lowliness to complete liberation.

We answer that just like in the redemption from Egypt the Jewish people were taken in

a very short time from distress to liberation, so it will be in the future redemption, as it says, "Just like in the days of leaving Egypt, [in the future redemption] I will show you wonders!" (Michah 7:15) And the liberation (i.e. the revelations) of the future redemption will be even greater than during the redemption from Egypt, as it says, "And your eyes will [truly] see your Master", i.e. physical eyes will see G‑d's essence.

This is the connection of the above story to Passover. The Baal Shem Tov was born and revealed during a period of extreme physical and spiritual poverty, when the Jewish people were in an induced slumber, disconnected from their spiritual source. Just like whispering a person's Jewish name into his or her ear can bring them out of a state of unconsciousness, so also the revelation of the soul of the Baal Shem Tov (literally "Master of the Good Name") could arouse the Jewish people from their slumber. The more we spread the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, the more we dispel the darkness of the current exile and hasten the final redemption. Just as in Egypt and again during the time of the Baal Shem Tov the Jewish people "jumped" from darkness and distress to liberation, so it will be with the arrival of the Moshiach. EM

Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter is the co-founder, executive director and featured lecturer at Ascent Tsfat, a spiritual discovery center in the holy city of Tsfat in Northern Israel (ascentofsafed.com, myascent.org).

Nissan 5780

life on earth

A Plea

to a

Friend

at a

Time

of Illness

Translated by Tzvi Freeman

I

understand from this letter of yours how deeply at times you ponder your lack of good health and that pains me very much.

If you would listen to my advice, you would distance yourself from this behavior to the utmost degree and remove your mind from it entirely. Just trust in G‑d that He will issue His decree and you will be certainly healed.

By ruminating over this so deeply you are directly damaging yourself, both physically— as we know from actual experience—as well as spiritually. But trust in G‑d removes all heavenly accusations and judgments against you, as is written in Reishit Chochmah, Portal of Love, chapter 12, on the verse “Anyone who trusts in G‑d, kindness encompasses him.”2 He explains there that this kindness encompasses a person and shields him from any judgments against him, saving him from all afflictions of this world.

This kindness is the kindness of the One who is “Transcendent of Time.” It is called “great kindness,” for it shines without limit or measure—meaning, even if a person is not at all fit to receive it.

The whole idea of trust in G‑d lies in this great kindness, because it is from there that ongoing, constant divine care derives.

The verse says, “For His wrath is but for a moment, while His good will is for life.” All the wrath and judgments are incidental and momentary, while divine kindness is the flow of life that follows in a great surge of good will, as explained in the Eitz Chaim.

This is especially so according to that which my grandfather, master and teacher explained (Igeret Hakodesh 10), that when we give charity in amounts greater than a fifth or a tenth of our profits, we create receptors for this unlimited kindness to be displayed openly in our world. If so, in our generation and with the current restraints of our times, when certainly everyone gives more than a fifth of their profit, we are undoubtedly awakening a display of divine kindness to shine without limits or measure.

And certainly it will remove all judgments and accusations against us.

Because with kindness of this sort, there are no obstacles or obstructions. As it passes through the supernal chambers, flowing from above to below from chamber to chamber,

April 2020

it doesn’t stop in any chamber to determine whether this person towards whom it is directed is deserving or not. It simply passes through with a mighty gush of force until it arrives literally in this material world.

It’s like a mighty river with an unstoppable current, so powerful that no one can harness it for a watermill.

And so I heard from my grandfather, my holy master and teacher, concerning the priestly blessing. He explained that the kohanim with this blessing awaken this divine kindness so that it arrives rapidly into the physical realm—as our sages explained, “He will bless you” means He will bless you

financially. In other words, in actual physical terms, with children, health and income. EM A Letter From Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, the "Tzemach Tzedek," the third rebbe of Lubavitch. Translated by Tzvi Freeman.

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth and more recently Wisdom to Heal the Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing or purchase his books, visit Chabad.org. Follow him on FaceBook @RabbiTzviFreeman.

exodusmagazine.org

7

jewish thought

Finding Security

in

Uncertain Times

Simon Jacobson

T

he Rebbe’s life was filled with upheaval. Born in 1902 in Czarist Russia, the Rebbe personally lived through the Russian Revolution and World War I and II. He was studying in Berlin when the Nazis came to power, and in Paris when they occupied France. After narrowly escaping Europe during the war, he arrived in the United States in 1941, settling in New York, and lived here during the turbulent and formative second half of the 20th century. When the Rebbe discussed upheavals over the years, a single thread ran through his talks — how to transform chaotic events into forces of positive change.

He instructed us to use upheavals to fulfill our mission of integrating G‑dliness into our daily lives. The Rebbe saw our generation as one of transition, and all the upheavals of our generation as part of the transition process. “We stand at the threshold of a new world,” he said in 1990. “We are concluding an age consumed with materialism, and entering the time of Redemption, an age of heightened spiritual consciousness, where materialism is but a means to the sublime.”

How do we cope with upheaval? Unlike personal tragedy and loss, which affect the lives of individuals and those close to them, upheaval is large-scale disruption that imperils communities, destabilizes nations or even endangers the entire world. Suddenly, the underpinnings of our security—personal safety, economic well-being, our very lives— have been sabotaged.

At such times, when the foundations of our worlds seem to be collapsing, it is difficult to avoid being overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty. We ask: What is happening? Will the world ever return to normal? How can we prepare for an unknowable, unpredictable future? Can we regain our equilibrium and overcome our feelings of alienation? The questions come faster than the answers, which may not come at all, and we grow disoriented and fearful.

We may even become paralyzed, unable to gain a perspective on the events that have overtaken us or to regain control over our fates. In such a difficult situation, what can we do?

8

To live meaningfully, we must face upheaval directly and not retreat into fear or denial. Even the most dire experiences are part of life’s purpose and mission, and we must struggle to accept them in this spirit. We do not welcome calamities, and may even challenge G‑d for allowing them, yet part of our challenge is to get beyond our anger, fear and pain in order to unearth possibilities for growth. Even when our way of life appears to be in jeopardy, we must school ourselves to detect in upheaval the seeds of transformation.

Before we can learn from cataclysm, however, we must recover from the shock and restore some sense of safety and security.

In times likes these we need to seek comfort and strength from the people closest to us, family, friends and community. The hand we extend to calm and comfort our fellow human beings helps to ease our suffering as well.

A woman who suffered a great tragedy came to see her Rabbi. The Rabbi said to her: I have no answers for you, but I can cry with you.

The time for analysis and explanation

comes later. The first response to largescale trauma is communion, offering and receiving strength and solace. Empathy and compassion may appear to be merely ways to shield ourselves from the disorder around us, but they are also the first steps in the process of healing.

How Can We Comprehend Upheaval?

Once we ensure our own safety and the well-being of the people close to us, we can begin looking beyond the immediate crisis to comprehend the upheaval and what it means for us. When we see the larger picture, it is possible to learn and grow from our experiences. We may find that we resist taking these steps, that we are blocked by a second fear, deeper and more profound than the one associated with the terrible events: a fear of the unknown.

Fear and uncertainty are necessary, even healthy, parts of the growth process.

Upheaval on a national or global scale is a sign of change. Just as the great cataclysms recorded in the Bible—the Flood, the Egyptian enslavement, the Exodus—represent stages in a grand, Divinely ordained historical plan, so are the ruptures of the geopolitical

Nissan 5780

jewish thought

When catastrophic changes create disruptions to the everyday fabric of our lives, we can fall victim to them, or we can seize the opportunity to seek signs of the changes that follow troubled times. What we discover will lead us to an entirely new vision. fabric in our own times. When we feel disoriented by what has happened—even if at first we experience panic and pain—we are acknowledging the profound changes taking place around us. It is disturbing to find ourselves suspended between a past that has been swept away and an unpredictable, unformed future. At such moments, what we see is destruction and disorder, and we cannot comprehend how today’s upheavals are beginning to usher in the future. But they are.

Our Sages teach, “Who is wise? The one who sees the birthing”—not just the darkness, but how it leads to light. Growth occurs in three stages: an embryonic state, a void between old and new, and a state of transformation. Upheaval is the middle, chaotic stage. From our human perspective, it may appear as an abyss, but in the larger view, it is the first sign of something new, a birthing. When catastrophic changes create disruptions to the everyday fabric of our lives, we can fall victim to them, or we can seize the opportunity to seek signs of the changes that follow troubled times. What we discover will lead us to an entirely new vision.

