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We support our congregation through Torah learning, Shabbat dinners, Jewish holidays, celebrations, and life-long learning of our Jewish education to all ages.
Our congregation is made up of primarily interfaith families due to the rise in Jewish people marrying outside of their faith. As such, while grounded in Judaism, our congregation welcomes their spouses of all faiths and those with no faith to join us in creating a diverse, vibrant spiritual community of individuals and families.
Through our teachings, work, and embrace, we aspire to keep the Jewish faith and traditions alive within these interfaith unions and be cherished by their extended families so that it may remain vibrant and alive into future generations.
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Universal Oneness United Faith Canada (“UOUFC”) is a spiritual center that welcomes people from all faiths and those of no faith. The UOUFC works to break down the barriers of religious intolerance. Congregation Beth Ruach is the Jewish interfaith branch of the UOUFC and is the community that Rabbi David Gellman serves.
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TESTIMONIAL—
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The Rabbi’s Weekly Commentary-October 26, 2024
Beginnings
Greetings friends
I hope you had a great time dancing around with the Torah as Sukkot ended. We celebrated the great book of instruction with Simchat Torah—a celebration of life, a celebration of learning. Whatever it is to you that you celebrate, I hope you all celebrated and gave thanks for the love in your lives and for living in such a safe and giving environment. I know it doesn’t quite feel that way anymore.
It doesn’t seem to be talked about much, but the world still has multiple maniacs, idiots, and fanatics still calling for a Global Day of Jihad. And if you don’t know what that is, it is not about peaceful struggle; it is the call for further violence against Jews, and, shockingly, this is still without global condemnation. What is wrong with normal people? We are watching a society on the verge of destruction. All great empires disappear over time because they are either conquered or destroy themselves.
We are getting a ringside seat to the latter. The world has changed and continues to change, and not for the better.
As we all know and as we need to be reminded, sadly, not since the nazi Holocaust of over 80 years ago have so many Jews been killed at once from a cowardly attack on the great innocents of society—the youth, the children, the elderly, the peaceful. There were no soldiers attacked. This was not an act of war, not war as we know it.
With poor grandparents, women, and children dragged into tunnels as hostages, a human shield for cowards to hide behind because they know our moral compass is 180 degrees from theirs. It has been more than one year, and the silence has truly become deafening.
When is never again, never again? Imagine a world where we learn from the past and move forward instead of repeating it in new and more barbaric ways. John Lennon tried to imagine it.
Well, here we are at the beginning, ready to take the journey we shared together before and once again. We are going to open with a book that is a Book of Origins, and we love origin stories—superheroes, cartoons, favorite shows, and characters. We are fascinated with how something began.
We finish most books and rarely look at them again, but this one is different. Here, we read a book we have read before. In so doing, we know what will happen; we even hope the people would choose differently. We examine motives, thoughts, and feelings. We understand the characters in terms of what came before and what will come as a result. And even though we know, we hold onto the lessons and goals from before, and we grow more with every reading we give it. As we do, we change, we grow, and we find our ability to do the following:
Become more mindful – and in doing so, become more detached
Become more approachable – and therefore less exclusive
Become more accepting – and therefore less judgmental
Become more self-giving – and therefore less self-absorbed
Become bolder – and therefore less fearful –
And fear is the great enemy.
As I said, this is the Book of Origins – it begins with the origin of the universe. It then narrows and focusses on the origins of man, and it narrows and focusses on the relationships among the family of man.
We completed the reading of this book, but it is never really completed. It is but a pause. And as we complete the Torah every year and begin again, we close it as we say –
“CHAZAK, CHAZAK, V’NITCHAZEK,” WHICH MEANS “BE STRONG, BE STRONG, AND LET US STRENGTHEN OTHERS.” IT IS THE JEWISH ETERNAL CALL TO FIGHT, FIGHT, PROTECT, DEFEND. IT IS WHAT WE DO. IT IS A RALLYING CRY FOR HUMANITY. WE CLOSE EACH BOOK OF THE BIBLE WITH THAT PHRASE.
AND AT THIS TIME, OUR HEARTS GO OUT FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE, NOT JUST IN ISRAEL, WHO ARE NOT AS FORTUNATE AS US TO BE HERE, BUT EVERYWHERE.
We could spend a year on this one reading. There is so much in it, especially if you examine the biblical Hebrew, the words, the grammar.
Among the things it addresses are:
- The Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath – which is so important to the entire process
- A second account of the Creation –
- We get the first supposed sin and Its punishment. And to call it a sin is wrong. The humans ate from the tree of knowledge of good and bad, a great gift you were all given, and we meet the first scapegoat, who simply told the truth.
- We have the first murder and the call of the blood from the earth when Cain murders Abel – and this was no accident.
- We see the beginnings of Civilization, and we are told about:
- The wickedness of humankind, the regret of G0d and the formal choice of Noah
As we reflect upon these unfolding events from the Book of Genesis, we will learn a great deal about God, but even more about ourselves. After all, this is the story of our origins. When properly understood, the story of our origin helps us find our destination and isn’t that what we are looking for?
Feel free to share this episode with anyone you think might enjoy it. And, of course, enjoy our past audio and video episodes on our YouTube channel. Grab a bag of popcorn and feel free to binge-watch them. Many are quite entertaining.
This is the first reading of the year, and I want to thank you all for continuing this journey of growth and expansion.
This episode will be posted on our channel. Click here to watch the Rabbi David Gellman Show in the 2025 cycle.
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Thank you all for allowing me into your homes, into your electronic devices, and into your hearts, as you are all with me in mine.
Be well, be happy, be healthy, be free, be kind, be forgiving, be compassionate, be independent of mind and deed, be mindful of your intentions, and be good to yourself. Continue to celebrate freedom of choice in your life, and do not give in to the fear that is so prevalent. Enjoy the peace that comes from acceptance. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions or just want to say “hi,” please send me an email. I love hearing from you.
Remember, anytime you do not want to receive these anymore, please send me an email so I can remove you. And know that I truly appreciate your sharing your sacred time with me.
Enjoy and celebrate your life and the lives of others. And in doing so, be happy, and may you all sow the seeds of and reap the rewards of peace, love, and miracles. Make sure you also celebrate your unique individuality and your incredible awesomeness.
Continue celebrating love; continue celebrating freedom; send renewal and goodwill out to everyone in the world. It is an energy that cannot be stopped . And remember, your world is what you make it. Just wish upon a star and continue to be a miracle in someone’s life, and light the light of love.
Blessings
RD
www.rabbidavidgellman.com
Respecting our past. Putting faith in your future
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Respecting our past; Putting faith in your future