If you can’t drive in the dark, or you’re without a car (or license) and you want to come to Temple for any reason (a program, a service) please call the Temple Office with as much notice as you can, but even if it’s for the same day, please call.
Rabbi Daniel Gottlieb's moving eulogy for Rabbi Joel Wittstein, of blessed memory, is now available in PDF format on the Publications page in the Members' Lounge section of our website.
Please join us for any Shabbat or Holiday service, for High Holy Days, and for any program that interests you. Contact office@templeisraellondon.ca or 519-858-4400.
The Mikveh Monologues
The Mikveh Monologues
On October 24, 2010, Temple Israel and the London Jewish Community Centre will proudly present
The Mikveh Monologues, written by Anita Diamant (the author of The Red Tent) and Janet Buchwald, and directed by Susan Glait.
This provocative play uses personal stories to explore the traditional, contemporary, and spiritual reasons for ritual immersion in living waters.
Auditions begin in July (don't be shy!!). (July 18, 2010, 2:00pm @ Temple Israel) Please contact Susan atsusanglait@hotmail.com.
Eleven actors will be needed:
One Bat Mitzvah-aged girl Two women, late 20's to early 30's Two women, late 30's to early 40's One woman, late 4o's to early 50's Two men, early 40's Two men, late 40's to mid 50's One man, mid to late 60's
25 YEARS: The synagogue sprang from humble beginnings into a place where the spiritual confronts worldly realities
The garden behind London's Temple Israel was filled with the rollicking sounds of klezmer music Sunday as members celebrated the synagogue's 25th anniversary.
The temple grew from humble origins in the early 1970s, when a half-dozen like-minded families gathered in basements to share faith and social action.
At the time, the only two synagogues in town were the conservative Congregation Or Shalom and the orthodox Beth Tefilah, leaving no place of worship for liberal, reform-minded Jews.
When the gatherings outgrew the basements, members rented space at the Hebrew School and then the Jewish Community Centre. Later, the temple moved into the building at 651 Windermere Rd., (now the Tetherwood Spa) before finding a permanent home in the old Spencer House at 605 Windermere in 2002.
The temple, which now comprises 150 families and more than 300 members, was formally welcomed into the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism in 1985.
Many at the celebration were long-time and founding members, including past and current presidents, but there were more recent adherents on hand as well.
Jerry Ugar, 73, had never been a regular part of a synagogue in his former home of Toronto, where he found the huge scale of the services made it hard to connect with people. He said when he moved to London five years ago, he felt warmly welcomed by the Temple Israel community.
"I felt instantly at home," he said. "I felt this is where I belonged."
The anniversary comes with the Temple Israel still feeling the loss of its first and long-time rabbi, Joel Wittstein, who died in January after a long battle with cancer. His lasting influence was apparent at Sunday's celebration, where members reflected on the contributions Wittstein and his wife Ailene have made to the community.
Rael Wienburg, the temple's first president, said members often referred to the place as "the house that Joel built."
But incoming president Len Silverstein said the community is also taking the occasion to look ahead. He said the temple begins each year with a theme and this year it's "new beginnings," in honour of the new rabbi, new board and new president.
Rabbi Debra Dressler, who performed her first service June 12, said she looks forward to carrying on Wittstein's tradition of Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for "repairing the world"), through social action and community engagement.
The temple is a long-time supporter of the London Food Bank as well as providing its own monthly soup kitchen for the needy.
Temple member Wally Zimmerman said each year for Yom Kippur there's a food drive to honour the high holidays. The most recent drive set a record by gathering more than a tonne of non-perishable food items. In recent months the temple has done fundraising for earthquake relief in Haiti and Chile.
"We're not just a spiritual place," said Wienburg. "We're a spiritual place with all those other aspects to make this a better world."
Ted Medzon, left, Judy Ball and Fred Ball celebrate the 25th anniversary of Temple Israel on Sunday. The Jewish temple, which regularly reaches out to help local community causes, celebrated its years of spiritual leadership with live music, food, a historical video and a family barbeque. (CRAIG GLOVER, The London Free Press)
25th Anniversary Chamber Music Sunday Afternoon Concert Sunday, Oct 18, 2009 at Temple Israel In honour of Rabbi Joel and Ailene Wittstein Featuring Canada's most sought after violinist MOSHE HAMMER and pianist ROBERT KORTGAARD
The Hammer Band - Moshe Hammer's "From Violence to Violins" project
Temple Israel 25th Anniversary Cookbook
Temple Israel’s 25th Anniversary Cookbook Still Needs Your Input!
