Page 8 - The tanadian Jewish News, Thursday, May 27, 1982
nizations
sparks-   | ' from the torah
By RABBI MEIR URI GOTTESMAN
Shaviioth 5742/The Book of Roth
iris a cuslom^to stay up the whole first night of Shavuoth andstudy Torah. !
Once, the Dubner Maggid was a guest of the Vilna Gaoh on Shavuoth. All night." both men studied. The brilHaiitGaon studiedfromtheTiUtun ¥ Lcil Shavuoth. a condensed version of the whole Torah and Talmud, with tiny sections from each. The Dubner sat down and studied the regular geniara te.xt.
Asked the Vilna Gaon: "Reb Yaakov, why don't \ou study the Tikkun as is customary?"
Answered the Dubner: "1 will answer with a parable (niashal). There was a son-in-law who was : supported for years by his shver. Finally the ; father-in-law said: "I will.give you some money. ; Buv stock, and open a little store yourself.' The : soii-in-law bought some goods and placed them all III the window for everyone to see. "The father-in-law criticized: 'That is not how ■ von do it. You should just take a sample of each Item and put it in the window. The rest store awayl' .Answered the son-in-law: 'That is only possible when a owner has a huge stock. Then he can afford to put out just a samplie. But 1 have so httlc inventory. 1 have to show it all off.'
■'The same with you and me," continued the Dubner, ''You are a great taJmid chacham, with a huge stock of Torah. It is enough to show off just a littie sample of each on Shavuoth. But I have to put evervthing in the window, and learn the complete book."
' After a 120 years, every Jew will enter heaven and be told to show what stock he bought in his world: how many chapters of Bible.he learned, how many pages of Mishneh and Talmud, and how many mitzvot he performed.
In this world. Torah and mitzvot are sholesale, cheap, plentiful. Ne.vt world, they are very dear, hard 10come by. '
Now's the time to stock up! •
On Shavuoth we read.the beautiful Book of : Ruth, whichdescribestheconversionbfa Moabite : woman to Judaism... She became the great-jgrand- : mother ofDavid. King of Israel.
Why do we read it on Shavuoth? Says the Bach: i ■■Ruth was a Gentile;, and then became a.Jew. : Before, she just had the seveii mitzvot that all : descendants of Noah have. Now she took upon herself the full taryag (613) comniandments.
"The Jewish people before Sinai was tech- : nically Gentile, with only seven mitzvot. At Sinai, : we entered into a Covenant, and became true ; Jews." ,.   , .
Interesting: the letters of Ruth's name : ingematria add up to 606. Before, Riuth had only ■ seven mitzvot. Now she accepted an additional : 606 mitzvot, to equal 613. Even her nanie shows -her beauty and holiness!
*     ■ * *
Another gemalria: It.is customery to eat milk dishes (like blintzes and cheese-cake) on ; Shavuot. There are many reasons. (Perhaps the i Jews' meat pots and dishes weren't kosher at ■■ Sinai. But the word for milk -r- chalav —r equals : thenumber of 40, representing the 40 days Moses stood at Sinai to receive the complete Torah.
Food is essential to life. That is why so many laws and customs revolve around it. Toronto is blessed with fine kosher restaurants. This writer ■: knows that many of them are struggling to > survive. They aid kiashruth immeasuriably. The < greatest tzedakah is not charity but to help : someone make a living. The greatest mitzva is to patronize these restaurants, and incidentally, make life more easy for the cooks in the house.
Every street in Canada must become a Mount > Sinai. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.
Trip to inform
TORONTO —
Abed Nagar and Jacob Sonnenschein of the mixed -(Arab Moslem, Arab Christian. Jewish) community of Neve. Shalom in' Israel, will be in Toronto from May 27-31 as part of a North American tour.
The purpose of their trip is to inform the ..North American public of their . unique community and to promote its. Arab-Jewish dialogue.
In Toronto they will be speaking May 27. 8 p.m. at St. Michael's College, (Brennan Hall Assembly Room);.May 28, noon, at ■ the Ecumenical Forum, 11. Madison Ave.; May 28, 8.15 p.m.. Congregation Habonim, 12 Halloran Ave., and May 29, J. 15 . p.m. at the Borochov Centre. 272 Codsell Ave. .    . '
Neve    Shalom was founded in 1970 and is '
situated 30km from Jerusalem. Tel Aviv, and the West Bank town of Ra-mallah. A democratic community, it is administered by - a secretariat meeting once a week in formal assembly.. Partici-;. pants share a weekly .communal meal, celebrate the. major festivals, of the various religions or cultures and educate their children bilingually and pluralistically.
Nagar and Sonnen-schein's visit is being sponsored in Toronto by Canadian Friends Service Committee (a committee of the religious society of Quakers in Canada), Progressive Zionists (formerly known as Friends of Pioneering Israel), the World Council for Religion and Peace, the Ecumenical Forum, Sisters of SIGN (a Catholic order) and Gregory Baum of Sti Michael College. __
NER ISRAEL YESHIVA COLLEGE
625.Finch Aveniie West, Wlll.owdale    . . ■ .       . Provide for , KADDiSH SERVICES aridOBSERVING YAHRZEiT. and MEMORIAL PLAQUES Please invest in the future of the Yeshiva . . -"^y including Ner Israel in your win.
