A Holistic View of Animal Welfare in the Torah
Rona Sherebrin Dr. Rona Sherebrin received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1991, and began studying Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in 2001. She is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, and uses Integrative Medicine for her patients at the Secord Animal Hospital in Toronto.
Sing Unto God a New Song (and some Old Ones Too)
In this workshop, old and new songs will be taught and then sung for the entire group in a short, joyful Sunday morning performance.
Judy Henn is the Vice-President of worship at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville, NY where Susan Wehle served as cantor for 7 years.
Gail Lewis is a retired clergy-person and a friend of Susan Wehle.
Controversial Morning Brachot
A few of the early morning brachot in traditional and Orthodox siddurim, are controversial, and uncomfortable for many of us. A look at the origins of thanking God "for not making me a woman"; ..."a goy", etc. We'll see when and why these brachot are in the service; historical and recent revisions; and then look at what all of this tells us about Judaism.
Alan Livingston makes Jewish prayer accessible, and helps to make it more meaningful. He holds degrees in Religious Studies/Judaism; and Education, and greatly enjoys the group discussions in these workshops.
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
This workshop will present some of the key teachings of a great rabbi whose influence continues to have an impact on the Jewish world 200 years after his passing. Every year, on his yahrzeit, thousands of his followers make a pilgrimage to his grave to pay tribute with study and prayer. We will ponder his words and discuss his concepts in the context of how they relate to us today.
Jerry Steinberg is a rabbi, psychotherapist and author. He specializes in dreams, past-life regression and psychogenic illness. HIs memoirs will be published later this year. Jerry is the rabbi of Temple B'nai Shalom V'Tikvah in Ajax, Ontario.
"One of us": Community, belonging, and outsiderness from evolutionary, traditional Jewish, and contemporary social perspectives
Jim Sinclair is a counselor, disability educator, and animal rescuer. Jim has been coordinator of Autism Network International since 1992. In 2008 Jim founded Moosepuppy Animal Rescue in memory of beloved companion and service dogs Isosceles and Hercules.
Singalong with Marcia
We are going to stretch out Saturday night's singalong. If there are favourite or specific songs that you'd like to share, consider bringing copies of the lyrics so that everyone can join in. Our songleader Marcia will have lots of songs ready to go. She'll play your requests on the spot, too! Drums, shakers and voices are welcome.
Marcia Beck is a singer-songwriter and a professional social worker. She is a member of the First Narayever Congregation where she has shared her love of music as a lay-cantor, a musical director, and a singalong leader. Marcia loves to lead singalongs whenever she has the opportunity!
Jews in Relation to "The Other"
What can Jewish texts teach us about how we have historically positioned non-Jews as The Other? Studying several seemingly conflicting texts, we will reflect on our history of varied "inter-national" relations and on our own relations with others in the local and global communities.
Rhonda Rosenheck, M.A., is principal of the Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School in Toronto. A native New Yorker, Rhonda has studied at Binghamton University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Jewish Calendar Mystery Dispelled
Have there been years when you've wondered why the chagim are so late? Or early? Why does the Jewish calendar have 7 leap years in every 19 years? In this workshop we will demystify the Jewish calendar, see how it balances the solar year, the lunar month, and the Jewish holidays, and study how other calendars influenced its development.
Louis Kalikow has a B.A. in Physics, a Ph.D. in mathematics, and a strong interest in astronomy. He has always been an active participant in the Jewish community. While in college, he helped organize a student lobby of the U.S. Congress for Ethiopian Jews, and he has been a lay leader in minyanim and shuls wherever he has lived.
Aikido in the fields
Aikido is a Japanese martial art in which neutralization of conflict is explored through physical movement. After a gentle stretching warm-up, we will explore the basics of the traditional roles of uke and nage ("leader" and "follower"/"giver" and "receiver") through safe and fun partner exercises. Requirements: please wear loose fitting clothing that you are comfortable moving around in.
Dan Friedman has been studying martial arts one way or another since 1984. He holds a black belt in aikido and teaches at Aikido Tendokai in Toronto.
Telling Your Own Story: An Introduction to the Art of Memoir
One of the fundamental methods we use to build relationships and share ourselves comes from telling our stories. This workshop will consist of a personal story circle. Participants are invited to take moments from their own life and share them as snippets of oral memoir. The stories will build from one another across topics to build an intimate community dialogue.
May Friedman is an educator, social worker, researcher and parent living in downtown Toronto. Through her academic work on mommyblogs, May has spent significant time considering the merits of many individual stories taken in chorus.
Open Like A Flower
Reiki basics will help you access a 3000 year old healing art to channel life energy and balance and fortify yourself.
Olga Palmateer ECE, Reiki Master/Shinpiden has over thirty years' experience in meditation and martial arts. She practices and teaches in Toronto.
The Thoughts and Teachings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Rabbi Sacks is the Chief Rabbi of the Orthodox Ashkenazi Community of Britain. We will examine themes from his vast body of works including the unity of the Jewish people, the influence of Judaism on society at large and the positive role that all religions can take to make a better world.
Peter Gold has been attending the Canamica retreat since its inception and has finally decided it’s time to give a workshop.
KEHILLA WORKSHOP
"Who Should Give to Whom?" "How Much?" and Other Questions: Urban & Global Tzedakah Values
Through text study and discussion, we will explore Jewish values as they relate to many of our questions about poverty relief on the local, urban level as well as in global perspective. Through this, we will attempt to formulate coherent, contemporary, practical tzedakah ethics for ourselves as individuals and as a community. We will also evaluate tzedakah within the broader range of ways to effect positive change in the world.
Rabbi Aaron Levy is the founder and director of Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism dedicated to the flourishing of Jewish life in downtown Toronto. Rabbi Levy is a sought-out educator on a wide variety of Jewish topics, especially ethical eating, environmentalism, spirituality, pluralism, and social justice. Aaron was ordained in 2004 in the first graduating class of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah – The Open Orthodox Rabbinical School in New York City – and has also studied at Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School, Yeshivat Hamivtar, Columbia University (BA in Psychology), and the Jewish Theological Seminary (BA with Honours in Talmud and Rabbinics).