Wecome!

A Visitor’s Guide to Solel & Reform Judaism

We’re happy you’re here! Please make yourself comfortable. We’ve prepared this guide to tell you a little bit about Solel and to help you to follow and, to the extent you feel comfortable, to participate in our services.

A few things to know…

Before settling into the service, here’s a few things to know:

Information

There is a cloak room for your coat at the end of the hall to your left as you come in the front door. You can also keep your coat with you if you prefer.

Silence Devices

Before the service begins, please be sure to silence your electronic devices.

No Photos

Photos are not permitted during a religious service.

Photos OK

After the service, please take any pictures that you like!

Information

Washrooms are located to your left as you exit the sanctuary.

Information

Our services last about 90 minutes, depending on the style of service. If there’s a special event, it may last a little longer.

Questions

If you have any questions, please ask. We love questions!

 

Contents

Here’s what you’ll find in this guide…

How to Follow a Service

If you’ve just arrived and you’re wondering how to keep up at the service without feeling like a fish out of water – you’re reading the right thing! First of all, don’t worry about wearing a kippah (skull cap) or a tallit (prayer shawl), it’s not required and not even all our members choose to use these items.

There’s a lot of Hebrew sung and spoken in our service, but you don’t need to speak Hebrew to follow along in the siddur – the prayer book that you’ll find in the back pocket of the chair in front of you. Hebrew reads from right to left, so the book opens in a way that’s backwards for English text. The Rabbi will call out page numbers as we progress through the service.

This is how most pages in the siddur are laid out:

Liturgy Sample

You can hear what the congregation is saying in Hebrew by following the transliteration (feel free to try speaking or singing some Hebrew with us) and reading the meaning of the words in the translation that follows. Note: in a few places the transliteration and/or translation are missing.

There are parts of the service when it’s appropriate to stand. The Rabbi will announce these parts, and you can just follow what everybody else does. There are also certain prayers that are traditionally accompanied by body movements such as bowing or facing the door. There is no need to do the body movements, but it’s OK to do them, too, if you want to follow along.

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Some Handy Words to Know

Adonai: a title attributed to God, often translated as “Lord”, although we usually leave this name of God untranslated, to avoid gender bias.

Amen: often said at the end of a prayer, meaning “yes, let it be so”

Baruch: “Blessed” or “Praised”. Many of our prayers contain the phrase “Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech haOlam”, which can be translated “Blessed (or Praised) are you, Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe.”

Israel: refers to the Jewish people, not the country (unless the country is specifically mentioned, such as “the land of Israel” or “the state of Israel”)

Mitzvah: (plural: Mitzvot) a commandment, a responsibility, a good deed, a blessing, an honour. All of these things wrapped up together in one word.

Rabbi: is the Hebrew word for “teacher”. Our spiritual leader.

Shabbat: Sabbath, a time set aside to rest from ordinary work and to focus on spiritual pursuits such as worship and study of the Torah. A traditional greeting during Shabbat is “Shabbat Shalom”, meaning “May you have the peace (shalom) afforded to you by the Sabbath.”

Shalom: translated as “peace”, meaning spiritual peace and wholeness of being – body, mind, and spirit at peace with each other and with God.

Torah: the first five books of the Hebrew bible, also known as the books of Moses or the Pentateuch; specifically, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This is a central component of Jewish scripture.

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Inside the Sanctuary

At the Door

Just outside the sanctuary door there are skull caps, or kippot (singular: kippah), for people to wear if desired, as a sign of respect for the religious setting. There are also fringed shawls, or tallitot (singular: tallit). These are only worn by Jews above the age of thirteen. They are worn in observance of commandments detailed in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy and are to remind us to live according to our covenant with God.

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Books Used During the Service

The prayer book, or siddur, used during the service is found in the pocket of the seat in front of you or on your seat if you’re in the front row. On Saturday mornings, the Chumash (a Torah printed in book form, as opposed to scroll form) is also used. An usher should have offered one to you as you came in – but if you didn’t get either a Chumash or a siddur, you can obtain them from the bookshelf by the entrance to the sanctuary. The Torah book we use also contains translations, study notes, and supplementary readings, or haftarah, from the books of the prophets.

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Holy Objects in Our Sanctuary

There are a number of holy objects located on the raised platform, or bimah at the front of our sanctuary:

Bimah Guide

Holy Ark: (In Hebrew: Aron haKodesh) The Ark is a cabinet containing the sacred Torah scrolls. This cabinet harkens back to the original Ark of the Covenant as described in the book of Exodus. Inscribed in Hebrew on the top of Solel’s Ark are Hebrew words meaning, “And all its paths are peace.” This is a quotation from the book of Proverbs, which reminds us that everything in our scriptures lead us to shalom – peace, and wholeness.