April 2020

Among the many great upheavals caused

by World War One and the Russian Revolution was the devastation of religious life under Soviet rule. Millions of people were killed and others were persecuted and not allowed to live freely. One of the great Rabbis at the time, who openly defied the Soviet authorities, was arrested and sentenced to death. He was saved miraculously, and he later explained, that as difficult as the situation may be, we must hold on to our faith and know that these dark times will lead to a new renaissance of Jewish life and to the beginnings of a new world order where peace and freedom will reign. The Rabbi promised, that one day soon, we would see in retrospect how these terrible events (like the events that led to the miracle of Purim) were pieces of a bigger puzzle, steps in a process, and that by connecting the dots we would recognize the Divine plan that is leading us to a greater place.

What brings us true security? In times of upheaval, we are given the rare opportunity to perceive directly and with certainty what is true and real in our lives. As a result, we notice two crucial things. First, we see through the fragile, ineffectual material comforts we often rely on for our senses of security. Faced with a crisis, we immediately recognize that it is folly to depend on such insubstantial things for our safety and survival. Second, as we glimpse beneath the surface of our material realm, we begin to discern the outlines of a more enduring world, where we can locate a pillar powerful enough to support and protect us. We discover, in other words, the source of a security that is both permanent and eternal.

Our selves—our true selves—consist of two components: a body and a soul.

Happiness is possible only when we bridge these dichotomous entities, when we nourish our souls as much as we do our bodies. True security is only possible when our material lives are rooted in and connected with our spiritual one.

This is not an ascetic doctrine, one that encourages us to deny our bodies or the material world. But we must acknowledge that material life is not a self-sufficient

end in itself, it is but a means for spiritual expression and the body is a vehicle for our soul’s journey in this world.

The body and soul, however, are not natural allies; the material and spiritual worlds are often in opposition. In general, the more value we place on material things, the more challenging it is to discover the spiritual. It does not take long to reach the point where we are conscious of nothing but matter: our property, our prosperity and our professional achievements create a seductive illusion of worth and invincibility.

As long as we are living comfortable lives free of disturbance, our illusions can be perpetuated.

The instant disaster strikes, we perceive with terrifying clarity just how mistaken we were to devote our lives to the pursuit of purely material ends. By rediscovering our inner purpose—and synchronizing the goals of body and soul—we can get back on course. To do so, each of us must ask, What do I stand for? What are my priorities?

What should my purpose be? What would make me feel secure in this world, no matter what happens? The questions we ask in times of upheaval—and the answers we give—are probably the most critical of our lives.

When the world threatens to veer out of control, as it can when disaster strikes, we have an opportunity to glimpse behind its façade of false solidity and to take an honest look at ourselves as well. We may find ourselves face to face with the existential fear and loneliness that people have long wrestled with: that we are alone in our universe, that life lacks purpose and direction. In overcoming our terror, we answer the challenge to define our true beliefs, who we are and the values we live by.

At such moments, we have an opportunity to discard old patterns of behavior and outfit ourselves with new ones. EM Rabbi Simon Jacobson is the author of Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe and the director of the Meaningful Life Center (meaningfullife.com).

This article an excerpt from Toward a Meaningful Life.

exodusmagazine.org

9

jewish thought

The First Step Adin Even Yisrael Steinsaltz

P

assover, the festival of the Exodus from Egypt, is imprinted on all the days of the year. Moreover, the “memory of the Exodus from Egypt” is mentioned on almost every festive occasion.

What makes the Exodus from Egypt so important?

The Jewish festivals are first and foremost historical festivals: each one is a remembrance of a certain event in Jewish history. But their essence goes far beyond that. Whenever we remember a historical event, we connect ourselves not so much with the facts, but rather with their psychological and emotional significance. If we want to understand the personal, inner meaning of a festival, we should look to its intrinsic spiritual essence.

And what is more, we should see the festivals as internal events in the life of the individual, which are reflections of the collective life of the nation. This approach will open a door for us toward a wider, albeit not immediately apparent, understanding.

Our sages say: “In every generation, each person must regard himself as if he came out of Egypt.” This is the key to a new understanding of the festivals: in order to relive things, we must participate spiritually in the process of our people’s birth.

At first glance, it seems that the Exodus from Egypt is not nearly as important as the giving of the Torah. The Exodus is the mere deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery, whereas the giving of the Torah is the event that shaped the character of our people.

In other words, the giving of the Torah is the beginning of Jewish history, whereas the Exodus from Egypt – like the stories about the patriarchs – is, in this sense, prehistory.

If we translate historical events into terms pertaining to each individual’s pilgrimage toward his true goal in life – the Promised Land – then the three festivals, together with their natural/agricultural symbolism of spring (Passover), reaping (Shavuot), and harvest (Sukkot), can be seen as landmarks along that path.

The individual journey begins when a person tears himself away from the state of aimlessness. This is the first step. At this point everything is still in the embryonic stage, incomplete and undefined – the festival

10

of spring. Clearly, at this stage one does not fully understand the significance and future consequences of the spontaneous first step into the unknown. Only later does one reach a degree of maturity and self-knowledge that gives an understanding of the road taken.

This is the time of the receiving of Torah, the feast of reaping. And only long after, possibly many years later, does one reach full awareness and the ability to enjoy the good fruits. This is the tranquil hour of “the season of our joy” – the feast of harvest.

These three stages of spiritual development can be found, in various forms, in the life of every individual, as well as in the spiritual and historical course of the nation as a whole.

The Exodus from Egypt is the departure from material and spiritual nothingness in the direction of a new and as yet unknown destination. The spiritual baggage at the moment of this crucial decision is almost nonexistent. At most, it is “the bread of affliction.”

Only later, farther along the path chosen

without knowledge, does one reach full understanding; only then are goals and aspirations formulated in fixed laws. Then a person can see things in their entirety and evolve a bird’s-eye view of his way in life and what it entails. This is the hour of the giving of Torah to the entire nation, and the hour of the receiving of Torah by the individual.

The time of receiving the Torah is a time of turmoil and inner strife, despite the newly acquired spiritual and intellectual maturity.

Things are forced upon us – “G‑d forced the Mount [of Sinai] over the people of Israel like a pail” (Shabbat 88a) – and we find it difficult to absorb all of this novelty, which, however close to the heart, is as yet foreign to the spirit.

Only after a lengthy period of digestion and adjustment does one attain a sense of inner integrity, wholeness, and peace. It is then that one feels capable of harvesting the crops that have grown in the course of time, and of enjoying them in calm and happiness.

There are three points, then, in a man’s

Nissan 5780

path: the decision, the understanding, and the rejoicing. All are essential and important, but not equally important. Which one bears the greatest significance?

At the point of departure, the people of Israel were a nation of slaves in body, mind, and spirit. They had no spiritual content or any real goal in life. The only thing they did have was a vague sense of continuity, an obscure link with their forefathers. This is what prevented them from assimilating completely with the Egyptians, and what prepared them for what they were about to be given.

Then came the call to depart from Egypt.

The very desire for freedom was a tremendous revolution in the soul of this nation of slaves; it was the awakening of the need for inner freedom that exists in the soul of every individual. And although they did not yet know G‑d, and had no idea as to how the Exodus would in fact occur – they believed. The slaves had neither knowledge nor understanding, and yet they went out into

an unknown and unmapped desert.

Such a spark of faith can enable those who possess it to overcome all dangers and obstacles. True, this path of faith is almost bereft of profound intellectual content, but it creates a link that goes much deeper than that of any other kind. It is a relationship of devotion, of inner oneness beyond perception, with the Divine.

This lightning decision, this inexplicable faith, conceals within itself the seeds of all that will in due course be revealed. This is where the relationship begins and where its character is shaped. The overt, external revelation occurs at a later stage; but the inner, essential relationship is there from the very beginning, from the very first act of faith. This is why the people of Israel were able to say, prior to the giving of Torah, “We shall do and we shall hearken” (Exodus 24:7), because their essential link with the Torah, albeit hidden, was there from the first.

