House of Prayer | 1938/5698 | Beit Tefillah | בית תפילהHouse of Learning | 1960/5720 | Beit Midrash | בית מדרשHouse of Gathering | 2018/5779 | Beit Knesset | בית כנסת

Life can blossom hereLife can blossom here

Commemorative Booklet Celebrating the Opening of the New Spaces at

Holy Blossom Temple

Erev Chanukah, 24 Kislev, 5779|December 2, 20181950 Bathurst Street, Toronto Canada

Erev Chanukah, 24 Kislev, 5779 | December 2, 2018Celebrating our New Beit Knesset

Today we celebrate an extraordinary moment in the history of Holy Blossom Temple: the official opening of our new Beit Knesset, our radiant House of Gathering.

Featuring our new Schwartz/Reisman Atrium, Holy Blossom’s Renewal Project is the most ambitious building project of any synagogue in Canadian history. It provides enhanced physical and visual connections between our 1938 Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer) and our 1960 Beit Midrash (House of Learning) while creating a spectacular and versatile communal gathering space. In essence, it is the Living Room of our Temple.

We are grateful to the many dedicated and generous Temple members, clergy and staff, as well as to our visionary architects from Diamond Schmitt and our skilled general contractors from Pomerleau Inc., who – after nearly two decades of envisioning, designing, fundraising and building – have helped to bring to fruition Phase 1 of our dream. Phase 2 will, with your support, see the existing School and Sanctuary buildings thoroughly renovated and a beautiful new landscaped public realm created to showcase the fully revitalized campus.

So, allow us to take you on a reader’s tour of our new spaces, starting outside the new Ava Road entrance.

The Lantern

The light-filled Schwartz/Reisman Atrium was conceived in glass for aesthetic as well as symbolic reasons. Not only does glass effectively highlight the texture and mass of the surrounding concrete, it suggests openness and transparency. When lit up at night, the Atrium is a brilliant beacon and has been referred to as “The Lantern.” The idea of being a “Light unto the Nations” has always been central to the mission of the Jewish people. When our 1938 building was dedicated, Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath expressed hope that a permanent light would emanate from the Tower, symbolizing our constant devotion to that mission.

Before we step inside, take note that the new structure is deliberately set back behind the Alice and Bernard Herman Family Chapel and does not overwhelm the two historic concrete buildings or the adjacent houses. Now, have a closer look at the front entrance. The Hebrew verses inscribed on the beautiful wooden doors are from the Shalom Aleichem Shabbat table prayer-song:

Shalom Aleichem – Peace be unto you.Boachem L’Shalom – May you come in peace.Barchuni L’Shalom – May you bless us with peace.Tzetchem L’Shalom – May you go in peace.

These words invite you into our sacred space, a place where the words of our tradition are literally brought to life. Soon you will also see our new Cornerstone (temporarily on display within the Atrium until the Ava Road walkway is completed in the Spring), inscribed to recognize the different chapters of our history here at 1950 Bathurst:

House of Prayer | 1938/5698 | Beit Tefillah | בית תפילהHouse of Learning | 1960/5720 | Beit Midrash | בית מדרשHouse of Gathering | 2018/5779 | Beit Knesset | בית כנסת

The Atrium Foyer

As you enter the Atrium, directly in front of you is the Welcome Centre with the inscription of the Hebrew words Baruchim HaBaim – “Welcome” or “May you be blessed in your arrival.” There, you’ll find a receptionist to greet you, as well as security personnel. If the Atrium is the Living Room of our Spiritual Home, the Ava Road entrance is its Foyer. Notice that the ceiling is lower in this area. It gives you a chance to transition to the soaring verticality and bright natural lighting of the Atrium just beyond.

The new Foyer contains elements of our past and our future. Just inside the entrance is the corner of the 1938 building. If you look up, you’ll see that a portion of the original wall was cut away and reinforced with steel to form a “threshold” into the Atrium. It also helped the two spaces, the old and new, become one. During construction, large concrete panels from the 1938 building were removed and stored off site, while a new foundation was constructed beneath it. The lower level was extended to accommodate

the building’s new mechanical systems and washrooms. Then, the concrete panels were put back into their original place (with a bit of restoration work).

