Temple Sinai Reaches Out to Israelis

This year, Israelis in the community who want to mark Yom Kippur in a more meaningful way, will be able to do so at one of Toronto’s Reform congregations: Temple Sinai will be holding a special discussion for Israelis on Yom Kippur afternoon at 3pm.

“It’s a follow up to the discussion we had with Rabbi Barkin a little while ago,” said Rabbi Erin Polonsky of Temple Sinai, referring to the July 18 discussion led by Rabbi Nir Barkin from Yozma Congregation in Modi’in, Israel, on the topic of ‘New Ways to Keep Israeli Jewish Identity in Canada’. She said that the discussion was well-attended and the feedback was very positive.

“In his talk, Rabbi Barkin had used texts that describe the angst and anger that many Israelis feel towards the Orthodox establishment in Israel and how those feelings can turn people against religion entirely,” said Polonsky. “But then there was another piece about what it’s like to be the other, and that’s the immigrant experience, whether you’re immigrating to Israel or whether you’re immigrating from Israel.”

Now, Temple Sinai is hoping to follow-up on Rabbi Barkin’s program by holding the discussion during Yom Kippur, which will be led by Temple member Naomi Cohen, an Israeli who has been living in Canada for many years.

“The goal of the discussion is to welcome Israeli families to our synagogue and to engage them about what they’re looking for in a synagogue or in the community and how a Reform setting might be what they’re looking for, but also to talk about the difference between Diaspora living and living in Israel,” said Polonsky. “Naomi being an Israeli and having lived in Canada for a long time, has an understanding of what a synagogue community offers and why it’s necessary when you’re living in the Diaspora, whereas it might not be as necessary when you’re living in Israel.”

The discussion will be an interactive one, and Polonsky hopes it will be a way to deepen the connection between Israelis and Canadians.

“I think that what it’s about, that here we are as Israelis in Canada and we are the other suddenly,” explained Polonsky. “So in Canada you want to look for a group to feel a part of. There’s the Israeli group and that’s great, and you should be connected to other Israelis outside of Israel and in your community here, but there’s something that Israelis and even Canadian-born Jews have in common, and that is that we’re all the other. So I think there’s a real kinship there, or there can be.”

The Israeli community will also be invited to participate in Temple Sinai’s children’s services, and will be able to join the congregation for Yizkor and Neilah services after the discussion. Also on hand will be the Temple’s two teen shlichim from Israel. They will be speaking at 4pm and all are invited to this event as well.

Ultimately, said Polonsky, Temple Sinai would be thrilled if members of the Israeli community become full-fledged members of the congregation.

“We’d love for them to join on a regular basis,” she said. “If not that then we’d like them to just come and be part of what happens at Temple whenever they want. We’d love to welcome them to tot Shabbat, family Shabbat, any Shabbat service, any weekday event or program. I think it’s step-by-step. If we can become part of their radar screen when they’re looking for Jewish community events and participation, I think that’s a step in the right direction.”