The prophet Jeremiah says, “I remember in thy favor the devotion of thy youth, thy love as a bride, when thou didst go after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown” (Jeremiah 2:2). The memory of the basic relationship of the people with G‑d is the memory of the decision to depart from Egypt: The young nation of Israel, inexperienced and ignorant, followed G‑d without knowing anything about Him, about the commandments He was about to give, or about the path they were destined to take.

The essence of the Exodus, then, is in the initial, faith-motivated decision to leave the ordinary, the routine life, and to follow G‑d.

This is that all-inclusive point of departure.

Prior to that there is nothing. All the rest is elaboration. This is what gives Passover – the festival of spring – its prominence among the festivals. And this is also why the month of Nissan, the month of spring, is the first month – the starting point, the beginning. EM Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz is internationally regarded as one of the leading rabbis of this century. The author of many books, he is best known for his monumental translation of and commentary on the Talmud. To learn more visit his website, steinsaltz.org.

future tense

MOSHIACH MUSINGS

When we think of the miracles of the Messianic Age as being technological rather than manifest, then we have no trouble understanding traditions that predict such things as space flight and interstellar colonization in the Messianic Age, even according to those who believe that it will not be a time of manifest miracles.

All of this would be mere conjecture and even forced interpretation if it were not for the fact that our present technological revolution has also been predicted, with an approximate date as to its inception. Almost 2000 years ago, the Zohar predicted, "In the 600th year of the 6th millennium, the gates of wisdom on high and the wellsprings of lower wisdom will be opened. This will prepare the world to enter the 7th millennium, just as a person prepares himself toward sunset on Friday for the Sabbath. It is the same here. And the mnemonic for this is (Genesis 7:11), 'In the 600th year… all the foundations of the great deep were split'."

Here we see a clear prediction that in the Jewish year 5600 (1840 CE), the wellsprings of lower wisdom would be opened and there would be a sudden expansion of secular knowledge.

Although the year 1840 did not yield any major scientific breakthrough, the date corresponds with almost uncanny accuracy to the onset of the present scientific revolution.

The tradition may have even anticipated the tremendous destructive powers of our modern technology. Thus, we are taught that the times of Moshiach will begin in a generation with the power to destroy itself. The rapid changes on both a technological and sociological level will result in great social upheaval.

The cataclysmic changes will result in considerable suffering, often referred to as the birth pangs of Moshiach. If Moshiach comes with miracles, these may be avoided, but the great changes involved in his coming in a natural manner may make these birth pangs inevitable.

ask the rabbi

What is the Jewish Approach to COVID-19?

by Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

Q

It seems that the world has been thrown into upheaval. I have lost my sense of certainty. What does the Torah say about how we should respond in this situation?

It is not that we have lost our sense of certainty.

We have lost our illusion of certainty. We never had it to begin with. A tiny invisible virus has sent the entire world into chaos. All of our plans are up in the air, markets are going crazy, entire countries shutting down, and we have no clue what the future holds.

But, the truth is, that is always the case. We never truly know what the future holds. We only think we do, and keep getting surprised when things don't work out the way we expected. What will happen next? We don't know. Our experts don't know. Our leaders don't know. Only G‑d knows. And that is the point. Only G‑d knows. We are in G‑d's hands.

Perhaps every time we wash our hands we can remind ourselves of whose hands we are in.

First and foremost, we have to do whatever we can to alleviate the situation by helping one another however we can, and of course strictly abiding by the guidelines set forth by the government and the medical authorities.

Judaism holds the sanctity of human life above all else, so if you want to know what the Torah approach is, it is whatever will save lives.

Beyond that, there are things we can do spiritually. The Rambam teaches that on a global level a person should always view the world as perfectly balanced between good and evil, and that his or her one act of goodness can tip the entire balance toward good. This is especially true now, when we need the scales tipped in our favor more than ever – each of us individually and all of us collectively.

Obviously any mitzvah or positive action can help, but there are a few that are more relevant, more auspicious, more closely connected to the types of assistance and energy we want to elicit from Above at this time. I’ll share a few ideas.

Writing a letter in a Torah scroll is a source of blessing that is specifically connected to unity, life, and good health. There is an international system in place whereby any person can “purchase” (or sponsor) one letter for themselves or anyone they know in an actual Torah scroll that will be written and used.

12

While all mitzvahs bring goodness and blessing, affixing a mezuzah to the doorway of your house has the added benefit of initiating Divine protection on the home and its inhabitants. The Talmud states: “A human king sits inside, and his servants guard him from the outside. With G‑d, by contrast, His servants sit inside, and He guards them from the outside.

In fact, the Hebrew letter shin almost always appearing on the outside of the mezuzah scroll is one of G‑d’s names that forms the sentence “Guardians of the doorways of Israel.”

It’s a good time to make sure you have a proper, kosher mezuzah on your front door and ideally on the door of every bedroom and living space in the house (i.e., not bathrooms or closets). Also, mezuzahs should be checked by a certified scribe at least twice every seven years to see if they have been affected by adverse weather conditions, or by folding (which can cause cracks in the letters), or if any other defects have occurred. The Rebbe often urged people who encountered health challenges or other difficulties to have their mezuzahs (and tefillin) checked, to ensure that every scroll was in good shape and properly placed on the doorpost.

This may be the defining event of our lives.

How we respond today will be etched into the annals of history for eternity. In general, we should try to think good, stay positive and occupy ourselves with meaningful activities.

Torah learning is a great place to start. There are no shortage of opportunities for study and self-improvement online, and many classes and courses are going virtual to accommodate the current situation.

For any assistance with the above or other needs, contact me or the JRCC office. EM Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman is the Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario. You can Ask the Rabbi at jrcc.org or fax to 416.222.7812. To meet with Rabbi Zaltzman in person, feel free to call 416.222.7105 to book an appointment.

Appointments are generally available on Tuesday evenings after 7 p.m.

Rebbitzin Chiena Zaltzman is also available for private consultations by appointment on Wednesday evenings from 9 to 10pm by calling 416.222.7105.

В настоящее время люди во всем мире и, соответственно, евреи тоже, заняты внезапно возникшей проблемой – появлением нового, опасного для здоровья, а главное – для жизни вируса. Люди по-разному на это реагируют. Некоторые ни о чем другом не могут думать, а кто-то относится к ситуации более спокойно. Мы знаем, что Тора – наш Путеводитель по жизни, поэтому мы должны знать ее мнение об этом. Что должен предпринять еврей, чтобы избежать проблем в этой ситуации? Действительно, еврей должен всегда узнавать, что говорит Тора по тому или иному вопросу. Все исходит от Вс-вышнего. В данное время некоторые задают вопрос: «Почему Вс-вышний допустил этот ужасный вирус?» Необходимо понимать, что ничего не происходит в мире без воли Вс-вышнего. Более того, мы знаем, что от Вс-вышнего исходит только хорошее. В данном случае это понять нелегко... Мы должны суметь найти то хорошее, чему учит нас эта ситуация. Прежде всего, человек должен осознавать, что есть Б-г на свете, а значит, не имеет смысла паниковать. Паника не помогает, а наоборот, делает только хуже: паника в магазинах с покупками продуктов и предметов первой необходимости, паника на улице, паника в чувствах человека. Паниковать вредно для здоровья. Второе, - при этом мы должны соблюдать осторожность. Надо выполнять предписания медиков: не здороваться за руку, не подходить слишком близко к другому, чтобы, не дай Б-г, не заразиться. Если врачи рекомендуют сидеть две недели дома, нужно следовать их рекомендациям. Не стоит посвящать много времени поискам информации о вирусе. Это неизменно приводит человека в тупик. Надо понимать, что в результате все будет хорошо, но одновременно нужно быть осторожным...

The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105.

Nissan 5780

‫ב”ה‬

Our

Community T H E M O N T H I N R E V I E W. U P C O M I N G E V E N T S & P R O G R A M S .