Torah Scrolls: Located inside the Ark, the scrolls contain the five Books of Moses, which are the first five books in the Hebrew Bible. Each is hand-written by a scribe on parchment, which is then attached to wooden staves at each end. The parchment is rolled around each stave. Covering each Torah scroll is a fabric mantle. The Torah is decorated by a silver breastplate and silver crowns (decorative finials) on the upper staves. In ancient temple times, the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem served as an intermediaries between God and the Jewish people. As Jews no longer practice temple worship, the Torah has replaced the ancient priesthood as our direct connection with God. For this reason, our Torah scrolls are adorned symbolically in much the same way as priests in the Temple in Jerusalem would have been. The scrolls are read and studied during every Sabbath morning service.

The Eternal Flame: (In Hebrew: Ner tamid) The flame-shaped light suspended in front of the Ark is never allowed to go out. This tradition dates back to the days of the Tabernacle, the place of worship used by Jews who wandered in the wilderness (see the book of Exodus.) The flame represents the pillar of fire which accompanied the ancient Ark in its travels, symbolizing God’s eternal presence among us, and the everlasting spirit of the Jewish people.

The Menorah: Standing in front of the stone wall is an object resembling a seven-branched candelabrum. A menorah such as this was kindled every day in the ancient Tabernacle, and later on in the Temple. The number seven reminds us of Creation.

A similar, nine branched menorah is used during the Jewish holiday Hanukah. This holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE after it had been desecrated by invaders. Hanukah lasts for eight days, with one light for each day, plus one light used to kindle the others (thus nine branches).

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After the Service

After every service we enjoy an oneg (literally, “delight”), which is a time of food, drink, and fellowship. Please join us for refreshments and feel free to ask anyone any questions you may have! We are delighted to have you with us as our guest.

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Sabbath Services

What is Shabbat and Why Do We Celebrate It?

Sabbath (Hebrew: Shabbat) is among the most holy days in the Jewish calendar – the others being the high holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. The Sabbath occurs weekly, and lasts from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Its meaning is twofold. First, it is a time when we recall God’s creation of the universe and the role that was given to humanity as the crown of Creation. Sabbath is therefore a day of rest from menial activity, a day dedicated to intellectual and spiritual pursuits. Secondly, Sabbath recalls the Exodus from Egypt, when God freed the Jews from slavery under Pharaoh, and reminds us that only a free person can rest. Thus, on Sabbath Jews are called to redouble their efforts to achieve freedom for all peoples.

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Home Observance

On Friday evening, before the family begins the Sabbath meal, prayers are said, including a blessing over the Sabbath candles symbolizing the presence of God’s spirit. Prayers are also said over a cup of wine and a loaf of bread which symbolize all the ways that God provides for our daily needs.

In many families where children live at home with their parents, parents will also say a blessing over their children according to a formula that goes back to ancient times, asking God to bless the children and watch over them.

The Sabbath in general, but especially the Friday evening meal, is very much a family time.

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Community Observance

Sabbath services are held at Solel on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Services are a compilation of selected Jewish liturgy, readings, prayers, and songs dating from ancient through to modern times. The text for the regular Sabbath service is found in the siddur, the prayer book.

Occasionally, we have other styles of service, such as our “Family Shabbat” which is geared to families with younger children. Each style of service has its own prayer book with language and scope appropriate to the occasion.

The siddur we use is unique to Solel, but Jewish congregations all around the world follow a similar format with many elements in common.

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Friday Evening Services

Friday evenings focus on welcoming the arrival of Shabbat. It’s a time to lay aside the busyness of the week, to relax and refocus on God and our own spirituality.

Jewish services follow a liturgy, or structure, containing several parts, each of which has their own spiritual and religious significance.

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Saturday Morning Services

Saturday morning services are focused on praise of God and on the study of Torah, God’s teachings for the Jewish people.

As with Friday evening services, our Saturday morning services follow a liturgy, or structure, containing several parts. On Saturday mornings, our Shabbat service is somewhat different from the Friday evening service, although it shares a lot of similarities and many of the same prayers.

The most striking difference is that Saturday morning services include a Torah Service during which the Torah scroll is opened and the designated portion of the week is chanted or read. In this way, the reading of the entire Torah is completed over the course of each year.