A House Unfinished

It is taught in the Talmud, that when a Jewish home is built, a small section by the entrance should remain unfinished. As Rabbi Tarfon asserts: “You are not required to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:16) By positioning the pillar of the old building right in the entry, our visitors re-encounter this primary historical artifact each time they enter. It is designated as “A House Unfinished.” Like the breaking of the glass at a wedding, this symbol reminds us of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and that our world is in need of repair and restoration. We dedicate ourselves to advancing the legacy of those who came before us.

Apse

In addition to the exterior wall, on your right you can see that the back of the Sanctuary Apse (the recessed, curved, domed wall behind the Bimah) has been opened up or “revealed,” by removing the concrete that kept it hidden for nearly 80 years. As one of the central architectural features of the Atrium, it rises three stories. As the architects worked with the geometry of the old structure, they observed that the Apse functioned as its fulcrum – the point around which the whole building was organized. By opening the wall around it, the energy of the Apse was released into the Atrium, enabling the Bimah, the Ark and the Torah to “permeate” the new space. Now, the Sanctuary and the Atrium are in a kind of dance or embrace, with the revealed Apse as the new fulcrum.

Yad

Just to your right, a three-storey stripe of quartz, backing on the Aron HaKodesh in the Sanctuary, orients you to a keyhole or cutout where our Yad will be permanently displayed. This beautiful silver ornament is the oldest artifact of Toronto Jewry and the origin of our name. When our first Torah was given to “The Toronto Hebrew Congregation” (as we were known in 1856), by the parents of one of our founders, Albert Asher, from Montreal, it came with this silver Yad which bears the inscription: “to the Holy

Congregation Pirchei Kodesh, in the City of Toronto.” No one knows exactly why the congregation was referred to this way. Some say it was a Talmudic reference to the young priests of the Temple in Jerusalem … others suggest that the poetic phrase expressed the hope that the fledgling community would take root and flourish. Whatever the interpretation, the name took hold. And in 1871, the congregation officially adopted the name Pirchei Kodesh Toronto – Holy Blossoms Congregation.

Panels of the Twelve Tribes

Just outside the entrance to the Sanctuary, you’ll see there is a series of 12 raised panels. They mark the transition from the expansive space of the Atrium into the quiet, sacred space of the Sanctuary. The dedication plaque reads: “All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number. This is what their father Jacob said to them as he blessed them; each with a unique blessing, so did he bless them.” (Genesis 49:28)

The panels are finished in travertine, a deliberate reference to the travertine on the Sanctuary Bimah and will feature artistic representations of the Twelve Tribes. The Tribes will appear from right to left in the order by which Jacob gave them his blessings (Genesis 49) rather than by their birth order: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph and Benjamin. In the words of the architect, these panels are “in a conversation” with the earlier renderings of the Tribes which are featured in the 12 circular panes around the centre of our Sanctuary Rose Window, thus strengthening the connection between our old and new buildings.

Schwartz/Reisman Atrium

Now, make your way into the Schwartz/Reisman Atrium. Suddenly you are standing in a soaring, light-filled space that is animated by the other buildings and adjacent spaces that surround it. Fully accessible and highly versatile, the Atrium can easily be reconfigured for a variety of functions, from a Congregational Kiddush, to a concert space, to a lifecycle celebration.

The Atrium was designed to be a “permeable” space, facilitating connections between individuals and activities taking place in other parts of the building. Old windows in the heritage wall were opened up and new windows were cut

into spaces, such as the Living Wall and the current Youth Chapel, to facilitate sightlines across the Atrium – for instance, between the new third floor Youth Lounge and the Youth Chapel; and between the new Family Chapel/Mishkan (housed in the former Eisendrath Auditorium) and Room 209. These sightlines ensure a direct flow of physical and spiritual energy throughout the campus.