APRIL 2020 | NISSAN 5780 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

APRIL2020 30/3 TO 1/4 8 TO 9

PRE-PESACH PROGRAMS See ad on page 15

MON

ALL-NIGHT LEARNING See ad on page 15

13 THU

16 SHABBAT

18

23, 26

COMMUNITY PASSOVER SEDERS

MOSHIACH FEAST See ad on page 14 WOMENS CLASSES BEGIN See ad on page 14 WOMENS CIRCLE EVENTS See ad on page 14

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES Friday, Apr 3, 2020

7:29 PM

Wed., Apr 8, 2020

7:35 PM

Thu., Apr 9, 2020*

8:39 PM

Friday, Apr 10, 2020*

7:38 PM

Tue., Apr 14, 2020

7:42 PM

Wedn., Apr 15, 2020*

8:46 PM

Thur., Apr 16, 2020

8:48 PM

Friday, Apr 17, 2020

7:46 PM

Friday, Apr 24, 2020

7:54 PM

* = Light from a pre-existing flame. www.jrcc.org

COMMUNITY PURIM PARTIES On the eve of Purim, over 1,500 people participated in simultaneous community Purim parties at JRCC Branches and other locations in the GTA. Each of the parties included a Megillah reading, music, refreshments and prizes for every child in costime. All of the parties were warm and lively community events that focused on the children, and many included amazing top-notch entertainment, such as the JRCC S Richmond Hill & Maple Bubble Show, the JRCC East Thornhill Clown Magic Show, the JRCC West Thornhill The Ben Show (juggling and more), the JRCC Hilda Gilmard Live Music, the JRCC Concord Magic of Aaron Mathews, the JRCC Rockford Mad Science Show, and the JRCC of the City Arts and Magic Show. See the full-page photo collage on page 3 PURIM IN INDIA BANQUET On Tuesday, March 10, over 500 people joined the JRCC’s annual Grand Purim Banquet. This year’s event took on the theme of “Purim in India.” The cuisine, decor and costumes all took on an exotic Indian theme, transporting participants into an alternative reality that is very fitting for the Purim holiday. The evening was kicked off with a traditional and lively Megillah reading. The festive sit-down dinner was accompanied by music, DJ, percussions and dancing, giving the evening a communal and celebratory feel. A separate children’s program, which included its own professional entertainment show, kept the kids busy and happy. Marc, who attending the banquet with his family for the first time, expressed his amazement: “I was totally blown away. I didn’t really know what to expect. I heard good things and felt it would be a nice opportunity for us to experience our Jewish roots together as a family, and to meet new people. I did not expect such an out of this world experience unlike any event I ever attended.

We can’t wait until next year!”

VOLUNTEERS REACH OUT Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of staff and volunteers, over 2,000 Purim “Mishloach Manot” gift packages were delivered to homes in Ontario, most notably in Concord and East Thornhill.

Several hundred packages were also gifted by people to each other via their local JRCC Branch, which coordinated the deliveries. The community participation in delivering the gifts, and the festive atmosphere and joy it spreads, made it an enjoyable and meaningful community activity. Special thank you to all the volunteers who assisted with the deliveries in their neighborhoods JRCC ROCKFORD UPDATE Following the fire that destroyed much of the JRCC at 18 Rockford Rd., plans are underway for the rebuild. The interior will be completely gutted down to the brick walls and studs, and new construction will begin shortly thereafter. Beautiful new designs have been drawn up by a world class interior designer. “There is a Jewish principle that every descent is for the purpose of an ascent,” says Rabbi Shmuel Neft, Director of JRCC Rockford. “So we’re looking forward to the grand reopening of a stunning space once the renovations are completed.” In the meantime, the temporary location down the street at the JRCC Head Office at 5987 Bathurst St. was doubled in size and underwent some cosmetic improvements to make it more functional and welcoming.

JRCC Our Community

13

Photo of the Month

CORONAVIRUS THE JEWISH RESPONSE • BE SAFE

Follow the guidelines of the government and the medical authorities. Life is precious.

• KEEP THE FAITH Life and good health are a blessing from Above.

Now is an opportunity to strengthen our faith.

Here are some ideas how:

Close to 300 women from around the GTA joined this spectacular event -"Jewish Women Through the Ages"- celebrating Jewish women of the past, present, and future. Extraordinary, carefully researched contact: bat@jrcc.org costumes; inspiring messages from each of the models; breathtaking song and dance... This was an evening to remember.

TORAH LETTER

MEZUZAH

STAY POSITIVE

Torah is healing and a protection. Buy a special letter in the Torah for yourself or anyone you know at jrcc.org/TorahLetter.

Mezuzahs protect your home and family.

Have your mezuzahs checked or a new one installed.

Call 416.222.7105.

Our thoughts have power.

Think good, and it will become good. Enjoy a wide selection of video content at jrcc.org/video.

Got another idea for adding goodness?

Call Rabbi Yoseph Zaltzman personally for assistance at 416.222.7105 x278.

Stay strong and stay safe. We will get through this challenge together, and together we will experience the true and complete redemption.

Our acts of goodness and kindness will help make it happen.

For resources and ideas visit jrcc.org/CoronaVirus.

YIZKOR:

Thursday, April 16

416.222.7105

www.jrcc.org

At the JRCC Location near you. See page 16

WOMEN’S EVENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 23 JRCC East Thornhill

2 IYAR

BODY, MIND AND SOUL IN MARITAL INTIMACY With intimacy therapist Diana Melnick.

Info and RSVP: jrcceastthornhill.org/intimacy

FARBRENGEN

SUNDAY, APRIL 26 JRCC S. Richmond Hill

PAINT NIGHT • Relax and create a masterpiece under the guidance of Devorah Kleiner • Delectable sushi spread

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 7:30PM JRCC Rockford, 5987 Bathurst, unit 8

Celebrating the birthday of the Rebbe Maharash, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, whose legacy includes “L’chatchila ariber” – elevating oneself above life’s challenges, without hesitation.

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 9PM

HEALTHY BODY & HEALTHY SPIRIT. How to get over your fears, meditation With Inna Winner - acupuncturist, parapsychologist, director of “Pozit” medical practice • Salad bar, smoothies and other healthy refreshments.

Foern wom

JRCC@ROCKFORD Learn more at jrcc.org

MOSHIACH’S SEUDAH

LEARN

PIRKEI AVOT EVERY SATURDAY, STARTING FROM APRIL 18

JRCC EAST THORNHILL 6:00pm Rotating homes

JRCC CONCORD Rotating homes

JRCC ROCKFORD 5:30pm 135 Antibes Dr. #204

Join the JRCC branch near you on

THURSDAY, APRIL 16 AT 7:30PM

AT 8 LOCATIONS:

for a unique celebratory feast: Four cups of wine, matzah and unbounded, optimistic joy, in the tradition of the Baal Shem Tov.

ROCKFORD: 5987 Bathurst St., Unit 8

CONCORD: 411 Confederation Pkwy., Unit 14

WEST THORNHILL: Men: 1136 Centre St., Unit 2 Women: 237 Brickstone Cir.

SOUTH THORNHILL: 1 Cordoba Dr., Party Room

EAST THORNHILL: Men: 7608 Yonge St., Unit 3 Women: 137 Green Bush Cres.

14

April 2020 / Nissan 5780

S. RICHMOND HILL: 9699 Bathurst St.

416.222.7105 | jrcc.org/pesach

CELEBRATE YOUR FUTURE 416.222.7105

Got Passover?

BUY YOUR

SELL YOUR

MATZAH CHAMETZ During Passover, eliminate

Get delicious, authentic, hand-made Shmura matzah for your Passover Seder and throughout the holiday.

Order early for best selection.

Pick up at the JRCC office.

In person: 5987 Bathurst St., #3

all leavened foods. You can store chometz it in a closed place and sell it for the duration of the holiday through the JRCC.

By phone: 416.222.7105

Online: jrcc.org/Passover

JRCC West Thornhill

PRE-PESACH

SEMINARS MONDAY, MARCH 30, 8:00PM PREPARING FOR PESACH with Nechama Dina Jacobson WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 8:30PM BE A GOOD SEDER LEADER FOR MEN AND WOMEN with Rabbi Levi Jacobson

www.jrccwestthornhill.org

Join our women’s group for learning and discussions.

Topics vary based on YOUR interest!

EVERY WEDNESDAY 10:00AM at JRCC East Thornhill 7608 Yonge St.

www.JrccEastThornhill.org

SLEEPLESS

Faces of the Community ANNA NOVIKOVA Doctor Please tell us a little about your career.

