36TH ANNUAL PUBLIC MENORAH LIGHTING
The JRCC’s annual Public Menorah Lighting, one of over thirty JRCC Chanukah events, was held on Thursday, Dec 7 at Mel Lastman Square. The event attracted hundreds of community members, local residents, as well as a number of passers by who were curious about the festive event, concert, kids entertainment with Rabbi B, refreshments and of course the 8-foot tall lego menorah shining brightly in front of City Hall. Several dignitaries and public figures were in attendance, including members of city council, as well as provincial and federal representatives, who honored the celebration and the community with their presence and their warm words.
EVENING OF INSPIRATION
There were several farbrengens at the JRCC in the last few weeks to commemorate special days during the month of Kislev. The highlight was a large gathering at the JRCC West Thornhill for a buffet dinner on December 3 in honor of the 19th Kislev, with special guest speaker Rabbi Boruch Jacobson, from Chabad at Hunter College, NY. He inspired the crowd and spoke how each of us can help the situation in Israel and the hostages by freeing our soul and being better people and Jews.
Learn more at jrcc.org/Farbrengen.
19TH ANNUAL CHANUKAH WONDERLAND
The nineteenth annual JRCC Chanukah Wonderland Carnival brought an exciting day of activities to the Lebovic Campus in Maple to the delight of over 2,000 participants on Sunday, Dec 10. As in past years, the event was held at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre. The event featured a series of entertaining performances every hour by a variety of shows. Parents and children enjoyed an afternoon full of different activities: A crafts area, rides, carnival game booths, and live music. Special thanks to the staff volunteers and partner organizations who helped make this a successful, memorable event for the whole community.
WOMEN’S COURSE + WINE & CHEESE
Last month’s Rosh Chodesh Society’s new course, One Wow Moment, was combined with a women’s Wine & Cheese Chanukah event. The course takes a scholarly peek at pivotal moments of personal decision within the lives of seven women of biblical fame, and investigates the psychology and internal strengths that propelled these women, with remarkable effectiveness, across chasms of doubt and timidity. Recognizing that modern life rears a rapid series of crossroads bearing mixed signals, this course is a valuable and intriguing guide to exerting confidence, courage, empowerment, altruism, and deeper purpose when faced with unexpected opportunity, personal dilemmas, and moments of consequential decision.
More info at JrccEastThornhill.org/RCS
18TH ANNUAL CHANUKAH WONDERLAND
The nineteenth annual JRCC Chanukah Wonderland Carnival brought an exciting day of activities to the Lebovic Campus in Maple to the delight of over 2,000 participants on Sunday, Dec 10. As in past years, the event was held at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre. The event featured a series of entertaining performances every hour by a variety of shows. Parents and children enjoyed an afternoon full of different activities: A crafts area, rides, carnival game booths, and live music. Special thanks to the staff volunteers and partner organizations who helped make this a successful, memorable event for the whole community.
5 TEVET FARBRENGEN AND BOOK SALE
The Chabad festive day of the 5th of Tevet, which celebrates the day the US Federal Court ruled in favor of Chabad’s ownership of a priceless library of Chassidic manuscripts. Learn more at jrcc.org/5tevet. To celebrate the occasion, a farbrengen gathering was held on December 17 at the JRCC of Willowdale & the City which also commemorated the arrival of Rabbi Yoseph and Rebbetzin Chiena Zaltzman in Toronto to begin serving the community in 1980. The JRCC Bookstore also marked the
day with its annual 5 Tevet Book Sale, offering 10% off its entire inventory containing the best selection of Jewish Russian books in North America, plus many great English and Hebrew books. Learn more at jrccbookstore.org