As accessibility was one of the priorities for the Project, the entire Atrium and all adjacent spaces are barrier-free, easily accommodating wheelchairs, walkers and other ambulatory equipment. A new elevator and ramps facilitate movement between different floors. New, spacious washrooms are equipped with automatic doors and change tables and tactile strips are embedded in floors and elevators.

Lighting the Concrete Wall

Poured-in-place concrete was a modernistic material – often utilized for its sculptural qualities – when our 1938 building was constructed. A beautiful texture could be created by pouring it into wooden boards or molds and then removing the boards or molds, once the concrete set. The 1938 Holy Blossom building, designed by Chapman and Oxley, is historically and architecturally important as the first poured-concrete institutional building in Canada. And so, the east exterior wall of the original building has been transformed into an interior wall of the new Atrium both for aesthetic impact as well as heritage significance. From the outside, and in the predominantly grey winter lighting, the original building often appears dull. But, in our new space, the vibrant LED lighting brings the texture of the concrete to life, highlighting its rich sandy colour, materiality and artistry. Look closely and you can see the aggregate (small pieces of stone used in the mixture) which you probably never noticed before.

Hebrew Inscriptions

Now, take a moment to look at the steel balcony guardrails in the open space above you. The five Hebrew verses inscribed into the steel all contain Biblical references to “blossoms.”

צדיק כתמר יפרח כארז בלבנון ישגה. שתולים בבית יהוה בחצרות אלהינו יפריחו.

“The righteous shall blossom like a date–palm; they shall thrive like a cedar. Those who plant themselves in the House of the Eternal will blossom in the courtyards of our God.” (Psalms 92:13-14)

הבאים ישרש יעקב יציץ ופרח ישראל ומלאו פני תבל תנובה.

“In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall bud and blossom; and the face of the world will be covered with fruit.” (Isaiah 27:6)

וראיתם ושש לבכם ועצמותיכם כדשא תפרחנה ונודעה יד יהוה את עבדיו.

“You shall see and your heart will rejoice. You yourself shall flourish like grass and the power of The Eternal will be known through God’s servants.” (Isaiah 66:14)

יששום מדבר וציה ותגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת.פרח תפרח ותגל אף גילת ורנן...יראו כבוד יהוה הדר אלהינו.

“The desert shall rejoice, the wilderness be glad and blossom like the lily. It shall bloom abundantly, rejoicing in jubilant song… And they shall behold the glory of The Eternal One, the splendor of God.” (Isaiah 35:1-2)

אהיה כטל לישראל יפרח כשושנה ויך שרשיו כלבנון.ילכו ינקותיו ויהי כזית הודו וריח לו כלבנון.

ישבו ישבי בצלו יחיו דגן ויפרחו כגפן זכרו כיין לבנון.

“I will be like dew to Israel, who shall blossom like the lily, strike root like a cedar. Their branches shall spread far and wide. Their beauty will be like the olive tree, their fragrance like Lebanon. Those who sit in their shade shall be revived. They shall bring to life new grain, and blossom like the grapevine.” (Hosea 14:6-8)

Atrium Floor

Cast your eyes down from the glass-paneled roof and look at the magnificent floor beneath you, which is fashioned of Jerusalem stone – limestone that is quarried near Jerusalem. By installing a foundation of Israel under our feet, we are affirming and strengthening our connection to our Land and our People.

The stone adds a warm glow to the Project’s exquisite material palette of glass, concrete, steel and wood, while solidly anchoring it on the ground.

Note how the bulk of these new tiles are laid east to west, but then suddenly pivot in direction to north to south, referencing the point where our older 1938 and 1960 buildings came together. This is a subtle and respectful blending of our past with our future, similar to how the design incorporates the original 1938 concrete panels.

Moving around the Atrium from east to west, let’s see some of the other first-floor highlights.

The Lifecycle Room

Adjacent to the approach to the Sanctuary, this room is a private space where families can assemble before a lifecycle event such as a baby naming or bris; a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a wedding or funeral. It also serves as a centrally located first aid facility.