I am a doctor. I graduated from Smolensk Medical Institute. I ended up in the city of Starodub in the Bryansk region, where I worked for four years. Then I moved to the suburbs headed the department of the Ramenskoye Central City Hospital for 44 years, while teaching at the medical school. I gave all my strength to help sick people, ease their suffering, save them from the terrible diseases of our time – cancer and heart disease. I paid special attention to war veterans. I was awarded the title of "Excellence in Health Care of the USSR,” a medal for selfless work.

Where does your family come from?

My family is from the famous Jewish town of Khislavich, which is near the Lubavitch. There is even a famous Chassidic painting “From Lubavitch to Khislavich.” A print of this painting hangs in many places, including in the office at 770 Chabad Gate. According to the stories of my mother and aunt, Jewish life was in full swing in Khislavich. The children studied in cheders. Everyone spoke only Yiddish. All this was before the war. When the war started, in the village no one wanted to believe that the Germans would kill Jews, and people did not want to leave. My wise grandmother urged everyone to leave Khislavich, but in vain. On the eve of the approaching winter, she and her daughters, including myself, a one-year-old, in her arms, on carts, travelled across Russia for a long-distance evacuation. We hardly reached relatives in the Tambov region. The winter of 1942 was very harsh. My heroic grandmother, returning with products from the market, froze in a snowdrift.

When the Germans reached Khislavich, they drove all the inhabitants of the village to the outskirts and forced them to dig a huge pit. They shot them, defenseless, and buried them there. Their homes were looted and burned.

Jewish life was destroyed forever, there was not even a "Yiddish-speaking parrot.” After the war, the Jewishness of the town dropped, as there were almost no Jews left. Now a huge memorial sits in this place.

Having returned to Khislavich, we began to rebuild and settle in again. One of our neighbors was a Jew, Abraham Leites. He knew Yiddish well and corresponded with Sholem Aleichem. He told me a lot about Jewish traditions.

And my German teacher, Sarah Evseevna Mushina, graduated from a Jewish school before the war. She also told me a lot about Jewry and tried to teach me Yiddish. Unfortunately, things did not go well. The evacuation and hard physical work undermined the health of my mother and aunt. I wanted to help them, to cure them. So I decided on the profession of a doctor.

And what fate did you find yourself in the suburbs?

At the invitation of my mother's cousin, I arrived in Tomilino to visit for Rosh Hashana. Her former student came to congratulate her aunt on a holiday. We started talking, as we were almost the same age, and we never parted. We had a lot in common: he also survived the hardships of evacuation with his mother, and in the very first months of the war he lost his father. His greatgrandfather was a rabbi in nearby Malakhovka, and traditionally kashrut was and Jewish holidays were observed.

When we got married (the wedding was in the Tomilinsk synagogue), my husband went to the Malakhovka market every early Sunday morning for kosher meat and dairy products. In the Malakhovka synagogue, we always pre-ordered matzah for Passover, since Jews from all over Moscow and the Moscow Region gathered there before the holiday. And so far I consider this matzah to be the best!

On Rosh Hashanah and Passover we always had a lot of guests. My aunt cooked delicious food. In the spring, a fisherman brought a pike, and my aunt made her legendary gefilte fish out of it, along with other traditional Jewish foods.

Once, distant relatives came to visit us. Their 3-year-old baby asked: “You say Jews, Jews. Who are the Jews? ” My daughter joked: “Let's go to the mirror, see better!” Now he is a successful young man who has chosen the path of Jewishness, despite the many other options he could have gone in.

What do you do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy attending various lectures, concerts, and cultural evenings. It really inspires me. In Toronto, I made sincere friends with whom I have a wonderful time. I devote my free time to the education of my beloved granddaughters, their education and leisure.

What are your plans for the future?

At my age, it is important to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. I want to continue meeting with friends and help raise my granddaughters.

celebrate the splitting of the sea with an all-night study session at your local jrcc branch.

TUESDAY NIGHT, APRIL 14, 12:30am (tuesday night to wednesday morning)

In the current situation with the coronavirus pandemic, can you advise our readers as a doctor?

Yes, of course: drink more hot tea and water. At temperatures above 40 degrees, virus cells die. You also need to eat chopped garlic in the morning on an empty stomach, washed down with water.

416.222.7105 | jrcc.org/pesach

www.jrcc.org

JRCC Our Community

15

416-222-7105 | www.jrcc.org Jewish Russian Community Center of Ontario

TORAH LIGHT IN EAST THORNHILL

Torah shares the same etymology as the Hebrew word orah, "light"—its teachings shine a light on life and show you which way to go. And its study is also a mitzvah. Actually, we are supposed to be studying it all day, as the verse states, “speak its words when you sit in your house, when you walk on the way, when you lie down and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7). But since we also have to eat, sleep, pray, make a living and reenergize, the minimum requirement is to set aside some time for study during the day and at night. This is incumbent upon the rich and the poor, healthy and sick, old and young, learned or novice.

The Torah is the light of our lives and every Jew's personal heritage. It forms the basis and objective of all existence. “G‑d looked into the Torah,” says the Zohar, “and created the world. The Jew looks into the Torah, and sustains the world.”

limited access to

5987 Bathurst Stre­et, #3 To­ron­to, ON M2R 1Z3 Canada Office Hours: Sun: 12 — 5 Mon to Thurs: 9 — 6 • Fri: 9 — 3hrs before Shabbat

To make this birthright accessible to all, the JRCC organizes a variety of programs and services, including ongoing classes and seasonal lectures through its Institute of Jewish Studies, content in various languages on its website (articles, e-books, video and audio classes), as well as books and publications like the one you are reading right now.

The newest addition to the JRCC’s stable of Torah learning opportunities is the “Kolel,” or group learning institute, at the JRCC East Thornhill branch. This morning Kolel is primarily focused for university students and working professionals who dedicate some time from their daily routine to the study of Torah.

The group meets every morning at 6am. The schedule includes a learning session from 6:00 to 6:50, followed by morning prayers and another brief fifteen minute learning session following the prayers. (On Sundays, the programs begins one hour later, at 7:00am. On Shabbat/Saturdays, the Kolel does not meet.)

The Kolel is led by Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman, director of the JRCC Willowdale branch. The study material draws on a wide range of subjects, with a curriculum and text that is prepared in advance in English, Russian and Hebrew. Twice a week participants delve into the talks and essays of the Rebbe as part of a global initiative, sessions focused specifically on learning the basics of Jewish prayer and the significance of its various components, as well teachings from the book Kuntres Umaayan, a book focused on guidance in dealing with the challenges of living a spiritual life in a material world. All of the classes are interactive, providing plenty of opportunities for probing, questions and discussion.

To join the Kolel, contact us, or simply arrive at the JRCC East Thornhill at 7608 Yonge Street. To find out more about the JRCC’s Institute of Jewish Studies and its offerings in neighborhoods throughout the GTA, visit jrcc.org/ijs.

JRCC BRANCHES JRCC of Ontario: 5987 Bathurst St., #3 Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman x278 Roi Aftabi, COO x257 JRCC Woodbridge: 25 Sandwell St. Rabbi Avrohom Yusewitz x261 JRCC S. Richmond Hill & Maple: 9699 Bathurst St. Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman x247 JRCC Concord: 411 Confederation Parkway, #14 Rabbi Avraham Weinstein x 249 JRCC Affiliate CRC of Thornhill Woods: 8808 Bathurst St. Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim x224 JRCC West Thornhill: 1136 Centre St., #2 Rabbi Levi Jacobson x240 JRCC East Thornhill: 7608 Yonge St., #3 Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman x227 JRCC South Thornhill: 1 Cordoba Dr., Party Room Rabbi Levi Blau x288 JRCC Steeles & Hilda: 175 Hilda Ave., Party Room Mr. Melekh Brikman x282 JRCC at Rockford: 18 Rockford Rd. Rabbi Shmuel Neft x235 JRCC Affiliate Jewish Gorsky Assn.: 465 Patricia Ave. Rabbi Dovid Davidov x255 Downstairs JRCC Willowdale: 5700 Yonge St. Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman x231 JRCC Sheppard & Bathurst Senior’s Building 4455 Bathurst St., Party Room / Mr. Roman Goldstein x221 JRCC Lawrence & Bathurst Senior’s Building 3174 Bathurst St., Party Room / Mr. Mordechai Natarov x221

JRCC AFFILIATES Danforth Beaches Rabbi Shalom Lezell (416) 809-1365

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perspectives

Pulling

us

Together, Apart

An interview with Jonathan Sacks

Y

ou’ve talked a lot about the “I” versus the “we”, the individual versus the community spirit. That’s suddenly got an awful lot harder with the restrictions put upon us.