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Order of Sabbath Services

The Friday and Saturday Sabbath services follow the order of service shown below. More details of each part of the service can be found below.

Friday Evening

Saturday Morning

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Elements of Sabbath Services Explained

Welcoming the Sabbath (Friday Evenings)

We light candles to mark the start of Shabbat. These candles signify the spiritual light and warmth of the Sabbath. We read and sing prayers about the meaning of the Sabbath including one in which Shabbat is personified as a bride, because we welcome the arrival of the Sabbath with joy, just as we would experience at a wedding. During this prayer, everyone rises and faces the door to welcome the arrival of the Sabbath bride.

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Morning Blessings (Saturday Mornings)

Our Saturday morning service begins with a number of prayers in which we praise and thank God for many of the blessings we enjoy, including life itself, the miraculous workings of our bodies, our souls, for God’s teachings and for the wisdom of our sages. We also thank God for a list of many other blessings which we enjoy each day.

This section of the service concludes with praise of God through songs and readings from the Book of Psalms.

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Call to Worship

Up until this point, we have been doing a kind of “spiritual warm-up” – praying together, but as individuals. In the call to worship, worshipers come together as a congregation to continue the service. This section includes prayers praising God for creation and for revealing His teachings to us through the Torah.

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The Sh’ma

This is not so much a prayer as an affirmation of the central tenet of Judaism, that there is one God and that God unites all humanity. As part of this affirmation we acknowledge that God has given us laws and precepts by which to live a good life. Following this declaration, we thank God for divine protection, for freedom and for the gift of the Sabbath.

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The Amidah

Sometimes called the “Standing Prayer” because we stand for much of it, this section forms the central part of the service. In it, we acknowledge the relationship God has with us since ancient biblical times. We also praise God as the source of life and sustainer of us all.

As this section continues we also thank God again for the gift of the rest and spiritual rejuvenation that Sabbath affords us. We thank God for His ever-present spirit, which gives us strength, and for the many other blessings which we enjoy every day. We then pray that God brings peace to us and to the whole world.

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Torah Service (Saturday Mornings)

This special part of the Sabbath morning service begins by praising and thanking God for giving us Holy Scripture. A Torah scroll is taken from the Holy Ark and it is carried around the sanctuary. Congregants will turn as the Torah is carried around the room so that they never turn their backs on the Torah. Many will reach out to touch the Torah scroll with their Tallit (prayer shawl) or siddur and touch it to their lips to show love for God’s teaching. When the procession is complete, the decorative coverings are removed from the scroll and it is placed on the reading table on the bimah (altar).

The Torah portion is read in sections. There are blessings recited before and after each section. A congregant will be called up to recite these blessings and another congregant or the Rabbi will chant or read from the Torah. In most services, three or four sections of Torah will be read in this way.

After the last section, a congregant will be called up and they will lift the scroll over their head and turn it so that the congregation can see the writing. This is done to symbolically reaffirm that Torah is for everyone, not just a select few. The scroll is redressed and the service continues.

Each reading in Torah has a corresponding supplementary reading from the books of the prophets, known as the haftarah. This reading is thematically linked to the Torah portion and reinforces its message.

After the haftarah reading, a prayer for healing of mind, body and spirit is recited by the congregation in the presence of the Torah, followed by a prayer for the State of Israel. The scroll is then carried back around the sanctuary, just like at the beginning of the Torah service, and finally the scroll is returned to the Ark.

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The Mi Shebeirach

This prayer allows the community to show their support for those who are in need of healing in both body and in spirit.

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Sermon

At this point in the service, our Rabbi will give a talk or lead a discussion. Sometimes, particularly on Saturday mornings, this will focus on the allotted portion of Torah for this week. At other times, the focus may be on a matter of Jewish culture or philosophy and sometimes on current events in the Jewish world or in our local community.

Lifelong learning is very important in Jewish culture, and this opportunity to learn is a very important component of our service.

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The Aleynu

This prayer acknowledges that we, as Jews, accept the mission which God has given us to live according to God’s teachings and to work actively to make the world a better place for everyone.

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Remembrance

As Jews, we do not venerate our ancestors. We do however place great importance on remembrance. Our history is very important to us and the chain of heritage going back to the origins of our people is treated with great solemnity. At the same time, our culture puts a great emphasis on supporting those who are in mourning for a lost loved one.

Every Jewish service includes a section where we read the names of those who have passed away recently, as well as those for whom it is the anniversary of their death.