Judaica Shop

Our new and enlarged Judaica Shop, with customized wooden shelving, will be a retail showcase for beautiful ritual objects and educational tools for families. It is another way we express our commitment to strengthening the Jewish home.

Administrative Offices

Our new offices are a modern workplace, designed for the 21st century, with full connectivity and accessibility. They feature open spaces to facilitate collaboration, standing desks, separate rooms for staff whose work requires privacy and designated space for copy machines, to reduce noise and help ensure a healthy work environment.

Tzedakah Centre

This architecturally designed structure will provide dedicated space to collect donations of clothing, eye glasses, and other helpful items for the less privileged. It features a beautiful chest of drawers inspired by the geometry

of the 1938 building, in which Jacob’s Tower is actually a pushke! In rotation, individual congregants of all ages, and committees, can curate the drawers to collect items for worthy mitzvah projects. Carved above the entrance, are these inspiring words: “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20)

Holy Grounds Café

Our new on-site café will be a destination where staff, congregants and visitors can purchase delicious beverages and snacks. Whether you are bringing children to school, or coming for meetings, programs or events, the Schwartz/Reisman Atrium will provide a much-needed space to schmooze and mingle with one another. Congregants are also welcome to find a quiet corner to work or read over a cup of good coffee.

Library

Nestled in the north-east corner of the building, the light-filled library features an Ark. The design of this Ark is taken from a motif on the exterior wall of our Sanctuary. The Ner Tamid is reflective of the Eternal Light in the Family Chapel/Mishkan. This Library was thoughtfully designed as a flexible space where groups of children can enjoy stories or an adult book club could meet. Some sections from our extensive collection of books will be accommodated in classrooms and meeting rooms.

Archival Displays

At the north Dewbourne end of the Atrium, a permanent archival display will illuminate our history as Toronto’s first synagogue. Additional displays will include a Living Museum to share the personal stories of our past and present congregants, through exhibits of their artifacts and memorabilia. The changing exhibits will be curated around different themes, beginning with “Bereshit – in the Beginning,” which will explore the personal items our ancestors brought with them to Canada.

Living Wall

A Living Wall is a recent, sustainable innovation in architecture, that brings a living, growing landscape into an interior environment, improving the indoor

air quality and making the space feel alive. Aside from the benefits of adding oxygen and filtering the air, the sound of running water imitates a flowing stream, softening the interior environment. The plants selected for this landscape, which congregants helped to grow in their own homes this fall, represent the biblical species of palms, figs, wheat and barley.

The Atrium has many other sustainable features, as part of our LEED Silver building, including: an energy-efficient envelope or exterior skin and glazed windows, to conserve energy and reduce heat loss; new water-conserving plumbing and fixtures; and high-efficiency mechanical systems. Interior lighting is controlled with sensors, to minimize energy usage. The glass skylight enables full access to natural light. In these ways we give expression to the congregational value of environmental responsibility and fulfill the mitzvah “to tend and protect” the earth.” (Genesis 2:15)

Renewal Project Donor Wall

Our Renewal Project was made possible only through the financial contributions of our members. The ever-expanding Renewal Project Donor Appreciation Wall honours our generous benefactors. We inherited this congregation from the visionaries and builders before us. Now the sacred obligation is ours to provide for the coming generations.

Staircase

Like the Apse, the Staircase is another key organizing element of the Schwartz/Reisman Atrium – aesthetically it has been designed to be a focal point. It takes its cues from the Apse – it references it, responds to it – and has functional as well as sculptural qualities. Fashioned out of 6mm-thick fabricated steel, the process of bending or shaping the steel imparts tremendous strength to the material. Notice that it is not a continuous staircase. It is a series of overlapping staircases, the starting and landing points of which are deliberately planned to guide you to the most strategic perspectives within the Atrium. For example, from Level 1 to Level 2, you are transported from a Congregational space to the second-floor Gallery, which in turn leads you to the Family Chapel/Mishkan. From Level 2 to Level 3, there is a changed geometry. The Staircase lands near the exterior of the concrete

wall, providing amazing views out to the community. It leads directly to a glass meeting room, which is a “terminal” or ending space. This Staircase is a masterpiece and was fabricated in Quebec and had to be lowered into place through the roof during construction. It is likened to the ladder in Jacob’s dream with angels ascending and descending upon it. (Genesis 28:12)