No, I think exactly the opposite. Bad events like the coronavirus, the worst certainly in my lifetime, do sometimes bring out the worst in us, but they also bring out the best. Right now, in communities across the country there are groups of people circulating elderly and vulnerable people saying, “Can I help?”

Supermarkets are gearing up to provide basic supplies. Young people are preparing to deliver medicines to people in need. It’s a little like the wartime spirit. And we’ll see more and more of this as time goes on. We are going to see a renewal of the “we” of the country.

Except that coming together is partly metaphorical now because we can’t come together, we can’t be a community, we can’t reach out and touch and hug in that same way.

We’re told to self-isolate if we feel the need, that is also pulling us apart.

It is physically pulling us apart. Of course, right now, the social media, about which I have sometimes critical things to say, is going to connect us together. People are going to stay in touch. I think it’s very important for us to reach out to people who are on their own. Phone them, or FaceTime them, or what have you.

And I do think that this split attention with everyone looking at something different that has so dis-aggregated us as a culture is going to change because we’re all pretty much watching the same news, reacting in pretty much the same way. So, although we’re physically not together mentally and emotionally, I think we will be.

We’re talking a lot, at the moment, about “the greater good.” It’s a phrase that we think we understand, but it’s harder in practise. We are tribes, we are families, we are units first and foremost. I wonder if you have to recognise that inevitably people will think about their loved ones before they think about the wider arena.

We’re all part of circles. There’s a narrow circle of family, then community, then society, then nation, then the larger family of nations.

There are ranges of circles but, right now, I don’t know when we’ve been more embraced,

18

every one of us in a vital and personal way with this huge circle of humanity. I don’t know when all the countries of the world have simultaneously faced the same danger. Just three or four weeks ago we could say this is happening to someone else somewhere else, a half a world away. All of a sudden, it’s now affecting every one of us. So, I think that that physical isolation is nonetheless going to go hand-in-hand with emotional and even moral sense of solidarity.

But on a very practical level, a lot of us are now wrestling with what we say to elderly parents. Do we forbid them from socializing, from having their friends round, from coming over to our houses because it’s imperative to follow these government guidelines? Or do we listen to their needs and their wishes first?

The art here is to try and do both at the same time as far as you can. Sometimes I’m going to have to see my grandchildren via WhatsApp, or FaceTime, or Facebook. And I’m going to miss seeing them directly, but I still love their smile when my daughter sends me the photographs. I think I’m going to phone my family every day, if they’ll put up with it, because I never used to do that, we used to rely on seeing each other

once a week. I think it’s very important not to expose our family to unnecessary risks. We’re going to come through this, whether it takes three months, or six months, or even more we’ll come through it safe and alive. And I think that is the most important thing.

There will be some very elderly people, or very frail people thinking, “There’s a chance I won’t make it through this. I wouldn’t see the year out anyway, and I’d prefer to spend time with my children, with my grandchildren than being left on my own, and being told what’s good for me.” What would your response be to that, to them?

Keep them six feet away. If that is a dying wish, G‑d forbid, then it’s very, very hard to deny that without being inhuman, and I think one would regret it for all one’s days. But there are ways of doing that at a distance that minimise the risk. And that’s what we’re going to have to do. We cannot allow the old, the frail, the vulnerable to feel completely abandoned, completely alone. We cannot do that. So, to the extent that the phone call will do, or the distant visit will do, we have to do that. At the end of the day though, you can’t finally say no, but you can do it with a minimum of risk.

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perspectives

We suddenly see our vulnerability. We’ve been coasting along for more than half a century in unprecedented affluence, unprecedented freedom, unprecedented optimism.

And all of a sudden we are facing the fragility and vulnerability of the human situation.

You will be called upon in the weeks and months to conduct funerals that you would probably never have thought that you would be doing. How do you make that safe and also humane? How do you make sure that people aren’t seeing their relatives dying alone, or buried alone?

I did it just two days ago, and I have to say it’s heartbreaking. We had a very, very small attendance at the funeral. Everyone very careful to keep their distance. And this was somebody who died who would have had many, many hundreds and, obviously, the family was heartbroken, not just at the grief, but this inability for others to join in that grief. But they know perfectly well that they had to restrict it, and to say, “When all this is over we will remember, and we will come together, and this is not something that’s going to last forever.”

Our generation, my generation has not lived through war, or famine, or privation in this country. Our young have been called snowflakes.

Do you think that we are unprepared for this challenge?

I think there is something within us, it’s one of the reasons I wrote the book, that makes us social animals, that makes us feel better when

April 2020

we are altruistic, when we help others, when we make someone else’s life better. So, I think, we’re going to be tried as the nation was tried during World War II, but thank heavens not through war, not through terror. I mean this is awful, but it could have been so much more awful. And we are going to come through this with young people, and every single individual who lives through it feeling a much stronger sense of identification with others, a much stronger commitment to helping others who need help. This, in a tragic way, is probably the lesson we needed as a nation, and as a world.

Do you think it will fundamentally change our character and our generation?

I think so. I don’t think anyone who thinks hard about how one tiny microscopic virus has brought the whole of humanity to its knees can be indifferent to nature anymore. So, this is going to make us more sensitive to issues like climate change. I don’t think that we will be able to maintain the degree of globalization of the economy that we’ve had before. How can we rely entirely on outsourcing our manufacturing to China, outsourcing our pharmaceuticals to India? We’re going to have to become more self-reliant as nations, and that’s going to benefit an awful lot of people who have been left behind by globalization. So, I think there are good consequences that are going to come out of this, it’s just a matter of maintaining our courage, our confidence, and our hope until we are through it...

Have you been surprised by how people have responded to this so far? Be it the stockpiling of groceries, or the altruism towards neighbors, does human nature still have the power to surprise you?

I think the stockpiling was really surprising and pretty distressing, to be honest with you.

And we just say, “I am only concerned with me and my family. Let the rest of the world perish.” That’s just morally unacceptable, and I’m pretty sure the supermarkets will put an end to it quite soon. If not, then the government will have to introduce rationing of certain goods, I have no doubt. But the goodness of people has not surprised me at all because, out of crisis, human nature always tends to goodness, to help. I gave the example in my book of that little town of Gander in Newfoundland where all the aeroplanes were diverted after 9/11. And

this tiny little town of 10,000 people became a town of 10,000 heroes and saints. And, now, that’s all of us. So, the good never surprises me, the bad sometimes does...

I think that, first of all, after all in Judaism, G‑d tells us choose life. He doesn’t say die for the sake of others. He says choose life, which is why so many Jews become doctors, among other things. But I think the second thing is that this is the nearest we have to a revelation even to atheists. Here, we suddenly see our vulnerability. We’ve been coasting along for more than half a century in unprecedented affluence, unprecedented freedom, unprecedented optimism. And all of a sudden we are facing the fragility and vulnerability of the human situation. And, at the end of the day, even without a faith in G‑d, we have to say either we work together and survive, or we work separately and perish.

So, with that revelation is what then?

A revelation of the inescapably interlinked nature of our humanity, the covenant of human solidarity, the thing that makes each of us not only an I, but part of the greater human we....

And you’ve talked about silver linings throughout the course of this interview. Do you think you will look back and be able to spot the pre-corona and the post-corona Britain, British identity?

We will never forget this period. The way people never forgot the second world war. I didn’t know how my parents kept remembering that war as if that was such a vivid moment in their lives, but they did because when you do face a danger, and you face it together with lots of other people it becomes incredibly vivid and personality shaping in terms of your memory.

