From Rabbi Stephen Wise Ask a group of Jews about their favourite holiday and many will be quick to respond, "Passover. " People of all ages enjoy the holiday for many reasons -- the food, the opportunity to celebrate as a family and the creative, interactive components of the Seder. Delve deeper, and certain themes contained within the Exodus story and the observance of the holiday may resonate on a personal level and make the holiday so poignant within the Jewish experience. Passover is rich in social justice themes. As Rabbi Marci Bellows once wrote, "It is impossible to study the story of our redemption and not feel compelled to eradicate injustice in the world today ". Among the primary social justice themes found in the Exodus story and in the Passover observance are hunger and homelessness and oppression and redemption. "This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all those who are hungry come and eat with us. Let all who are in want share the hope of Passover. " [Haggadah, "Ha Lachma Anya "] That is why this year we are initiating a Passover swap. If you have room in your home on the first night of Passover, or are looking for a Seder to join, please let me know by emailing me and I will coordinate bringing people together. Especially for the newest members of our congregation who are new to Oakville, or even new to Canada, it is a great mitzvah to open your home and invite them in. Moreover, there are many ways to add new social justice oriented rituals to the Passover seder, here are some ideas to try. A Fifth Cup: Some Haggadot include a "fifth " cup in the Seder as an opportunity

March 23 Webinar, Social Justice Perspectives on Home Seders    for additional readings or prayers, to call attention to a current social justice issue or recognize a recent victory with regards to a prior injustice. This fifth cup could be passed around the table and filled with coins to be donated to tzedakah and add additional readings with specific hopes or social action goals regarding Israel or Haiti or social injustices right here in Oakville. Four Questions: Families might permit time for additional questions to be posed to the group, with opportunities for all to answer. Examples might include: 1. Why on this night are some people still enslaved today? 2. Why on this night do so many remain hungry in the world? 3. Why on this night do we invite the hungry and lonely to share our meal? 4. How can we eradicate hunger and homelessness tonight and every night? Miriam's Cup: This new custom celebrates Miriam's role in the deliverance from slavery and her help throughout the wandering in the wilderness. An empty cup is placed alongside Elijah's cup. Each attendee at the Seder then pours a bit of his/her water into the cup, symbolizing Miriam's life-giving well that followed the wandering Israelites. Some also add an orange to the seder plate, in response to a question posed to a female Rabbi years ago "women belong on the Bimah like an orange on a seder plate". These new customs recognize that women are equally integral to the continued survival of the Jewish community. May your seder be filled with new friends, new ideas and a renewed sense of awe. Rabbi Stephen Wise

        

FROM THE FLIGHT DECK.....

Hello again everyone. After a quiet end of December, January has proved to be an exciting month at SBE. On an administrative side we are proceeding with the accessibility improvements of the building. On a "service provider" side of things we have enjoyed many offerings of Saturday services. The last 3 weeks I have personally enjoyed listening to our choir (twice) and one service with Aviva. In fact, last week was so exciting with Shabbat Shirah with the sounds of the choir, Aviva, the fire alarm and, following, fire trucks. It was amazing how many of the female congregants were distracted by the young, strong firemen in full fire gear who responded to the call. Apparently there are new benefits to attending services! This leads me to what I am announcing as a new "Three Week Challenge" for all of you. No, this is not a diet or exercise program but rather a Shabbat service attendance challenge.

They say lead by example and so, as I have previously mentioned, I have attended the last 3 Shabbat services in a row. Surprisingly, I am still alive, have met some new people, enjoyed the services and had the honour of carrying the torah all three weeks. The continuity of attending 3 consecutive weeks has helped solidify relationships and added a comfort level with participating in the service that is unparalleled. I would highly encourage you to do the same between now and the next set of High Holidays. You’ll find that not only do we not bite but rather Arthur and Harry will greet you and make you feel comfortable while you’re there. The fact that you get something to eat at the end is icing on the cake! So there you have it. The "Three week Challenge". Yours to discover. Please join with me in reaping the benefits that we all at the synagogue are working hard to provide for you. L'Shalom President Steve Taylor

Director of Education, Cheryl Wise This year in the Religious School we introduced a Home Hebrew Reading program for our JK-7th Grade students. Students were given the choice as to whether or not they wanted to participate by agreeing to read assigned Hebrew lines at home for 5 minutes a day five days a week. Students received a 5 X 5 sheet that was signed by a parent on each reading day and was returned to the office at the completion of a month of reading. Students who completed the program were rewarded with a gift from the Religious School. Mazel Tov to the seven students who completed the program during months of January-March. Their names are listed in the eShofar.

