LAG B’OMER FAMILY FESTIVAL
he Jewish community in the Greater Toronto Area experienced an amazing, unified citywide Lag B’Omer Family Festival on Tuesday, May 9. Due to the large amount of expected participants, the free event was held in two locations – one at Earl Bales Park in central Toronto, and one at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre in Vaughan. Organized by the JRCC in partnership with a dozen local Jewish organizations, the carnival-like Lag B’Omer event draws thousands of people from different communities throughout the GTA and beyond for an afternoon of fun and unity. This year’s event featured live festive music, an amazing children’s show, rides, and carnival games, along with a children’s rally and parade, a bonfire, and lots of awesome food. By far the greatest aspect of the event is the mere fact that so many Jewish people from different backgrounds celebrated together – a tremendous show of unity that is very much in the spirit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, for whom the day of Lag B’Omer is established. Thank you to all the participating organizations’ staff and volunteers from across the city who helped make this year’s event amazing.
SHAVUOT AT THE JRCC
On Friday, May 26, hundreds of children and adults attended the annual reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuot at ten JRCC locations in the GTA. The children were treated to the now famous Shavuot Ice Cream Party, as they joined. Thousands of Jewish communities around the world in celebrating the receiving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai over 3,300 years ago. The readings were followed by a light dairy brunch buffet, including delicious homemade cheesecakes. The event was held simultaneously at all JRCC branches, with some branches holding multiple readings and parties throughout the day to accommodate everyone’s schedules. On the previous evening, dozens of people joined the traditional all-night learning sessions and the reading of the Kabbalistic “Tikun Leil Shavuot” on the night of Shavuot, expressing our love for the Torah and anticipating receiving it anew as we do at this time each year.
JRCC DISTRIBUTING 10,000 BOOKS OF PSALMS
The JRCC organized the printing and distribution 10,000 copies of a Book of Psalms (Tehillim) to members of the community. For thousands of years, millions of Jews around the world have turned to the Book of Tehillim as a source of inspiration, solace and prayer. The rich, moving, poetic words of Tehillim have been engraved in the hearts and minds of people of all ages from all walks of life, and many have been composed into popular songs. If you or your family are from the former Soviet Union, you are eligible to receive a free copy of this treasured book. If you have not yet received a copy and wish to do so, please contact Igor Saikov at 416-222-7105 x291.