So, I think this is going to change every one of us. And hard, though, it is to say so and see it today, we will look back and say, “We emerges better people as a result of this.” EM

Rabbi Dr. Sir Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth and a member of the House of Lords, is a leading academic and respected world expert on Judaism. He is a the author of several books and thousands of articles, appears regularly on television and radio, and speaks at engagements around the world.

exodusmagazine.org

19

how to

passover APRIL 8 – 16, 2019 Buy & Sell

• Buy Matzah, Sell Chometz by Tuesday, April 7 at 5pm

S e a r c h & De s t r o y

• Search the House for Chometz: Tuesday, April 7 after dusk • Stop Eating Chometz: Wednesday, April 8 before 11:06 am • Burn Chometz: Wednesday, April 8 before 12:13 pm • Consult your Passover Haggadah for accompanying prayers for the above

C o o k Up a S t o r m

• Cook for the two Seders (April 8-9) in advance (before 7:35pm on April 8)

L i g h t Up t h e N i g h t

Shabbat & Holiday Candle Lighting each night - see schedule to the right

Proceed with Joy

Experience a joyful and meaningful Festival of Freedom

T h e S e d e r P l at e i n g r e d i e n t s

The Three Matzot • Combine intellectual and emotional humility with Divinely inspired faith, and you have the spiritual recipe for matzot. The mixture inspired our ancestors to follow G-d into the desert with such haste that there wasn’t time for the bread that would nourish them rise. The opposite of matzah is Chametz, the epitome of arrogance and self-aggrandizement. Before Passover we remove all physical Chametz and seek to root out the spiritual Chametz from within.

Zeroah (Shankbone) • The Pascal Lamb, sacrificed on the eve of the exodus, is represented by the Zeroah. Mystical tradition replaces the shankbone with a chicken neck that is not eaten, as a reminder that although we approach freedom during the Seder, our ultimate freedom is soon to come with the final redemption.

Betzah (Egg) • In the days of the Holy Temple a “Festival Offering” was made on Passover. Unable to do this in our current exile, the hard-boiled egg is used as a symbol of our mourning. In some ways, the choice reflects the nature of our people; the hotter the water, the stronger our spirit becomes.

Maror (Bitter Herbs) • The bitterness of Egypt is brought to the table with Maror (horseradish).

Through it, we realize that the purpose of hardship is only to make us stronger. One and a half ounces are eaten at two intervals during the Seder.

Karpas (Vegetable) • Egypt crushed our ancestors’ spirits with endless, senseless, back-breaking drudgery. A raw vegetable, usually an onion or potato, is dipped in saltwater and eaten so we may taste their anguish—and in it realize the potential to rise above our own.

Charoset (Paste) • As slaves we used mortar — symbolized by Charoset — to make bricks that formed structures which were erected only to be destroyed. The apple mixed with nuts to make Charoset symbolizes the sweetness of the Jewish women who, knowing Pharaoh would kill their infant if it were male, hid in the apple orchards when giving birth.

Chazeret (Romaine Lettuce) • The initial stages of exile were pleasant, yet soon the injustices of slavery became overwhelming. So too is the first taste of Chazeret (a herb, often romaine lettuce) mild, but soon its bitter root becomes dominant. Chazeret is eaten with the Maror, and in the Korech sandwich.

20

Schedule TUESDAY, APRIL 7 • Search for Chometz after Dusk WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 • Fast of the Firstborn • Eat Chometz until 11:06am • Burn Chometz before 12:13pm • Cook for Seders • Eruv Tavshilin1 • Light Shabbat and Yom Tov Candles at 7:35pm • First Passover Seder THURSDAY, APRIL 9 • Light Yom Tov Candles after 8:39pm* • Start Counting the Omer - Day 1 • Second Passover Seder FRIDAY, APRIL 10 • Count the Omer - Day 2 • Light Shabbat Candles at 7:38pm* SHABBAT, APRIL 11 • Shabbat ends after 8:41pm APRIL 11 - 14 • Intermediate Days (Chol HaMoed) • Be merry • Count the Omer - Days 3-5 TUESDAY, APRIL 14 • Light Yom Tov Candles at 7:42pm • Count the Omer - Day 6 • All Night Learning WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 • Light Yom Tov Candles after 8:46pm* • Count the Omer - Day 7 THURSDAY, APRIL 16 • Yizkor - memorial prayers • Count the Omer - Day 8 • Yom Tov ends after 8:48pm * = Light from pre-existing flame.

1. Eruv Tavshilin allows one to prepare for Shabbat during Yom Tov.

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jewishidentity@jrcc.org

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Confirmation of your Jewish Identity?

It is advisable for every Jewish person to have confirmation of their Jewish Identity that is internationally recognized.

Why is a Jewish ID important?

• Confirmation of Jewish identity is needed for a variety of circumstances, such as: Baby naming, Brit, Daycare, School, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Marriage, Aliya, Burial plot, Funeral.

• Obtaining certification takes research and time – if you wait until you need it, it might not be possible to obtain it in time.

• The longer you delay, the more difficult it becomes – documents get lost, witnesses move or pass away.

A certificate confirming your Jewish identity will help you, if your Jewish lineage is ever questioned. Do it for your peace of mind and that of your family.

Upon completion, you will receive: • A genuine, numbered certificate recognized by leading rabbis internationally.

• A permanent record with the JRCC Ontario, Canada.

For more information or to apply, contact: Jewish Identity Department Coordinator Jewish Identity Verification Service

Phone: 416-222-7105 x237 | Email: jewishidentity@jrcc.org Website: www.jrcc.org/JewishIdentity

This service is provided free of charge by the JRCC. Suggested donation to cover research and administrative costs is $250 per applicant - any donation is appreciated.

April 2020

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Sponsored by:

350 Ste­e­les Ave. West, Thornhill (416) 733-2000 • (905) 881-6003 • www.steeles.org

Our Deepest Sympathies to the families of: Falk Matilda Matel Akilov Mazal Alon Eli Eliyahu Belyavskaya Svetlana Glaizer Irina Chaya Tzipora Goldstein Leah Necha Grinberg Avraham Grinevich Lidia Grossman Moshe Kogan Efim Korin Avrohom Aharon Lokshin Elizaveta Leah Mariasha Lyubarsky Gregory Tzvi Hirsh Osatinski Sara Sura Rozina Tamara Tamale Sapozhnikov Roman Raizel Sepiashvili Yacov Sepiashvili Mary Eteri Miri Shefler Rivka Rina From the rabbis of the Jewish Russian Community Centre Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman (Senior Rabbi) Rabbi Levi Blau Rabbi David Davidov Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim Rabbi Levi Jacobson Rabbi Shmuel Neft Rabbi Avraham Weinstein For all your family bereavement needs (funeral, Rabbi Avrohom unveiling, kaddish services,Yusewitz shiva, yahrzeit and Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman memorial plaques) the JRCC rabbis are here to Mendel assist you, Rabbi 24 hours a day.Zaltzman Services available in Russian, Hebrew, English and Yiddish.

Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman 416.222.7105 x221

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Exodus Magazine

Nissan / Iyar 5780

Sponsored by:

memorials

350 Ste­e­les Ave. West, Thornhill (416) 733-2000 • (905) 881-6003 • www.steeles.org

Our Mama passed away on 18 of February 2020 We have lost such a kind soul

OLYA ZALTSMAN

OLLIE ZALTSMAN

18 July 1939 – 18 February 2020 Farewell Mama, we hope you are planting your beautiful garden where the sun shines and keeps you warm. Our hearts are broken but filled now with your kindness and love you gave to us May her memory be a blessing to all who knew her

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Tzedakah “charity” $

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The act of tzedakah brings so much positive energy into the world that it is equal to all other mitzvoth and brings the redemption closer.

For Charity box pickup or drop-off, please call

416-222-7105 April 2020

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JEWISH RUSSIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE OF ONTARIO EВРЕЙСКИЙ ЦЕНТР РУССКОЯЗЫЧНОЙ ОБЩИНЫ ОНТАРИО

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Our deepest condolences: to husband Boris Zaltsman, devoted daughters Vicky, Angela, sons- in- law Vlad, Albert, grandchildren: Alan, Melanie, Aaron, Matthew, Isabelle.

We are will miss you and always have great memories about our friendship.

Loving you Sophia, Paul Chudis. Our family: Bella, Neil, Hannah, Sheera, Alex, Sarah, Zian, J.J.

Vicky, Angela and Boris

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On 18 February 2020 we are lost the most beautiful, remarkable friend

Mezuzah & Teffilin Checking by a certified scribe

Have your teffilin and mezuzot checked by a certified scribe.

Price: $12 per mezuzah | $108 for teffilin If repair is required, only those costs will be charged Mezuzot, teffilin, talitot and other Judaica are available for sale at the JRCC Bookstore.