Now, let’s head down and then back up our central staircase…

Lower Level

The enlarged Lower Level has natural lighting at the north and south ends and features bright new washrooms, a cloakroom and mechanical spaces. At the north end is our new outdoor Courtyard, perfect for small gatherings or as an adjunct to events held in the Lower Level.

Second Floor Gallery

Landing at the top of the Staircase on the second floor, you’ll arrive at a bright open space that will feature rotating art exhibits.

As you turn to the left and continue walking, you will pass a permanent installation of the Scrolls of the Prophets and the Megillot. Notice the shade of blue and the quartz panel. These are visual reminders that, just on the other side of the wall, rests the Ark and the blue dome of our Sanctuary.

To the right and left, just behind the Apse, are entrances to the Sanctuary balcony.

Continuing along the corridor to the left will lead you to the new Family Chapel/Mishkan.

The large opening cut into the concrete wall on your left provides a fabulous view of the Atrium and was formerly the entrance to the Rabbinic offices.

Family Chapel/Mishkan

Our spacious new Family Chapel/Mishkan was designed to be a multi-purpose venue, suitable for lectures, celebrations and worship services. The “tented” ceiling and walls were inspired by these words which will be inscribed above the entrance: Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael. “How good are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwelling places O Israel.” (Numbers 24:5)

Notice how the west wall slants inward, and how the ceiling and walls are suggestive of the draping of a tent, giving this space its new name, the Mishkan. The room’s white oak entrance doors and the doors of the Ark are decorated with a pattern of carved triangles. They reference the Star of David and the white fretwork above the Sanctuary Bimah. Windows on the west wall that were closed up as part of the 1960 school construction have been re-opened. Look through the windows across the Atrium and you can see the cutouts in Room 209 and the Living Wall, as well as other spaces.

The Ark, which is fixed on the east side of the room, features an exquisitely stitched velvet Parochet or curtain, designed by textile artist Sharon Epstein. The artwork depicts poetic verses that reference Holy Blossoms: “To the garden I did go down to see the flowing stream. Had the grapevines blossomed? Were the pomegranates in bloom?” (Song of Songs 6:11) Our ancient Sages illuminate the metaphors, suggesting: “The garden is the Temple. The streams are the good deeds flowing within you. The grapevines are scholars, scribes, and teachers. The pomegranates are doers of mitzvot.”

The skylight above the Ark references the blue of the Sanctuary dome and is infused with meaning. From the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the desert, the Israelites would look up and see the sky. Blue has been used sparingly but intentionally throughout the Project. In Jewish culture, blue is also suggestive of the colour of the tzitzit and of the Israeli flag.

A suspended red glass Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) hangs from the skylight. It was designed by Diamond Schmitt and crafted by Blaise Campbell of Jeff Goodman Studio, and is in the shape of an ancient oil lamp. Every Ner Tamid of every other Ark throughout our synagogue is also lit with a red light.

Lights were to be kindled, by the priests, in the Mishkan in accordance with this text from Exodus 27:20: “You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly. Aaron and his sons shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain which is over [the Ark of] the Pact, [to burn] from evening to morning before the Eternal God. It shall be a due from the Israelites for all time, throughout the ages.”

Immensely functional as well as beautifully evocative, the room’s wooden floors have a sound-absorbing membrane to soften the sound of dancers and furniture being moved, for the offices below. On the walls, a layer of black acoustic insulation is fixed behind micro-perforated wooden paneling. Custom shelving will accommodate prayerbooks, chumashim, children’s books and toys, tallitot and kippot. The adjacent, spacious catering kitchen will efficiently service communal events.

Exiting from the west door, turn to your left and stand on the ramp overlooking the Atrium to the south. You may remember that this was the former ramp to the School Wing. Now, on your right you can see the glass-walled offices for our Department of Education.