CALL636-2360>
^CONGREGATION BETH TORAH
;■ 47. Glenbrooke Avenue presents
A Community Breakfast
Guest Speaker:
BOB RAE
Leader of Ontario N.D.P.
Sunday, June 6 10:30 a.ra.
$7.00 per person
.   Catered Breakfast by Rose Lazar
By BEVERLEY STERN TORONTO —
It took over one year — but a thorough checkup of the anatomy of the Canadian Jewish Congress Ontario Region has just been, completed.
In October 1980, a newly formed planning and priorities (PP) committee of the region was formed and asked to examine three major areas of re-gionalconcerns in service, education and political action.
The committee, which has 10 members, is headed by co-chairmen Les Scheininger and Eric Sla-vens. Both chairmen delivered their report at a recent CJC regional meeting; •
The committee made both broad and specific recommendations relating to CJC Ontario's 11 different committees. Archives to youth were e.\-amined.
Some of the general recommendations have already been undertaken. For exapiple. PP advised
that a fuU-timedirector act as administrator for>< regional, responsibilities so that there will bie ''a clearer definition of the relationships ' between Ontario region and both the . national office and Toronto Jewish Congress:"
The appointment of Dr. Edmond Lipsitz as Ontario CJC's first regional director was announced in April. Lipsitz was formeriy director of education and culture for the region and associate director of TJC.
Another major general recornmendation was that the planning body be a permanent committee. "Planning should be an ongoing process," states PP. Planning is necessary to (1) develop innovative programs; (2) self-examine, particularly in problem areas; (3) provide a clearing house for the region's committees and small town communities; and (4) develop programs which will encourage leadership iand volunteer potential.
The demand for a larger cadre of well-trained volunteers is a recnnent theme in the PP report.-Most of the region's committees are in great need of-\'olunteers. ^PP zeroed in on the -chaplaincy committee as an "essential service ... of the iiighest pribrify" which is acutely mider-staCfed. Tlie committee is how led by full-time diap-labi, Rabbi Sheldon Steinberg, who is assisted by a part-time sta£f chaplain and about 18 volunteers includhig local rabbis and cantors^
PP stated the.re Was an immediate urgency in the field of chaplaincy work, "To adequately serve the needs of membeirs of the Jewish community in hospitals, prisons and nursing homes, a number of full-time chaplains are required." it said.
In particular, chaplaincy services outside of Toronto are grim. The heavy demand in Toronto alone makes it almost impossible  for  the small
chaplaincy comrhittee. to look after the needs of_ Jews in  ihstitutiohs in small communitie;s.
Local rabbis in small conimuriities rarely perform chaplaincy work! in hospitals, prisons and nursing homes, psychiatric institutions or institutions for the develop- , mentally handicapped.' Those that most require the Jewish religious and communal connection are not getting it. states PP.
Two new projects PP advised for the chaplaincy committee are: (1) the provision of special kosher diets (i.e. salt and sugar free); and (2) the development of a program dealing with those ;who have been de-institutipnalized.
In the area of services to the 32 Jewish communities across Ontario, PP recommends that the staff person make a minimum of at least 50 visits a year. Besides initiatihg and encouraging communal programs and pabliclzing .Congress activities, the staff person is responsible
for arrangements of kosher food, rabbis, cantors and other Jewish fnnctiibnaries,itsays.. .
_^PP also says the work of the international affairs committee has.taken-on new»iihpprtiance because of the state of distressed Jewish communities outside of Canada.
There is an overlap in the programming between the national and regional international iaffiirs committees and PP calls for . more communication and a clearer definition of jurisdiction between the two levels. In particular, it urges more autonomy for the regional committee.
PP particiilarly mentions the need for volunteers with strong organizational abilities for the archives committee.
I I
I I I I I 1 I I
More than twice as many Montrealers as expected registered at UJA outreach party. [Graphic Artists photo]
TORONTO —
The invitation read: ' "Calling all former Montrealers to a long-overdue welcome - to - Toronto party." And come they did — approximately 80Gv of them — but who could keep track!
The occasion was an outreach evening spon-sored.by the United Jewish Appeal community development department,-headed by Judy Gwartz.
A. planning committee made up of former Montrealers, with program chairman Bobbi Schachter : at the helm, came up with the idea for an informal party for their fellow ."emigres," primarily to acquaint them with Toronto's Jewish communal network, to mingle, have fun and officially "join the clan.'.' .The location was
the Valley Tennis and Swim Centre, operated by the Jewish Commuriity Centre.^
"I've never seen any-tiling like tills," said Bobbi Schachter, as she stood at the mahi entrance gaping at the throngs, of people waiting to register. "In our wildest dreams we didn't expect anywhere near this response.V • The reaction from other committee members was also one of incredulity, Those who received invitations were asked to bring a friend, and it was obvious that just about every other person was brought by someone.