For more information call 416-222-7105 | www.jrcc.org/mezuzah Drop-off and pickup at 5987 Bathurst St., Unit 3

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LOCATIONS

LOCATIONS LOCATIONS “ JRCC Hebrew School was great“ for my kids. The program is ““

““

JRCC Hebrew School was great

JRCC Hebrew School waspay great amazing and theThe teachers for my kids. program is for my kids.

The program is and teachers pay close amazing attention to the each and every amazing and the teachers pay closeOverall, attention to kids eachhad and aevery child. my close attention to each and every child.

Overall, kids had a great time and my grew their child.

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- Isaac Salama - Isaac Salama

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Now a days this company with more than 118 years of history holds a leading position among the manufacturers of alcoholic beverages in Moldova. Unique climate, fertile soil, hilly terrain and vicinity of the river Dniester created most favorable conditions for growing best grapes; modern equipment, advanced technologies, original recipes, respect to ancient traditions and passionate work of KVINT professionals – all these factors allow to produce admirable beverages, which compete with world renowned brands.

Locals consider KVINT a national treasure and a symbol of their country.

Its factory is shown on the 5 Transnistrian ruble banknote.

Kvint distillery is the oldest enterprise still in operation from 1897 in the region. KVINT is one of Transnistria's largest exporters, to Italy and China as well as Russia and Ukraine; its brandy has gone to the Vatican and into space.

Kvint XO brandy was first produced by the Tiraspol Wine & Cognac Distillery KVINT in 1967 as a dedication to the jubilee of the October Revolution. It is made from the premium quality “eaux-de-vie” spirits seasoned in oak barrels not less than 20 years according to classical “French methode”.

KVINT (acronym for Kon’iaki, vina i napitki Tiraspol’ia ("divins, wines, and beverages of Tiraspol") is a winery and distillery based in Tiraspol, the administrative center of Transnistria. Even though it underwent through many difficulties, being twice destroyed by

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Exodus Magazine

- Isaac Salama

wars, becoming a part of prohibition law in the 80s, the company is now an important economic player in a region, producing more than 20 million bottles of alcoholic beverages per year.

Although the distillery's roster includes an assortment of wines, gins, and vodkas, by far the most famous of its products are its award-winning brandies. Like all top-notch spirits, the high quality of this liquor begins with the region's grapes. Occupying the land east of the River Dniester, Transnistria is in the heart of the ancient Bessarabian wine region, a gem of viniculture perched above the Black Sea that has also survived the many ups and downs of centuries of Russian rule.

Plucked from the Bessarabian vine, the grapes fortunate enough to make their way to Tiraspol are transformed into brandy using a process identical to that used to make Cognac in France—double distilled in copper pots, aged in oak barrels, and then carefully blended with water and sugar. The grapes are of a typical Cognac variety, an assortment that includes Colombard, Riesling, and Ugni Blanc. Despite the company's rigid adherence to the French production methods, Kvint is not located in Cognac, France and therefore cannot formally call their products "Cognacs." Instead they use the Moldovan word divin, hence Kvint's name, which is an acronym for the Russian phrase "divins, wines, and beverages of Tiraspol." But in a land where international laws don't seem to really apply, most local people still refer to Kvint's products as Cognacs, and it is called Brandy everywhere else in the world.

North Richmond Hill North Hill BeynonRichmond Fields Public School North Richmond Hill 258 Selwyn Road

Beynon Fields School Tuesdays: 6:00Public PM to 7:45 PM Beynon Public School 258Fields Selwyn Road 258 6:00 Selwyn Tuesdays: PM Road to 7:45 PM Tuesdays: 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM

Maple

Maple

Maple Nellie McClung Public School Nellie McClung Public School 360 Thomas Cook Ave. Nellie Public School 360McClung Thomas Cookto Ave. Sundays: 10:00AM 12:30PM

360 Thomas Cook Ave. Sundays: 10:00AM to 12:30PM Sundays: 10:00AM to 12:30PM

Concord Concord Concord

ForestRun RunPublic Public School Forest School Forest Run Public School 200Forest Forest Run Blvd.

200 Run Blvd.

200 Forest Run Mondays: 6:00PM toBlvd.

7:45PM Mondays: 6:00PM to 7:45PM Mondays: 6:00PM to 7:45PM

West Thornhill West Thornhill 1136 Centre St. Unit 2 West Thornhill Tuesdays: 4:00PM to 6:00PM

1136 Centre St. Unit 2 1136 Centre St.toUnit 2 Tuesdays: 4:00PM 6:00PM Tuesdays: 4:00PM to 6:00PM

East Thornhill

East Thornhill East Thornhill 7608 Yonge St. Unit #3

7608 Yonge St. 5:00PM Unit #3 to 7:00PM Wednesdays: 7608 Yonge St. Unit #3 Wednesdays: 5:00PM to 7:00PM Wednesdays: 5:00PM to 7:00PM

North North YorkYork North York

18 Rockford Rd. 18 Rockford Rd. 18 11:00AM Rockford Rd. Sundays: 11:00AM to 1:30PM Sundays: to 1:30PM Sundays: 11:00AM to 1:30PM

Also Kvint is focusing their efforts on making a wide assortment of wines. Along with ordinary table dry, semi-sweet and dessert wines, the KVINT’s portfolio can boast of some excellent varietal and blended wines matured in oak barriques, according to traditional production process from 9 months to 3 years.

Shop for the best selection of Kvint Wine : KVINT CABERNET SAUVIGNON KOSHER 2015, LCBO #455138 This wine is made under control of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of New York (USA), OU, it has the status of Kosher for PASSOVER, Mevushal (approved for Passover, pasteurized). This wine is made from the selected grapes grown in own vineyards of KVINT. It features pleasant astringency and harmonious acidity. Its bouquet is complex with aroma of nightshade berries enriched with hints of morocco leather.

KVINT MERLOT KOSHER 2015, LCBO # 455112 Bright berry aromas: hints of cassis, and delicate nuances of prunes and cherry.

It is velvety on the palate, with barely perceptible astringency and freshness.

BRANDY KVINT KOSHER and DIVIN KVINT KOSHER FOR PASSOVER are now available at LCBO stores, Vintage # 577817 and # 540039.

It is made under control of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of New York (USA), OU, it has the status of Kosher for Passover (approved for Passover).

It is made by special production process with eauxde-vie and wine-distilled spirits aged in oak barrels not less than a year. It features fine golden color, harmonious taste and bright floral aroma with light tones of maturity.

Nissan / Iyar 5780

Wishes the entire Jewish Community a Happy Holidays!

Personal Jewish Education Educational

Visit your local NOFRILLS store to find a large variety of fine Kosher products Carlo’s NOFRILLS: 6220 Yonge St. North York, ON M2M 3X4 Vince’s NOFRILLS: 1631 Rutherford Rd. Vaughan, ON L4K 0C1 Anthony’s NOFRILLS: 1054 Centre St, Thornhill, ON L4J 3M8 Andrew & Shelley’s NOFRILLS: 270 Wilson Ave. North York, ON M3H 1S6

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FIERA FOODS COMPANY IS HIRING! As one of North America’s largest, privately-owned large-scale bakeries, Fiera Foods Company and affiliated companies has an incredible history of expansion, innovation and quality over the past 30 years.

We’re looking for outstanding people to join our outstanding team.

• Production (Mixers, Scalers, Oven Operators, Production Line Operators,

General Production Staff, Forklift Operators, Shipper/Receivers); • Skilled Trades (Electricians, Mechanics, Refrigeration Mechanics, PLC Technicians) • Sales (Canada and US); • Management (Lead hand, Supervisory, Management, Project Engineers)

Our commitment to quality, excellence, and responsiveness are critical to our team and our success. Superior communication, teamwork and attention to detail are expected of everyone.

Please submit your resume and your compensation expectations to jobs@fierafoods.com or call (416) 746 1010 (ext. 258).

We thank all in advance for their interest, however only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Happy Pesach FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

fierafoods.com

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Extending our warmest wishes to the Toronto Jewish Community for a Happy and Healthy

PASSOVER! Discover a large selection of Kosher Meats and Imported Groceries from Israel and beyond.

North York Location

Maple Location 1390 Major Mackenzie Drive West

North York, ON M3H 6A8 (Just South of Finch Ave.)

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