Return to the Staircase now and make your way up to the third floor. As you land, you’ll encounter the steel beam of the reinforced concrete wall and, just to your right, a glass meeting room with a spectacular view of the surrounding neighourhood.

Youth Lounge, Demonstration Kitchen

Turning left, the first room you see is our new Youth Lounge. We prioritized the need for a comfortable, inviting space for teens to socialize and call their own. We were rewarded with this beautiful design, with its visual connection to the entire Atrium.

Just outside of the Youth Lounge, a door on the east wall leads to Jacob’s Tower, a contemplative space with 360-degree views down to the lakefront. It is the beacon of the original building and a favourite place for our youth.

And, continuing north along the corridor, will lead to our future demonstration kitchen, perfect for cooking classes, while also acting as a Staff and Teachers Lounge at other times.

L’Dor vaDor

A guiding Jewish expression teaches: “As my parents planted for me, so do I plant for my descendants.”

When our predecessors situated our new Temple on this site in 1938, it was an audacious move, for a variety of reasons. Bathurst and Eglinton was miles away from where the bulk of the community resided. Architecturally, the design was an anomaly: the first institutional project in poured-concrete, prominently sited on a 45 degree angle, in a distinctively gridded city. It sent a powerful message about how we saw ourselves within the surrounding culture.

Today, what we are undertaking is no less daring, no less visionary. Despite the contemporary challenges of sustaining a vibrant religious community, we know that we have something profoundly necessary, unique and precious within our sacred space. A building is a vessel, a repository of experiences and memory. Just as the older parts of our campus contain the memories of those who came before us, we will soon be creating new memories right here within our new and renewed spaces. Within this makom, this sacred place, we, and the generations who follow us, will come together for wisdom and insight, for celebration and consolation, for solitude and solidarity.

Today, the light of Holy Blossom Temple shines brightly throughout our community and into the world beyond. Our rich architectural and religious heritage has been boldly invigorated by the artistry and vision of our extraordinary design team. Flexibility, accessibility and sustainability have been incorporated into every aspect of the building. A level of craft and materials elevates the Project far beyond most institutional work. Most of all, this Beit Knesset, this House of Gathering, will enable our community to grow in meaning and memory. Here we will create relational and relevant Judaism for the 21st century. To our neighbours, friends and family, and to all who seek the richness of a Reform Jewish community, we believe that life can fully blossom in our renewed spiritual home and we welcome you. With your support, our new building will house and inspire a beautiful future for our sacred congregation.

With gratitude to Jane Herman, for her authorship of this piece. And to Duncan Higgins of Diamond Schmitt, for generously sharing his firm’s architectural inspiration and insight.

מאן דמתנדב מעות מקדש להוGifts to the Temple are sanctified by the generosity of the donor. (Talmud, Meilah 14a)

Holy Blossom Temple is proud to honour the hundreds of Temple families who, through their generosity, have brought us to this transformative moment – the Opening of Phase 1 of our Renewal of Space. Our Congregation gratefully acknowledges this growing group of donors for its vision and commitment to our sacred community – Toronto’s first Congregation, inaugurated in 1856 in a rented space above a downtown pharmacy.

While the past 162 years have seen many changes to the Congregation and its sacred home, our shared sense of responsibility for our collective future has never wavered. In each stage of our history, our success and achievements have been made possible through the power of our philanthropic giving.

And now, once again, we reach a pivotal moment in our history. Only when each of us contributes to our maximum ability will we truly achieve our Renewal of Space and Spirit.

Just as previous generations’ commitment to the future enabled us to live in the beautiful spaces, we enjoyed for so long at 1950 Bathurst Street, so are we also hearing the calls of our children and grandchildren, to ensure that they have all that they need to succeed as progressive Jews in the twenty-first century.

Now, at the cusp of a new era for Holy Blossom Temple, we once again understand that our Congregation’s future depends on us.

