Founding Rabbi: Rabbi Joel I. Wittstein (z"l - of blessed memory)
A Warm Welcome ...
Temple Israel is a community of approximately 160 families. It is a positive and strong Reform Jewish presence in the London community, with a Religious School, Pre-School Experience, an active program of Adult Education, Social Action, Outreach, and social events. Our Shabbat Services, holiday and life-cycle observances are warm and inspiring. We welcome Jewish and interfaith couples, traditional and non-traditional families, singles, LGBT, and people of every age, race and ethnicity. Whether you are new to Judaism or a learned scholar, you will find a warm welcome and a comfortable home at Temple Israel.
Explore our website, join us for services, classes, and programs, meet our members, visit our library and gift shop. You will find many opportunities to enrich your experience of Judaism. If this is your first visit, we hope you will come back often. Membership information can be found in the "About Temple Israel" section.
Note: Most items on our website can be clicked for more information.
If this is your first visit to the Temple Israel website, please note that a summary of all announcements and upcoming events (for the next 60 days) appears on the homepage. Announcements and upcoming events for specific categories of events (eg: youth education, adult ed, social action etc.) also appear on the page for each topic. The "Programs and Special Events" page has details for future events.
The January 2012 issue of Lev HaDavar is now available via the Temple Israel website homepage:templeisraellondon.ca
Please, note new start time for Shabbat Morning Services.
Saturday, January 21:
10:00am – Shabbat Morning Service led by Rabbi Debra Dressler. Michael Shmukler and Linda Dutsch will sponsor the Kiddush in memory of Michael’s brother, Chaim Shmukler.
12:00pm – Torah Study Session at TI.
Sunday, January 22:
9:30am – Religious School Class.
3:00pm – JIC Class at TI (note the time change).
Monday, January 23:
7:30pm – JEM Program at the JCC: Anti-Semitism in Germany before 1933: Causes and Consequences, by Eli Nathans.
Tuesday, January 24:
9:30am – AJE at the JCC.
Wednesday, January 25:
7:30am – Morning MinyanService at TI followed by breakfast sponsored by Gerald and Janet Fridman.
12:00pm - Lunch and Learn at TI.
4:45pm – Religious School Hebrew Class.
Saturday, January 28:
10:00am – Shabbat Morning service at TI led by Rabbi Debra Dressler. The Kiddush will be sponsored by Ailene Wittstein and Pepa Livingstone in memory of their husbands, Rabbi Joel Wittstein and Kenneth Livingstone.
12:00pm – Torah Study Session at TI.
Sunday, January 29:
9:30am – Religious School Class.
Note: No JIC Class.
3:00pm – 5:00pm – A Taste of Judaism Program at TI, 1st session.
ARZA Canada Presents
UNITY NOT UNIFORMITY:
A WEBINAR SERIES TO EXAMINE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
First Installment: Religious Pluralism and the Role of Women in Israel
Wednesday, February 1, at 1:00pm—A Reform Perspective by Anat Hoffman, an executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center.
Tuesday, February 7, at 1:00pm—An Orthodox Perspective by David Weinberg, a consultant at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
To register free of charge or for more information please e-mail: info@cija.ca.
Shabbat Morning Service with Allan Gould orginally scheduled for January 7 has been postponed to the weekend of February 11-12, 2012
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and more!
The Growing Gap 2012
The Growing Gap
On Sunday, January 29, 2012, 1:00pm you are invited to an event at the London Convention Centre, 300 York Street.
The purpose of this event is to encourage the people and leaders of London’s faith communities to engage personally to address the growing gap between rich and poor in London, across Canada, and beyond.
Free to attend. No registration required. All welcome.
TI: the Next Generation
"TI: the Next Generation", a new page on our website, will feature web links to interesting projects, activities, awards, and accomplishments of the teen and adult offspring of our members. We rely upon parents to send a brief paragraph and optional URL to <webmaven@templeisraellondon.ca> for display on our website.
The page is now in the "About Temple Israel - History" section of our website.
Temple Israel Library Catalogue online
- photo by Rael Wienburg
Thanks to the hard work of Lisa Manax, Sandra & Art Benjamin, Joanne Kearns, Thelma Llewellyn, Lana Koslow, Tom Casler, Sharon Marks, Louise Shanfeld, and Wally Zimmerman, Temple Israel's library catalogue is now available online via LibraryThing.
You can search the catalogue by title, author, or tag (=subject) or browse through the catalogue in any order you wish.
About 80% of our books have been catalogued thus far. More books are being added all the time.
You can't check out books online, but the online catalogue is a very useful resource for discovering books in our collection.
Plan to visit the Temple Israel Library (2nd floor) any time our building is open.
Labels on the shelves make it easy to find books by subject.
To borrow a book, use the slgn-out sheet (book title, your name, your phone number).
To return a book, place it in the "Returns" box.
Sunflower Seeds
"GIANT" Sunflower Seeds are Now Available at TI!
The seeds from the flower bud of the "Giant" Sunflower that grew behind the TI shed were gently collected and packed into envelopes by Paul Gerster. Those envelopes are now available at the Temple Kitchen and are free to everyone. Regrettably, there is no guarantee, that the off-spring will grow as high as "mom" did... Nevertheless, they are worth a try! Please, call or e-mail Svetlana at the Temple Office to set the seeds aside for you to pick up or just visit Temple Israel and take as many as you wish. Good Luck!