A prayer called the Mourner’s Kaddish is recited. Although the prayer is for consolation of mourners, it doesn’t mention death in any way, but rather it focuses on praise for God, who brings comfort to us in our times of need.

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The Kiddush

The service concludes with a prayer over a cup of wine, one last opportunity to thank God for the joyfulness and rest of the Sabbath.

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The Motzi (Saturday Mornings)

Following the Saturday morning Kiddush, we say another prayer while breaking a loaf of bread. This prayer gives thanks for the miracle of sustenance which Jews recite before a meal. Immediately after the conclusion of the service, we come together in fellowship to share refreshments or a Sabbath lunch.
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Bar & Bat Mitzvah

Some Torah Services (Saturday mornings) may be lead in part by a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a boy or girl (literally, son or daughter of the covenant) who has reached an age at which he or she is considered responsible for fulfilling Jewish guidelines for an ethical life, usually age 13 years. It is to mark this coming-of-age that the celebrant is called upon to chant from the Torah and lead our worship for the very first time.

The Bar or Bat Mitzvah is called upon to read the Torah portion from the Torah scroll. The reading, which is chanted aloud in Hebrew, is particularly difficult and requires much practice and experience because the words are written in the scroll without vowels or musical notations. There are no chapter or verse markings or even punctuation. This is the form that Torah scrolls have taken for thousands of years. The Bar or Bat Mitzvah later chants the haftarah (from the books of the Prophets) and its blessings.

Finally, the Bar or Bat Mitzvah makes a personal address to the congregation and the parents give their blessings for having reached this important family milestone.

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The Practice of Judaism at Solel

Solel is a liberal congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Our services and approach to Judaism reflect our desire to respect and preserve our traditions while adapting to remain meaningful and relevant to modern times.

Our members come from a variety of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds both from Canada and all over the world. Our philosophies and practices enable everyone to feel at home in a Jewish atmosphere that is conducive to open discussions and family participation.

Although tradition forms an important part of our Jewish identity, the observance or non-observance of specific traditions is left as a matter of personal choice. For example, our members each observe Jewish food laws (“keep kosher”) differently, with varying degrees of food and food preparation restrictions, according to what is most meaningful to each individual.

We believe in and practice equality for men and women in Judaism and so both participate equally in all aspects of Solel life. Both are called to the Torah, lead services, have Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and serve as leaders and policy makers within the synagogue. We also practice equality for all forms of gender identity, including recognizing and performing same-sex marriages.

In allowing personal choice, we stress the need to question and understand our religion so that appropriate decisions can be made. We therefore encourage members to participate actively in our education programs for children and adults so that they can make decisions that are based on our traditions and are spiritually significant and relevant to their personal lives.

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Our Membership

Our members come to us from all parts of the western GTA and beyond. Just as Solel embraces a large geographical area, so do we address a wide range of ages and interests. Our Hebrew school has grades from junior kindergarten to high school. Classes are held on Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings. We also have youth groups and adult programming for families, singles, and seniors. There are also many occasions for “Solelniks” of all ages to join together in prayer, study and fellowship.

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The History of Solel

Our name, Solel, means “Pathfinder”. We strive to help each member to walk a fulfilling path in their relationship to God, their family members, the Jewish community, and the wider local and global community.

Solel Congregation was founded in 1973 by a handful of Jewish families living in Mississauga. The congregation grew rapidly and in 1978 we built our present facilities at 2399 Folkway Drive.

Solel has always been very actively involved in social justice initiatives and interfaith dialogue. Together with our interfaith partners, Solel was a founding member of Foodpath, now the Food Banks Mississauga. We also help to operate the largest non-governmental social housing project in Peel along with a breakfast and supplemental meal program for residents.

In July 2015, Solel was pleased to welcome our Rabbi, Audrey Pollack and her family to our community.

In 2023 and 2024, Solel celebrated our 50th anniversary (“Solel@50”) with many special services and social events honouring our past and looking forward to our future. We also commissioned and dedicated our first brand new Torah scroll created specifically for Solel as part of our Living Torah Project.

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More Information

For more information about Solel, please refer to our website: www.solel.ca.

For more information about Reform Judaism, we highly recommend www.reformjudaism.org as a reliable and accurate source. There, you can find information about Jewish holidays, Jewish life, our theology and spirituality and much more.

And as always, feel free to speak to any of us before or after worship services, or to contact the office by phone or e-mail, and we will endeavour to answer any question you may have.

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