Phone 204.589.6305 | Fax 204.582.0246
1155 Wilkes Ave, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3P 1B9
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Jewish Holidays
Dec 5 - Jan 2 2024
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HELPFUL ADVICE WHEN PLANNING YOUR JEWISH WEDDING
HOW CAN ETZ CHAYIM BE OF HELP TO YOU DURING TIMES OF JOY AND EVEN TIMES OF SORROW?
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As your synagogue community we want you to feel at ease, supported, cared for and spiritually satisfied. This is our promise to everyone who engages with Etz Chayim for anyone of the life cycle events you choose to have with us.
Our clergy-team, consisting of Rabbi Kliel & Cantor Tracy, are available to provide guidance whether it be for a joyous occasion or for times which involve crises.
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If you know of someone who needs to speak with a member of our clergy, or if you want to add a name to the Mi Sheberach list/prayer for healing, please contact Marina at 204-589-6305 info@etzchayim.ca
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PLANNING FOR THE BIRTH OF YOUR BABY
For questions about preparing for the arrival of your new baby, and specifically about how to welcome your little one into the Jewish community, please contact Rabbi Kliel directly for more information. Rabbi Kliel would be happy to speak to you about all of the possibilities for naming and welcoming your child.
A BRIT MILAH (BRIS) OF YOUR BABY BOY
A Brit Milah is the ritual which marks the covenant of entrance into the Jewish community for a baby boy. A circumcision, a religious obligation is performed on a male child.
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According to our tradition the brit milah takes place on the eighth day of a healthy baby's life. The only times it may be postponed is in a situation of an illness.
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There are many ways to go about organizing this sacred ritual and therefore you are encouraged to speak to the Rabbi about an upcoming ceremony. He can put you in touch with a credible Mohel, the professional (in some cases a physician) who performs the circumcision.
THE BIRTH OF A BABY GIRL
There are a plethora of ways to have a Brit Ha'Bat, covenant ceremony for a baby girl. There are various traditions as to when this must occur. Unlike the ritual for a baby boy you are not required to have this ceremony on the eighth day after birth.
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There are personalized and creative ceremonies that can be held in someone’s home (or at the synagogue) with the support of the Rabbi or Cantor. In addition, there is also an opportunity to publicly announce the baby girl’s name on the Bimah during one of the days the Torah is read at the synagogue.
Whether you are having a boy or girl each one of these Brit or covenant ceremonies is accompanied by a s'eudat mitzvah, or celebratory meal.
BAR/BAT MITZVAH
The journey to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is an exciting learning experience for the whole family. Congregation Etz Chayim has created a Bar/Bat Mitzvah program intended to teach all of our children the synagogue skills necessary for them to feel comfortable while actively participating in synagogue services and Jewish life, as they become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah and beyond. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah program is designed as a two-year learning opportunity. For most children it will begin in Grade 6. Over the course of these two years, your child will attend weekly group classes where they will learn the skills necessary to read from the Torah, chant the haftarah, and lead services.
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You can expect Congregation Etz Chayim to provide lessons, meetings with the Rabbi, and other support from clergy and from administrative and catering staff. We also expect that you will experience a warm and supportive welcome from the regular congregants when you come to Shabbat morning services.
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Mazel Tov on your upcoming wedding!
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A wedding is a time for personal joy and celebration. Having a Jewish wedding involves a conscious choice on your part to link you & your Jewish partner to the Jewish people and God.
The clergy of Congregation Etz Chayim (CEC) would love to be involved in this most auspicious time in your lives.
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Did you know that Rabbi Kliel & Cantor Tracy officiate at the wedding of two Jewish partners regardless of gender and/or sexual orientation?
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Central to the Jewish wedding experience is the start of creating a new Jewish home.
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A Jewish wedding ceremony serves as a way for the couple and those they love to experience an intimate moment with a plethora of spiritual dimensions of meaning to a most significant personal event. In a very public way you are declaring your devotion to one another in the presence of your family, friends and God.
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Our hope is that that you will contact a member of our clergy team if you are planning a wedding. Additionally, we encourage you to contact Rabbi Kliel directly about pre-marital counseling process. Not only does this help set a foundation for an emotionally balanced relationship, it also serves to set up religious as well as spiritual standards that will be implemented into the home you are building. Furthermore, by meeting with members of our clergy a deeper relationship is achieved between the wedding couple and the person officiating at your simcha. Ask anyone who has attended a wedding where Rabbi Kliel or Cantor Tracy have officiated, this personal connection elevates this sacred ritual enormously.
BEREAVEMENT AND PASTORAL CARE
The death of a loved one is a very disorienting time, and isn’t something many people think about until it’s actually happening to them. Understanding some of the traditions and the structured periods of mourning that Judaism offers may help provide some support in the grieving process.
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Congregation Etz Chayim provides funeral services at the synagogue, graveside, or at Chesed Shel Emes community funeral chapel.
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For help or more information, please contact Etz Chayim Funeral Coordinator Margo Carr at 204.589.6305 ext. 103 or mcarr@etzchayim.ca.
CHOOSING JUDAISM
Etz Chayim is proud to provide many opportunities for those either curious or interested in conversion to Judaism. Rabbi Kliel has worked for years on this process with folks from all ages and backgrounds.
Rabbi Kliel is available for consultation for anyone seeking to explore the possibility of conversion to Judaism.
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Journeying into Judaism—an introduction to Jewish life and learning
Every Fall, Rabbi Kliel will be offering a weekly class for those interested in pursuing the journey towards Judaism. It will be an opportunity to explore Judaism. This course is open to those wanting to convert, however, it is only one component of the conversion process. The course is also open to anyone interested in learning more about the basic fundamentals of Judaism whether you are Jewish or not. Full Details here.
Registration link here.
For more information contact Claudia Griner at Claudiag@etzchayim.ca