Dear Congregational Family,
As a child growing up, independence Day was more than fireworks and a barbecue. I was taught early on that we Jews should be especially appreciative of the country in which we live when we are able to celebrate our tradition freely.
Living for the first forty years of my life between Boston, New York, and New Jersey, I was always grateful for the freedoms shared by the public Jewish institutions we had and the security to practice Judaism in the privacy of our homes.
For the last twenty years, I have continued to feel the same way living and practicing as a Jew in the GTA. The abundance of synagogues, Jewish schools, Kosher outlets, etc. should not be taken for granted.
The large number of safe Jewish neighborhoods ought to be celebrated.
In this week's double parsha of Chukkat-Balak, we read the famous "Ma Tovu." The heathen prophet, Bilam, after unsuccessfully trying to curse the people of Israel, blesses them with the words, "How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel." While the plain meaning of the verse refers to the privacy of the Jewish home, the extended meaning interprets these words to include synagogues and study halls, the public institutions of Jewish life.
This past Wednesday, July 1, was Canada Day and I am extra grateful for the freedoms we cherish in this country to celebrate our Jewishness privately and publically.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
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