Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

In this week's Torah portion of Ki Tavo, we read one of the earliest formal liturgies in Jewish history. Upon bringing the first fruits of the Spring harvest to the Kohain, one would recite a formal liturgy. The prescribed recitation summarized the history of the Jewish people, beginning with the words, "Arami Oved Avi," translated either as, "My father was a wandering Aramean," or "An Aramean sought to destroy my father." The passage traces Jewish history from the founding Patriarchs to entry into the Promised Land. The content of the prayer includes the values of gratitude, rejoicing, and providing for the needy in the community.

Many of us are familiar with this Biblical prayer. Once we were no longer an agricultural people, the same text became an essential passage in the Passover Haggadah, surrounded by ancient commentaries on each verse. Thus, for over 3500 years a particular liturgical masterpiece has been an essential part of Jewish history.

How appropriate that in the context of appreciating liturgy and prayer, we welcome our visiting guest Chazzan, Cantor Lipa Glantz. While he arrived in Toronto this week and is observing a mandatory quarantine, we will get to know him right away.

This evening, Cantor Glantz will lead our on line pre-Kabbalat Shabbat service at 6pm. Next Thursday, September 10, we will have an official on line welcome of our visiting Chazzan. On Saturday night, September 12, we will join Adath Israel on line for a shared Selichot program and service at 9pm, starting with learning from the rabbis of these two congregations, followed by the actual service led by Cantors Lipa Glantz and Alex Stein.

I wish everyone Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison