- PLEASE REGISTER BELOW -

Over the past months, we have experienced the anxiety of an historic pandemic and witnessed racial tensions. We are living through interesting times. Our Temple community has risen to the challenges, praying together and supporting each other. As always, there is more work to be done.

Our congregation includes members of various skin tones, body structures, hair types, accents, gender alignment, ages, and physical abilities. Not everyone has felt the same degree of acceptance and welcome. There has been a call for Allyship from GTA Jews of colour. What does allyship even mean? Is there any such thing as race or even colour?

A long-time Temple Har Zion family with two generations of children educated at our school , has felt , with a sense of discomfort , that as a family they were not fully included in the social community life of our Temple . How many others have felt this way? Have we been and are we being welcoming enough to the diverse membership of our congregation?

The heightened tension in the world right now with respect to racial injustice and equality has focussed on Black Lives matter and other antiracist movements. Hopefully, we can come to a better understanding by discussing tough questions with open minds. We have embarked on a new year, 5781, and we begin by educating ourselves about the experiences of three of our members.

Let us grow in strength as a community that embraces inclusion, equality, awareness and caring. “Let justice flow as a mighty stream.”