Reminder about School Closings. There are no religious school classes on the following dates: Sunday, March 14 Wednesday, March 17 Sunday, March 21 Wednesday, March 31 Sunday, April 4 L'Shalom, Cheryl Wise See our calendar for Family Program Offerings..

Sbe Social Action Committee Corner SBE now has a Social Action Committee. Currently, we are meeting bi-weekly, either at the synagogue, or in members' homes. Our committee is being co-chaired by Sandy Wise, who is the co-chair of the National Social Action Committee for the Union of Reform Judaism, as well as by Frimmy Burnstein. We have an enthusiastic group who are committed to making a difference in our greater community through "tikkun olam -- our way of repairing the world, a little piece at a time. We are currently working on the following projects: Kerr Street Ministries of Oakville: Our interest in the Kerr Street Ministries began with the "Sandwich Saturdays", which were initiated through the HOOCHY Group. Kerr Street Ministries offers many programmes, such as a Foodbank, soup kitchen/community barbecues, after school programmes [consisting of tutoring and music, and sports], to support needy families here in Oakville. They are currently building a brand new facility, to better serve the community. There are volunteer opportunities here for many different age groups,and to suit many different interests. One interesting idea, which we are hoping to put into action, is to teach people how to cook healthy, delicious meals on a very restricted budget. Containers of Hope for Haiti: You may have noticed the large bin in the foyer of our synagogue. SBE is serving as a drop off point for the Containers of Hope for Haiti, which was initiated by a group of private citizens with ties to the Rotary Club. The first pick-up was on February 12. They are hoping to continue with future shipments to Haiti. You can also, support the people of Haiti by donating to the URJ Haiti Relief Fund. "Women of the Wall" [Jerusalem]: Recently, Nofrat Frenkel, a member of the prayer group "Women of the Wall", was arrested for wearing a tallit and carrying a Torah at the Kotel [Western Wall]. This occurred at a time when the ultra- Orthodox minority in Israel continues to influence the government to take actions in their favour. Other recent issues include segregated bus routes [women in the rear], the closing of municipal parking lots on Shabbat and broader issues on conversion and rabbinical status. The Reform community in Canada is expressing its concern about Haredi coercion and encouraging the Israeli government to promote religious pluralism - the recognition of different streams of Judaism. SBE members are encouraged to sign an online petition to her Excellency, Miriam Ziv, Israel's Ambassador to Canada, as well as to participate in the letter writing campaign, which is being guided by the Union for Reform Judaism. Peace in Darfur/Sudan: An ongoing crisis persists in Darfur/Sudan in Africa, where there has been a human genocide which is comparable to the holocaust. Canada has made some important contributions towards the promotion of peace, in the past, but there is still much more to be done. We are compiling a petition to give to our MP, Terence Young, with the purpose of urging the government to take specific decisive action to promote peace in this region. We are also beginning to plan activities for the "SBE Mitzvah Day", which will happen on Saturday, May 29th. Stay tuned for more details about this. Our committee is actively planning activities but we need your participation to help us make a significant impact. As you can see, there is a lot of choice in activity, and not a lot of time is needed, on your part. If you are able to volunteer, even just a little, you will have made a difference for yourself, as well as for others. It’s time for you to take [Social] Action! New members are always welcome on the committee. To volunteer, or to find out more, please email the co-chairs at Couple Checkup with Rabbi Wise Would you wait 100,000 miles to change the oil in your car? Would you go 25 years without a dental checkup? Would you have a physical exam only once in your lifetime? Your relationship deserves a checkup too! Marriages are analogous to bridges, in that they are built to sustain the needs of a couple at a set point in time. But over time, stress develops as relationships grow, transform, evolve. With bridges, weather elements cause erosion and require periodic checks and repair. If relationships are not continually maintained, they, too, can erode with the passage of time and the internal and external demands on the relationship. If you'd like to set up a time to meet with Rabbi Wise, he will guide you through a Couple Checkup, designed to help you become more proactive about your marriage. The sessions are built on the strength model so couples are encouraged to identify and build their couple strengths, as well as understanding roles, responsibilities, and teamwork, helping to prevent the erosion that can slowly undermine a marriage. Ongoing Information Please support our sponsors. If you want to get weekly updates on happenings by e-mail, please e-mail our office. The Lighthouse Program For Grieving Children Memorial Board TreeOfLife High School Students Community Involvement Sponsor and Expense Food Brought In to the Synagogue Principles of Reform Judaism Service for Healing © Shaarei-Beth El Congregation of Halton