Torah Study Saturdays | 9:00 a.m. - In the Library and on Zoom Come explore this week’s Parsha with us before services. We are usually lay-led, often lively and always rewarding. If you would like to participate via Zoom, please contact the office to be added to the list and receive a link
Experience the heartwarming blend of traditional egalitarian Shabbat morning services, engaging children’s programming, Torah study, enlightening talks, alternative creative services, spirited Israeli dancing, and the camaraderie of communal Kiddush. Whatever you seek on Shabbat, Darchei Noam has something to offer! Our Shabbat morning services, filled with joyous singing accompanied by instruments, moments of contemplative reflection, and insightful divrei Torah (teachings), create a backdrop for life cycle celebrations within our welcoming community. Enhance your communal Shabbat experience by joining our Kiddush lunch. Whether you participate in our morning Torah study, celebrate a simcha with a community family, join in our monthly Israeli dancing sessions, or host your own gathering, Shabbat at Darchei Noam is a chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones! We follow the Reconstructionist prayer book Kol Haneshamah Shabbat v’Chagim. Services take place on Saturday mornings at 10 am, with child care available. All our services are also streamed via Zoom!. If you’d like a community member to accompany you during a Darchei Noam service, simply let us know – we’d be delighted to arrange it! Come and immerse yourself in the richness and diversity of our community’s Shabbat observances. Aliyah and Special Occasions For an Aliyah during sanctuary services or to acknowledge a special occasion during virtual services, please contact Rabbi Ryan Leszner at least two days in advance. The Parnass will happily share news of your occasion with the congregation at the start of the Torah service.
Synaplex Shabbat 📅 Saturday, October 25 | 🕙 10:00 AM | 📍 Multiple locations at Darchei Noam We will begin together at 10:00 AM with introductory prayers, setting the stage for a meaningful and transformative morning. Then, as we arrive at the Torah service, you get to choose from three meaningful opportunities to experience Torah—each offering a unique lens into Jewish tradition, spirituality, and learning. Option 1: Traditional Torah Service Engage in a full, exploratory Torah reading led by Rob Silver. Option 2: Reflective & Meditative Musical Experience David Lefkowich will lead an immersive exploration of the Book of Psalms, where ancient words meet modern melodies. Option 3: Periphery with Sara Yacobi‑Harris Join us for a special Synaplex Shabbat featuring Periphery, a short documentary exploring ethnic diversity and Jewish identity through the stories of Jews from Black/African, Korean, Iraqi, Indian, and South American backgrounds. Together we’ll reflect on representation, intersectionality, and belonging within the global Jewish community, guided by filmmaker and educator Sara Yacobi‑Harris, co‑founder of No Silence on Race Periphery is an evocative short documentary that explores ethnic diversity in the Jewish community in Canada through dance, poetry and personal narratives. Following 10 Jews of Black/African, Korean, Iraqi, Indian and South American ancestry, the film challenges perceptions of who is a Jew, exploring ideas of representation, intersectionality, race, and sexuality. A window into the Jewish community, Periphery invites us to appreciate the richness of Jewish identity and cultural expression while also illustrating what it feels like to grapple with a sense of belonging and to seek recognition within one’s own ethnic community. In these shabbat sessions we will explore Jewish identity, culture and ethnic diversity within the global Jewish diaspora, intersectionality and Jews and Whiteness. Sara Yacobi-Harris is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, learning designer and social entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of No Silence on Race, a non-profit organization dedicated to showcasing and celebrating multi-ethnic Jewish experiences through content creation, community programming and cross-cultural dialogue. She currently works at EPIC leadership and is studying Psychotherapy at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto. Please register here for Synaplex Shabbat.
Israeli Dancing 📅 Saturday, October 25 | 🕙 1:00 PM |📍Social Hall Please join us toward the end of kiddush in the Social Hall for an hour of Israeli dancing. All are welcome to join us in this fun, community-building activity. Join us to enjoy Israeli music and movement.
📅 Sundays, October 19th, October 26th, November 2nd ⏰ 7:00 pm 📍Social Hall In this 3-part course, Rabbi Englander will discuss the development of Religious Zionism from all sides of the political spectrum: through the lens of Israel's Declaration of Independence, the influence of Jewish mystical teachings on the settler movement and an historical overview showing how the events since 1916 influenced the various Zionist ideologies & ultimately led to October 7th. Rabbi Englander is the founding Rabbi of Solel Congregation in Mississauga and served there for 40 years until his retirement. He is now Adjunct Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Toronto. Please click here to reserve your spot
FRESH AIR CLUB: An invitation by the DN Chesed Committee We LOVE walking! (Would you like to join us?) Every Friday, from 9.30-10.30 am Earl Bales Park The Community Centre is where we’ll meet (9.15am) Bring along water and maybe a treat. Be ready to waddle or skip or just walk, ‘cause being in the fresh air is walkin’ the talk. Please email Bernie Riley sevenkbernie@gmail.com
The Social Justice Advocacy Committee (SJAC) is delighted to announce that our 2025–26 Social Justice Scholar-in-Residence is Bryan Keshen. Since 2014 Bryan has been CEO of Reena, which provides services to over 1,000 individuals with diverse disabilities throughout the GTA. Before that he spent 24 years working for the Toronto and Vancouver Jewish Federations. Bryan will give the d’var Torah at Darchei Noam on Saturday, November 1, Shabbat Lech L’cha: “Hineni”—The Call and the Response of Being Present for the Other. Details to follow.
Ark Adventures is designed for young children (ages birth to 5) and their families to experience Shabbat in community together. The program is offered on select Saturdays throughout the year. Ark Adventures will “set sail” on November 1/ 2025, at 10:00 A.M. Join us on the ark for a Shabbat adventure!
Pins and Needles is reaching out to let you know that we are always very happy to welcome new members to our group. This month, we will meet on Tuesday, November 4th, in the shul library from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and on Zoom on the third Tuesday of the month (November 18th). We knit, crochet, and socialize. We would love to have other crafters join us to showcase their work and share tips and stories. We would also like to inform you that we are currently in need of yarn donations. Especially helpful are donations of blanket-weight yarn and multiple balls of the same weight or colour. If you’re doing some spring cleaning and have yarn you’re no longer using, we’d be grateful if you’d consider donating it to us. Please contact nancy@kosiner.com if you have any questions.
🗓️ Sunday, November 9 ⏰ 10:00 am – 3:00 PM📍Darchei Noam Join us in saving lives by donating blood! Your donation can provide life-saving blood products to patients in need within our community. Donations take only a few minutes but make an immeasurable impact—each donation can save up to three lives. We hope you’ll consider participating and helping us support this vital cause. Every donation counts and your generosity gives hope and healing to those in need. Register Here
On Tuesday, November 11 (at Darchei Noam) and Wednesday, November 12 (on Zoom) starting at 7:00pm we will be holding Town Hall meetings to provide an overview of the work and discussions we have had to date on the topic of Rabbinic succession planning, and ask you to share your thoughts and provide us with your feedback. A synopsis will be provided in advance to allow you time to consider and reflect on the process and possibilities. We encourage and welcome your participation. Please register online here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/town-hall-2