A planned program had to be abandoned as there were far too many people to assemble in one room, h didn't matter — people: were having .too good a
time meeting. former friends, and neighbors and acquaintances, with accompanying squeals of delight and recognition resounding throughout the centre all evening.
The most repeated phrases to be heard were: "Ididn'tknowyou had left Montreal,'' and "how long have you been in Toronto?"
"'The kind of turnout we had clearly Indicates the need for these people to start playing an active role in our community," said Judy Gwartz. "All'we -had to do was reach out to let them know, how much we welcome their presence here.'-'
As a result of the "former - Montrealer" party, 400 new names have t>een added to UJA's community roster.
. ^'The only negative feedback w'e've had," said Schachter, "has been from people who ■ asked why they hadn't been invited. It's simple. We didn't have their names. So if any of you former Montrealers out there want to be included next time, just call '977-3811, leave your name and address with Karen Durbin and we'll make sure you won't be left out."
COMING EVENTS
f        BETH TZEDEC
THURS; MAY 27, TlKKm LEYL SHAVUOT - The Anniial Evening "of learning on the First Night of Shavuot. Refreshments 10:15 p.m.; Study Sessions 11 p.m.-l a.m.
II p.772. "And They Saw God" Revelation and the Prophets. Taught by Rabbi J. Benjamin Friedberg. ■ ^
12:00 p.m.-la.mi a) "The Singularity of Eretz Yisrael". Taught by Dr. Arnold A^es. b) "The Book of Ruth". Taught by Jacob Israeli.
TUES.rJlJ^i 1, MS P:M., FRIENDSMlP CLUB PLUS 50 - Dr. Lisa Golombek,' Curator of West.Asia, ROM. Topic: The World of Islam in Dialogue & Pictures. Everyone welcome. Non-members 75^.
SAT:, JUNE Si 12 NOON, SHABBAT STUDY LUNCHEON - Speaker: Anne Medres Glass. Topic: Jewish Life at the Crossroads: The Place of Yiddish Literature at the turn of the Century. Adults S3.50, children under 12,.$1.50. Paid reservations should be made no later than Wed., June 2. (Unpaid reservations will not be honoured.)
NOW TO JUNE 6, Museum - Art Exhjl^n^f works(jby^HenryWeingluck in honour of his 80th birthday. Museum hours: Simi-Thurs. 2-6 p.m.; Fri.lO a.m.-3 p.m.;Sat. 12 noon-1 p.m.
■' A ■ i - /
required for
parallel High Holy Day Services
Send applications to Cantor Samuel Frankel Beth Sholom Synagogue 1445 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ont. M6C 2E6. 783-6103
It also underUnes the critical need for morcypU unteers to serve on the Jews in Arab Lands Committee.. "Our cominunity is still largely unaware of the plight of the approximately 5,000 Jews remaining ill Syria. Also, Jews from Arab lands who have settled in Israel and elsewhere are how a dispossessed people who have had their property and assets confiscated without compensation," says PP.
All in all, PP. examined 11 CJC regional committees. Others investigated included: the Community Action for Israel Committee (CAIC), Joint Comr munity Relations Committee, personnel, Soviet Jewry and youth activities.
I I I I I 1 I I I I
SIMCHA GARDS
a great tradition remembering boys town
on.:all..'^^::_X-
family occasions
CARDS $5.00 AND VV
Boys Town Jerusalem
Will you be attending the University of Windsor?
Required: Religious and Hebrew schoql teachers for a liberal congregation in Windsor during the'82-'83 school term.
Please apply immediately bycalling RABBIJ.PLAUT. (519)969-2422
COORDINATOR
V      : ■   for ■
Non-Profit Wornen's Organization i
Our large volunteer membership is involved in fundraising and educational activities for Israel.
This individual must be a strong decisionmaker, accept a challenge, possess communication, interpersonal and managerial skills, and be able to delegate respon- ;: sibijity. Remuneration competitive.
Submit confidential resume to: Box 6217 The Canadian Jewish News 562 Eglinton Avenue East Suite 401 Toronto, Ont. M4P 1P1
Explore tl?c ta8tc8 ai?d sounds of Scpljardic culture
• Exquisite traditional food
• Exciting live entertainment
• Door prizes
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 8 .P.M.
Magen David Synagogue 10 McAllister Road (two blocks south of Sheppard, off Bathurst)
Couvert:    $10 in advance $12 at door .
Tickets available at: The Jewish Students Union, 923-9861 or Petah Tikvah, 636-4719
Dress code: semi-fonnal. ; (kaftans and gelabias welcome)
A production of OR HAHAYIM:-the Sepliardic Students Movement
■ C^lia Cohen
is young, vibrant" and caring — . a volunteer who answers each call by giving freely of herself, and saying "yes" to life.
To Celia. To Life.
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SOME CAMPER SPACES STILL AVAILABLE
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located for 8 years at bbuce's Ml ll conservation'area Highway 404 and Gor'mley Road
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