Dear JCOGS family,
After extensive review and learning, special Shabbat services with significant participation, and surveying and talking with community members, the board approved the adoption of Siddur Lev Shalem, a new Shabbat and festivals prayer book for JCOGS. Lev Shalem means “a whole heart.” I offer some wholehearted gratitude to our ritual team Willa Bruckner, Susan Bauchner, and Aron Temkin for all of their efforts.
Every once in a while, Jews agree with each other. (Two Jews, three opinions, after all). Eight years ago, JCOGS adopted the High Holy Day Mahzor Lev Shalem, the sister prayer book to the Shabbat and festival version. The community’s decision to adopt the new prayer book is based especially on the overwhelming feedback from our community that the experience of the High Holy Days has been enriched over these years thanks to that prayer book.
Services will continue to be musical, contemplative, traditional, and creative with this siddur. Yet, this change signals a new era of prayer and ritual life at JCOGS for our Shabbat and festivals with access to deeper, richer content.
With its full Hebrew text and lyrical translation, historical and linguistic reflections, and contemporary poetry, we know how inspiring it is to experience prayer through this book. It also offers more transliteration (Hebrew written in English characters), so that those who do not read Hebrew (yet) can more freely join in services.
The siddur speaks to the heart, mind, and soul of those more traditionally-minded and those more creatively-oriented. As one member wrote, the prayer book offers “many paths to access our inner voice.”
As we welcome this new siddur into our congregation, the board and I invite you to consider purchasing one or more copies for JCOGS and/or for your home use. At $36 each, you can dedicate these copies in honour or in memory of beloved family, friends, or community members. The siddur can be ordered by clicking
HERE.
We also invite you to our siddur launch, taking place on the holiday of Shavuot, as we celebrate the giving of the Torah, where it is traditional on Erev Shavuot to gather together to study, schmooze and… to eat cheesy desserts and other lite bites! Entitled “Kodesh l’Kodesh: from holy to holy”, please join us
Saturday eve, June 4 at 6:45pm as we move to deeper levels of holiness as a community. All are encouraged to
purchase copies of Siddur Lev Shalem, whether attending this event or not.
Tihiyu bri’im, be well. Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David
P.S. Stay tuned for more information about the cultural, educational, and fun programming we are planning for the summer, with guest lecturers, musical performances, book readings, the film festival, and more.