Adopt-A-Garden 2011
Adopt-A-Garden
Temple Israel's grounds have six flower beds, which, with some TLC could be very beautiful. If you have a green thumb and would like to take care of one of these gardens for the summer, please contact the Temple Office (519-858-4400)
This could be a project for individuals, families, or groups. Each flower bed will be prominently labelled with the gardeners' names.
What an opportunity to exercise your creativity and enhance the beauty of our synagogue!
ARZA News
ARZA News has moved from our homepage to our new Israel and ARZA page. In future, this link will appear on the "About Temple Israel" menu.
Please Help Keep Temple Israel Nut-Free
Just a reminder that Temple Israel is striving to be a Nut-Free Zone. To protect those with nut allergies, your co-operation is needed. When bringing in food for potluck dinners, minyan breakfasts, Lunch & Learn, oneg Shabbat or kiddush snacks, etc. please be careful not to bring items that contain nuts.
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.
Susan Glait, our Programming VP has been, in her words: "busy, busy and more busy (and enjoying the results)." BUT, she can't do it all on her own. So, if you can help with either of the following, let Susan (susang@templeisraellondon.ca) or the Temple Office (519-858-4400 or office@templeisraellondon.ca) know:
• Make calls or email for sponsors for Kiddushim and Onegs on an every other month basis.
• Help pitch in for our Congregational Kabbalat Shabbat dinners
The current issue of Temple Israel's bulletin, Lev HaDavar, is now available on the TI homepage -- LOGIN NOT REQUIRED. You may read Lev Ha-Davar online, or print it, or save it to your computer for fast future access. (Use Print or Save options in Adobe Reader.) NOTE: Past issues continue to be available in the Members' Lounge (Login required).
Please consider dedicating one (or more) of our new prayer books to honour a special occasion or the memory of your family and friends. Details on the Donations page.
For the sake of our custodian, Paul Gerster, please ensure that, at any Temple function, if you move chairs from one floor to the other, you return them to their original level. Thank you.
Members of Temple Israel take turns providing refreshments for Oneg Shabbat or Shabbat Kiddush. A great opportunity to honour a yahrzeit, a simcha, or other special person or event. Contact Temple Office.
EVERY TEMPLE ISRAEL HOUSEHOLD SHOULD BE RECEIVING – AND READING – REFORM JUDAISM MAGAZINE! It is an excellent resource which links us to the broader Reform Jewish world…and it is part of your membership package! If you do not receive REFORM JUDAISM MAGAZINE, call the Temple Office, please. Stop missing opportunities for Jewish growth!
Do you have a suggestion? A brilliant idea? A comment? Send it in to the new Temple Israel suggestion box. Email suggestion.box@templeisraellondon.ca or use the convenient blue button on this page.
Managed under the London Jewish Community Foundation, all contributions to this Fund are held in perpetuity, and the interest income will be provided each year to Temple Israel to help support our growing needs. [MORE INFORMATION ON THE DONATIONS PAGE]
Thank you to Rael Wienburg for setting up a page for "Temple Israel of London, Ontario, Canada" on Facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/nr76qw
Look for the convenient blue Facebook button on Temple Israel's homepage.
Temple Israel now has a presence on Google Plus. Find us at http://tinyurl.com/TIonGPlus Google+ pages for nonprofits are brand-new, and new capabilities are still being added. Join Google+ as an individual, then follow our page by putting it in one of your circles. Include Linda Zimmerman in one of your circles, and I will let you know when TI "hangouts" (group video chats) or other TI discussions will occur. This is completely optional. Our website templeisraellondon.ca remains Temple Israel's primary means of sharing information with our members.
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.
A lasting way to honour the memory of your loved ones. Information about Temple Israel's Yahrzeit (Memorial) Board is now on the Donations page. Click "More Information"
International Dialogue Institute, London Branch invites you to an art exhibition by Lutfu Kaplanoglu with the theme of Peaceful Coexistence. See poster on Special Events page.
The purpose of this event is to encourage the people and leaders of London’s faith communities to engage personally to address the growing gap between rich and poor in London, across Canada, and beyond. Free to attend. No registration required. All welcome.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
This is a child-friendly event, though best suited for those over 6 years of age. Given limits on the number of volunteers per evening, only TI members are invited to attend. If you plan to be at a sort, please RSVP to Leora (leora@templeisraellondon.ca) by noon on the day of the sort with the number of people who will be attending. The activity counts towards high school community service hours.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
All are welcome to come make soup for Rotholme Women & Children's Shelter. If you can peel a potato or cut a carrot, we can use your help. Join in planning future Social Action events.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
This is a child-friendly event, though best suited for those over 6 years of age. Given limits on the number of volunteers per evening, only TI members are invited to attend. If you plan to be at a sort, please RSVP to Leora (leora@templeisraellondon.ca) by noon on the day of the sort with the number of people who will be attending. The activity counts towards high school community service hours.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
All are welcome to come make soup for Rotholme Women & Children's Shelter. If you can peel a potato or cut a carrot, we can use your help. Join in planning future Social Action events.
Please note that Lunch & Learn has moved to Wednesdays. Bring your lunch (nut-free) and come to study and join in a lively discussion. All are welcome.