Together, through the mitzvah of tzedakah, we are transforming our collective dreams of Renewal into reality. By making a meaningful gift to this unprecedented Congregational Project, we are blazing a path to a vibrant and flourishing Holy Blossom Temple for generations to come.

Please visit our ever-expanding donor appreciation wall at north end of the Schwartz/Reisman Atrium. It honours enormous generosity from so many members of our Congregation.

Holy Blossom Temple – Life can blossom here.

A Project of all of us

As every member of Holy Blossom Temple knows, a project such as our Renewal of Space succeeds only with the support, commitment, patience, courage and vision of our entire Congregation. Holy Blossom’s pride in its past and confidence in its future have been reaffirmed by us all.

Today is a moment when each one of us can acknowledge the enthusiasm and patience we generously gave to our transformative Renewal Project. All of us share the belief that this spectacular achievement has been undertaken not only for those of us who are here today, but even more so for those who will come after us and thrive in this building. Our resilience over the many years of planning, of navigating the evolution of the Project over time, and of maintaining our sense of community (and humour) throughout construction has been rewarded: Together, we have created a beautiful Beit Knesset – our home for a future of meaning and purpose for generations to come.

On behalf of our Kehillah Kedosha, thank you to every member who brought us to this moment of extraordinary shared achievement.

Booklet designed by Deanna Levy. Special thanks to our editors David Rosenberg, Judy Nyman, Tom Friedland, Rabbi Yael Splansky, Ellen T. Cole, Joan Garson, Judy Winberg, Russ Joseph, and Jonathan Ain.

Renewal Project Leadership

Renewal Project Steering Committee

Tom Friedland | Chair, Steering CommitteeCary Solomon | Chair, Building CommitteeJoan Garson | Immediate Past President and Chair, Fundraising and Engagement CommitteesDavid Rosenberg | Chair, Communications CommitteeMark S. Anshan | Past PresidentJudy Winberg | PresidentRabbi Yael Splansky | Senior RabbiRuss Joseph | Executive Director

Beyond the Steering Committee, so many Temple members have graciously and generously volunteered their time and effort to enable us to reach the point of saying “Aleinu” - “It is Upon Us” - for Phase 1 of the Renewal Project. In addition to the individuals listed alphabetically (and with sincere apologies to anyone inadvertently not included), the Temple is also forever grateful to each of our tremendously inspirational donors, as well as to everyone, of all ages, who offered advice, ideas and support over the life of the Project, including those who participated in our formative visioning sessions and helped us dream about the Temple’s future.

Our professional partners (listed separately) have also been critical to our success, as were our friends at Leo Baeck Day School during the early days of the Project. The Temple and Foundation Boards provided thoughtful and responsible oversight of the Renewal Project throughout. And, finally, a special thank you to Councillor Joe Mihevc, a tireless supporter of the Renewal Project since the very beginning.

Jonathan AinMichael AlbertPam AlbertJudy AmsterdamSara AngelBenjamin ApplebaumJanice BabinsLarry BabinsDavid BaskinLisa Isen BaumalShelly BerenbaumEric BeutelCorinne BlackLawrence BloombergMichael BregmanBarry CampbellDebra CampbellRobert CarnevaleIrene ChalmersJerry ChapnickSandra ChapnickNadine CharendoffHenrietta ChesnieAndrew CohenSusan CohenEllen T. ColeMichael ColeMorris CooperCarol CrystalLaurie DavisMichael DavisMichael DiamondOwen DuckmanTom EhrlichElliott EisenWendy Eisen

Angela FeldmanDavid FeldmanLloyd FoglerJacqueline FriedlandLinda FrumAlan GarfinkelBarbara GlasserJoAnn GoldStanley GoldDavid GoodmanMark GoodmanKathy Green Elizabeth GriesmanAnna GurevichPam Hamovitch Suzanne HeftRabbi Jordan HelfmanJane HermanDavid HertzmanCaroline IngvaldsenSusan JacksonElliott JacobsonJill KaminCarol KasselDavid KaufmanSarah KaufmanJonathan KingEric KleinDeanna LevyJeff LevyJessica LipinskiEarl LipsonTaiga LipsonLorraine LoebSandra LyonsCantor Benjamin Maissner

