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Max Eisen Lecture on Holocaust Studies

If you misserd Trent University’s inaugural Max Eisen Lecture in Holocaust Studies this past September (2024) entitled The Shattering of the Assumptive World: A Family Story presented by Dr. Peter Suedfeld, the full recording can be found here.   It is a deeply impactful narrative of Dr. Suedfeld’s family, their Holocaust experiences, and the lasting outcomes.

Lecture Abstract:

Two families, joined in marriage, lived as ordinary Hungarian citizens for several centuries. Their accustomed way of life changed drastically when in the 1940s the Holocaust focused on the Jews of Hungary. Over the next few years, they lost all rights, possessions, and protection from the state. Eventually, all younger men became slave labourers for the army; other family members were deported to concentration camps, mostly to Auschwitz, where many were murdered; and most of the rest were crammed into the ghetto. Peter, the sole child in both families, was hidden in an orphanage. The talk describes the diverse nature of their experiences and of how the survivors rebuilt their lives, with new homes, new work, and in some cases new families.

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Cantor’s Message
Tu Bishvat 5785/2025

Dearest friends,
Recently we experienced a violent storm that blew down many trees. Luckily our own
garden was spared; but almost everywhere I looked I saw branches, trunks, and
sometimes whole trees blocking paths, and even roads. I though about the meaning
of all this — particularly in the context of Tu Bishvat, which fall this Thursday.

This holiday is known as the New Year of the Trees. We mark it by planting
saplings (often in memory of loved ones), holding special Tu Bishvat seders (which
resemble the Pesach ritual meals, and have their roots in Jewish mysticism), and
raising awareness about the environment. This year, for me, the holiday is about the
significance of trees as metaphors for our faith and our relationships with one
another — especially since I’ve seen so many toppled over in a storm.

In the service for returning the Torah to the Ark, we sing ‘Etz chaim hi’ (‘It is a
tree of life’). The words in English run as follows:

I have given you a precious inheritance:
do not forsake My teaching.
It is a tree of life for those who grasp it,
and all who hold onto it are blessed.
Its ways are pleasant, and all its paths are peace.
Turn us toward You, Adonai, and we will return to You;
make our days seem fresh, as they once were.

The lines are taken from some passages in the Book of Proverbs. They’re
appropriate to the liturgy, because the Torah is identified as the Tree of Life; it
symbolizes the relationship between God and human beings. In Kabbalah, the Tree
of Life is represented as a diagram illustrating the ten divine spheres, or sefirot; they
include attributes like righteousness, justice, beauty, endurance, and understanding.
The branches are interconnected, in order to show how these traits are linked to
each other, and to God. In Jewish mystical teaching, by accessing the spheres we
not only come closer to God; we also engage in tikkum olam, repairing our broken
world (where the divine is increasingly absent), and mending our relationships with
one another.

If we ponder these ideas, while appreciating the trees are all around us, we
come to a greater understanding of the intimate ties that bind us all together as one
human family, and also connect us to the divine. With so many broken trees around,
and the imperative to repair the damage done, the healing of the world is, for me, the
profound lesson of this Tu Bishvat.

I wish you all a Chag Sameach.

With love from Cantor Leon

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Upcoming Children’s Circle Dates

Zoe and Team are pleased to let us know that they will be offering programs for children aged 5-12 (younger kids welcome with a parent) on upcoming Saturday mornings during  February and March at Beth Israel Synagogue.  For specific dates, times and details please inquire at: contact@jccpeterborough.com .   Each gathering includes story time, learning activities, crafts, and baking. Mark your calendars! And stay tuned for more details.

*NEW*

Families with children aged 5-12 (younger kids welcome with a parent) are invited to join Zoe and team in early March.  We will get prepared for Purim by making hamantaschen, noisemakers, and putting on a short Purim play. All gatherings take place at Beth Israel Synagogue, downstairs in the social hall. To sign up for any or all of these dates, kindly REGISTER HERE.

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Beth Israel Applies for Holocaust Education Funding

With support from the Beth Israel Board of Directors, Ralph Baehre and the BIC Holocaust Education Committee and grant writer and BIC member Ziysah von Bieberstein have applied for $419,467 in funding over five years from the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program-National Holocaust Remembrance Program to build Beth Israel’s capacity to provide Holocaust and antisemitism education in the Peterborough, Northumberland, and Kawartha Lakes regions. We hope to hear an affirmative response soon. For more information, to make a donation in support or in honour of this work, or to get involved, email the BIC Holocaust Education Committee. 

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Beth Israel Board Welcomes New Directors

With two vacancies and three applicants (how lucky!) the Beth Israel Board wasn’t sure how best to proceed. However, at their December meeting Len Lifchus graciously offered to move up the end of his term, stepping down to become the Board’s Governance Advisor. Thank you Len for your service; we appreciate that you will continue to lead the Ritual Committee for the term. This made openings for the Beth Israel Board of Directors to appoint Alexandra (Alex) Rawek, Gabriele Zeh-Abramsky and Jennifer (Jenny) Katz to the Board.

