Our Congregation

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Our Beth Ruach congregation is built on the values of the Torah and the Talmud, and we are united in our faith in Judaism and our support of Israel.

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.

We are affiliated with the Universal Oneness United Faith Canada.

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.

SILENT AUCTION 2024

Thank you to all who donated to and participated in our silent auction.

TESTIMONIAL—

“I’ve known David practically my whole life, and he knew my mom and my family, so he was the obvious choice to provide the funeral service for my mother, Miriam Stein. He did a very, very nice job, was very personal, and made sure everyone was included—as I knew he would. Thank you, David.”

Helen B.

The Rabbi’s Weekly Commentary-October 12, 2024

When the rain comes

Greetings friends

Congratulations! You have all been inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life.

But your mission is not over. You have so much still to do. You have been cleansed. You are free to pursue your own greatness, and in so doing, you heal the world of its ills. Every step you take to improve yourself improves everything around you.

So, the hard part is done. You have survived the day of atonement, and you have been sealed in the book— g’mar chatimah tovah – a good, final sealing, and you have made it through the entire Torah. For many of you, it might have been the first time and for others, your three-thousand-and-something time.

I had a lot of comments on the four characteristics I talked about, so hold them, live them. And remember, these are characteristics we all have, but don’t always know we do, which elevate us. These are – trust, hope, confidence, and love because we do these things automatically without thinking.

Trust, hope, confidence, love – embrace them – hold onto them, make them a part of you. And as the week wound down, you used and will continue to use your private time, your meditation time, your internal time to reflect, forgive, remember, share, and put forth your intentions. Both of these streams become part of who you are.

For the once and only public memorial, we took the opportunity to honor those who are in our hearts and minds, those we loved and lost and who are still a part of our souls. We lit the candles to elevate their souls; we have stood in the celestial court and examined the mirror of self; we have cleansed our hearts, our souls, and our spirits, and now we move forward. In just a few days, we begin the gathering Festival of Sukkot when we take the four species and create a special broom to cleanse the six directions of life from any remnants of the Ten Days of Awe.

You are fresh; you are free; you are aware of your actions, your words, your thoughts, your intentions, and you choose more carefully because you understand the effects you have on the world around you. You are learning to be forgiving and accepting, and you know the meaning of life.

You have learned the power of the forgiveness mechanism. Do not make it a one-day-a-year event. Forgive every time you are called upon to forgive. You know when. It is strength, not weakness. Ask for forgiveness when you know you have done something wrong— to God, to someone else, to yourself—it too is strength, not weakness.

This week, Moses continues his great soliloquy with what I think could have been an incredible opening to this great journey and made the greatest of the epic poems. The Torah ends with the words of education raining down on us—the words of Moses and God teaching us how to be better. We take the lessons of life, apply them to our lives, and help teach them to others.

I want to thank you all again for joining me in this tale as old as time. We will begin again in two weeks after we have celebrated the gathering Festival of Sukkot, when we live in our booths. Next week, we will talk about that special holiday, which is a favorite for many.

Enjoy this week’s show, and keep practicing forgiveness, kindness, and acceptance. Use this time to continue to forgive those you need to forgive and ask forgiveness from those you need to seek forgiveness from. Give thanks and celebrate your freedom and joy; do not succumb to fear—and please feel free to share this audio and video with anyone you think might enjoy it. And, of course, enjoy all of our past audio and video episodes available on our YouTube channel.

This episode will be posted on our channel – click here to watch the Rabbi David Gellman Show in both the 2024 and special event cycles.

And if you are one of the people this was sent to by a friend and want to receive it yourself, let me know. I will add you to my mailing list.

Thank you all for allowing me into your homes, into your electronic devices, 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, do not give in to the fear that is so prevalent, and 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, and 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

www.rabbidavidgellman.com
Respecting our past. Putting faith in your future