Hope MaissnerPnina Margolese (z”l)Liza MauerJeff MeilachTony MelmanValerie MelmanLesley MillerRon MillerHarley MintzDavid MirvishMike MorgulisRabbi John MoscowitzJudy NymanErin O’ConnorLesley OffmanEric PetersielKaren PilosofRichard PilosofLloyd Pollock (z”l)Gary PosenHeather ReismanLisa RendelyCantorial Soloist Lindi RiversLewis RoseAvra RosenJoy RosenLarry RosenAnn RosenfieldSandra RotmanRonna RubinNancy Ruth (z”l)David SadowskiLorne SaltmanRabbi Michael SatzHarvey Schipper

Lionel SchipperRuthe SchipperMary SeldonAlison SchwartzAlan SchwartzGerry SchwartzAndrew SheinerLorie Shekter-WolfsonMichael ShulmanDeborah SiegelBarry SilverRob SimonskyLuke Sklar (z”l)Steven SklarGerald SlanNeri SlanTema SmithSheila SmolkinAdam SolByron SonbergDebbie SpiegelAndrew SteinGaye SteinDarren SukonickCheryl SylvesterLisa TaylorMarvin TileStephen TileJudy TokerJim WestcottLauren Winberg GranatsteinJack WinbergAri YakobsonVanessa Melman YakobsonFred Zemans

Joyce ZemansCindy ZimmerBernie ZuckerCarole Zucker

Professional PartnersAlliance7 Construction Inc.

Aaron BrunoCIBC

Snezana PopovDiamond Schmitt Architects Inc.

Martin Davidson, Jack Diamond, Duncan Higgins, Wen-Ying Lu, Tara Plett, Jessica Shifman, Wei Zhao

Millworks Custom Manufacturing Inc. Maks Matuszewski, Robert Poskrobko, Gregory Rybak, Pawel Slawoski

Pomerleau Inc. Frank Leclerc, Marc Plamondon, Jean Provencher, Louis-Philippe Sylvestre, Elvis Xhameni

We acknowledge with thanks generous financial support for this event from our Major Sponsors:

CGOV/Fiera Capital Private WealthIain Green and Ted Ecclestone

with additional support fromEcclesiastical Insurance and Philip Ber

Holy Blossom Temple Clergy and Leadership

Rabbi Yael Splansky | Senior RabbiRabbi Michael Satz | Associate RabbiRabbi Jordan Helfman | Associate Rabbi Rabbi John Moscowitz | Rabbi Emeritus Rabbi Dow Marmur | Rabbi EmeritusCantor Benjamin Maissner | Cantor Lindi Rivers | Cantorial SoloistJudy Winberg | PresidentRuss Joseph | Executive Director

Special thanks to our Housewarming and Planning Committee Co-Chairs, Judy Winberg and Ellen T. Cole.

2:30 pm Doors openTreasure Hunt (Lower Level)Story-telling with Caroline Ingvaldsen (PSCH*)Chanukah Crafts (PSCH*)Speakers’ Corner (Main Floor Library)

2:30-4:00 pm Docent-led guided tours

2:30-3:15 pm Oozakazoo fi rst set (Lower Level)

3:15-3:30 pm Junior Choir (Lower Level)

3:30 pm YAD: 20s & 30s @HBT L’chaim and Dreidel Tournament(Room 307)

3:30 pm Mezuzah Installation (Ava Road entrance)

3:45-4:30 pm Oozakazoo second set (Lower Level)

4:45 pm Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (Atrium Floor)

5:00 pm Ceremony in Sanctuary Combined choirs of Holy Blossom Temple

5:25 pm Candle Lighting and Shehechiyanu

Life can blossom here

Housewarming and Chanukah Candle LightingHoly Blossom Temple

Erev Chanukah, 24 Kislev, 5779 | December 2, 2018

*Philip Smith Congregational Hall