Welcome! 

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Cantor’s Message for Chanukah 5785/2024

Dearest friends,
Most of us will know the origins of the holiday of Chanukah: in the 2nd century BCE, at the time of the Maccabean Revolt, the Seleucid Greeks sacked and desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem. When the fighting stopped on the 25 th day of the month of Kislev, the Temple was rededicated; but it was discovered that there was only one day’s supply of pure oil with which to light the Menorah. By a miracle (according to the Talmud), this oil lasted for eight days, which gave enough time to produce a new
supply.
 
I’ve been at the Rambam again (still my go-to Jewish scholar), and have been studying his interpretation of the importance of Chanukah. In his text Mishneh Torah, chapters 3 and 4, he confirms that lighting the Chanukiah is precious, and that the mitzvah is more essential than many others. But he then says something rather surprising: if a poor person has to choose between oil for a house lamp on Shabbat and a Chanukah lamp, or between oil for a house lamp on Shabbat and wine for Kiddush, the house lamp should have priority, for the sake of peace in the household. The Rambam then adds: ‘Great indeed is peace, forasmuch as the purpose for which the whole Torah was given is to bring peace upon the world, as it is said in Proverbs, Its ways are the ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.
 
It’s a strange way to end a discussion, by using the Chanukah candles as a foil to highlight the importance of keeping the house lights burning on Shabbat, so that the inhabitants can see; but the point is that a dark dwelling would disrupt the peace, and cause strife within a family. So to avoid such discord, we do all that’s in our power to maintain peace. It’s customary on Chanukah to have gatherings of family and friends; it’s a time to lay aside friction, quarrels, dissent and recriminations, and come together to share the miraculous festival of light, in order to reconcile whatever differences we may have had during the year.
 
For me this is the profound meaning of Chanukah which I share with you: while its origins in the 2nd century BCE may lie in a revolt against our enemies, we should, as a matter of urgency — especially given all the strife both at home and abroad — strive for peace and reconciliation.
I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Chanukah.
With love from Cantor Leon
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Children’s Program for Chanukah

Join us on Saturday, December 14 for the Beth Israel Children’s Circle! Children ages 5-12 learn the prayers over the candles, bake donuts and make beeswax candles! Younger children are welcome with a parent. RSVP here to help us ensure enough supplies. Note: this program is designed for children ages 5-12, younger children can attend with a parent.

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Mark’s Rosh HaShana Message+

BIC Board President Mark Seigel shared his outgoing Rosh HaShanah address to the community, focused on inclusion and the ‘Big Tent’ approach he has championed during his tenure. Click here for the full content. Mark also highly recommends Meet Robert; Meet Jessica: The Challenge of Jewish Diversity During Difficult Times, a Rosh Hashanah sermon by Rabbi Mark Glickman of Calgary’s temple b’nei tikvah.

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The Beth Israel Board of Directors Nominating Committee is now accepting applications from interested congregants to join the 2025-26 Board of Directors.

If interested, please read the information below. Applications will be accepted until 5pm on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025

OUR COMMITMENT 

At BIC we believe that a Board of Directors reflects the diversity of our community which strengthens our ability to achieve our mission.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

BIC’s Board meets 9-10 times per year and currently has four standing committees – Governance and Finance, membership and events – that also meet monthly. The board convenes the Annual General Meeting in June and takes a break in July and August.

Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month for about 2.5 hours both in person or virtually.

DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITIES

Directors are expected to serve on one of BICs standing committees and contribute to ad hoc committees that are formed on an as-needed basis from time to time. They are also expected to contribute to BIC’s fundraising initiatives and draw upon their networks in support of the organization’s work.

The total average monthly time commitment is 8 – 15 hours, depending on a Director’s position.

DIRECTORS SKILL SETS REQUESTED

This year we need directors who have experience in the following areas:

property maintenance, governance, grant writing or strategic planning.

If you believe in our vision and mission and want to play a part in deciding on the direction of our growing congregation, we want to hear from you.

Mission: The purpose of Beth Israel Congregation is to serve the spiritual and cultural needs of the Jewish population of Peterborough and its environs. We provide a place of worship open to all those who subscribe to the Jewish faith, and a meeting place for expression of Jewish cultural life.

Beth Israel is egalitarian, motivated by a spectrum of community interests and spiritual aspirations. We are welcoming of all genders, cultures, races, abilities, neurotypes, sexual orientations, political beliefs, faiths, and income levels. We recognize that we have a responsibility to work proactively to make this a place of welcome to those who are traditionally marginalized. We are committed to treating all participants with respect and compassion.

Vision: To be an accessible, innovative, inclusive, open and integral part of the Peterborough Jewish Community.

  • All candidates must voting members in good standing of Beth Israel Congregation.
  • Deadline for Submissions is Tuesday, June 10th, 2025
  • If interested, please email a letter telling us why you’d like to join the Board, along with the skills and experience you would bring to the Board to bethisrael@jccpeterborough.com which will then be forwarded to the Nomination Committee Chair.