The Year In Review

We have all probably read the year in review from the financial aspect, the arts reviews, sports, top headlines, and so on. Now it is time to read the Solel secular year in review!

Solel is blessed with both a dedicated staff as well as an amazing number of diligent and committed volunteers who keep our synagogue functioning and vibrant. And it is not possible to list all their names but here are just a few of our unsung heroes:

To all the Beit Sefer tutors and teachers, you are safeguarding and assuring our future!

To all members of our Board and Exec, you keep our shul financially and safely running smoothly

To all the members of the Religious Committee and High Holiday Committee, the services, the holidays, the special events are led with Kavanah and Keva!

To the Women of Solel, your food deliveries, fundraising, and toy collection are fulfilling Tikkun Olam.

To our volunteer service leaders, chanters, drash presenters, shammeses and gabbais and hagbas and gelilot, we couldn’t function without all your efforts.

To our Security Committee, you keep us safe and protected!

To our Mitzvah Committee, your cards, your calls, your trees let us know we are cared for and remembered.

To our technical support volunteers, you make it possible for all – at home and in person- to be part of our kehillah.

And to all our staff who give their heart and soul to Solel – our Rabbi, Carol, Nillon, and me… They give us 100% +++++ We are so fortunate.

During this past year, a number of our children have become bar/bat/b’nei mitzvah. Mazal tov to Lucy H., Sam M., Liel R., Ava D., and Harmony K. We are so proud of you!!

During this past year, a number of adults have graduated from the Jewish Information Course, and we warmly welcome them officially to our shul; the Denis family, the Dybel family, Alana L, Tamara M and family.

Solel has continued to have numerous social, social action, and learning opportunities: Rabbis’ Torah study, Lunch and Learn, book reviews, holiday celebrations, and guest speakers.

Our youth had their annual trip to Montreal, their monthly gaming and pizza afternoon, and some are now training to be our hagbas. And we mustn’t forget their role in our great musical group- The Twisted Camels.

And speaking of music, thanks to our talented musicians, Ron and Zoe, and the Camels for making such beautiful music for us with our Rabbi.

Solel continued to be actively involved in the community – Rabbi and I are members of the Interfaith Council of Peel, the Peel Board of Education Faith Leaders Council, the pastoral care team at Trillium, and to our respective professional groups.

We also open our doors to our wider Solel community, having welcomed many of our neighbours to the successful Solel Invite Your Neighbour service, and having opened our doors to hundreds of students from various Catholic school boards as part of their World Religion studies.

Special thanks this year also go out to the amazing support we have received from the Peel Police. They have gone above and beyond our expectations.

Another special thanks to our grant writers who work hard at making sure we can get the financial support available to us.

Our bingo volunteers still give their time to support our bingos and bring in some much-needed extra financial assistance.

Each week volunteers buy snacks for our onegs, bake challahs, or donate to make sure we have those delicious snacks!

And this year, many of our families lost loved ones and to them, we extend our sincere condolences. This year we said goodbye to those wonderful congregants who passed away: Joseph Tortell, Ester Stoch, Lee Bower, Jeff Copland, Mary Gutkin, and Yolande Smith. May their memories always be for a blessing.

As the secular year draws to a close, we look forward optimistically to 2026. May it be a safer year, a year with far less hatred and tragedy, a year for Solel to flourish and grow, a year where, as proud Jews, we can thrive and work towards peace and understanding and respect. “Keyn y’hee ratzon” – May it be God’s will!

Filed under: Educator's Message

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