Summer is the perfect season for sorting recipes. Send us your favourite, with a brief note or line about it - its source, how it evolved, why your family likes it, tips on making it, anything at all you are willing to share. We will compile them all, hopefully one from each family member, to be published in honour of our 25th year with the Reform movement.
You can submit your annotated recipes to Yolanda Tomaszewski by email - yola27@gmail.com- or leave hard copies, handwritten or photocopied, etc, in the Temple Office.
Shabbat Noach Report
Three Special Happenings in One Packed Sanctuary
What a momentous day it was on Shabbat Noach, November 1st! More than 100 people turned out to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Temple Israel’s Bat Mitzvah year, the installation of our board and executive, and the honouring of our twelve past presidents of Temple Israel.
Several of the adult women who had officially become B’not Mitzvah ten years ago on Shabbat Noach, were duly honoured during the Torah service – Kandice Brownstone, Gayle Hoover, Barbara Lent, Jan Lubell, Deb Pfeiffer, Joyce Phillips, Jill Simmons, Yolanda Tomaszewski, and Ailene Wittstien. Kol hakavod!
With the Torah still in our presence, Rabbi Wittstein installed the new Board and Executive of Temple Israel in an inspiring ceremony.
Our president, Michael Shmukler, then introduced the twelve past presidents and eloquently thanked them, on behalf of us all, for their hard work and commitment in getting us to the stage where our congregation is today. He gave them each a certificate of appreciation, indicating that one of our new prayer books, Mishkan T’filfah, has been dedicated to each, and a donation in their honour has been made to the ALS Society. Rabbi Wittstein symbolically passed the Torah from the first president, Rael Wienburg, along through each of those following during Temple Israel’s almost 25 years of history – Karen Ross, who is an honourary life member of our board and came from Toronto for the occasion, Jeff Phillips, David Rosner, Ron Marks, Desi Brownstone, Chris Kronick, who came from Halifax for this event, Stephen State, Harold Sobel, Vena Presner (out of town for this day), Sara Ellis, Art Benjamin – until it came to our current president, Michael.
We are very grateful to Rabbi Wittstein for arranging and leading this beautiful Shabbat service.
After the service, we enjoyed a bountiful kiddush luncheon that was catered in honour of our Past Presidents; for this we extend a huge thank you to Yolanda Tomaszewski, Daphne Stevens, and Len Silverstein for coordinating all the preparations, and to those members who graciously accepted the task of contributing challot, kugels, desserts, and other extras to round out the meal.
While lunch was being set up, congregants had the opportunity to go upstairs to view the video recording of the Bat Mitzvah Year service held ten years ago on Shabbat Noach. Special thanks go to Rael Wienburg, not only for preparing this for viewing now, but also for filming it back then – fabulous footage in our archives! Also upstairs there was a slide show featuring our illustrious presidents in moments captured at various times over the years; many thanks are due to Linda and Wally Zimmerman for enabling this.
We also wish to thank Art Benjamin and Michael Shmukler for their valuable input, and give extra thanks to Len Silverstein for his extra efforts. As always, we are indebted to the office assistance of Jeff Jacobs and volunteer, Melody Enzel, as well as to the set-up work of Paul Gerster.
Mostly, we want to thank everyone who came to celebrate together, helping to make this Shabbat Noach another very memorable event in the life of Temple Israel.
Mikveh Monologues is a provocative play that uses personal stories to explore both traditional and contemporary reasons for the ritual of immersion in living waters. The play, written by Anita Diamant (of Red Tent fame) and Janet Buchwald, and locally directed by Susan Glait, will be presented by Temple Israel and the London Jewish Community Centre.
Ted Medzon, left, Judy Ball and Fred Ball celebrate the 25th anniversary of Temple Israel on Sunday. The Jewish temple, which regularly reaches out to help local community causes, celebrated its years of spiritual leadership with live music, food, a historical video and a family barbeque. (CRAIG GLOVER, The London Free Press)
