TORONTO — In March 2007, Jonathan Polak was going through a difficult time in both his personal and professional lives.
Then Passover came along.
“It was a break in my life,” Polak, 26, said. “I found myself completely surrounded by commotion and noise. I enjoyed that day, and I thought this should be the last time I enjoy my family by myself.”
Polak, an active member of the Annex Shul, decided to bring that joy to the Jewish community by setting up a volunteer group for young students and professionals.
Along with his family and more than 20 volunteers, Polak organized the group’s first event this past Passover at the L’Chaim Retirement Home, on Sheppard Avenue West.
“When we arrived, no one was saying anything or moving, but as people started coming, the atmosphere changed,” he said.
The seder, held on the second day of Passover, brought together a variety of people from different religious backgrounds.
“Some of the secular Jews had nowhere to go for the seder. A lot of people haven’t been to a real seder before. The event wasn’t [just] religious. The purpose was to help people. We all have an interest in helping a disadvantaged group,” Polak said.
While many volunteers were from the Annex shul, some came from as far as Waterloo. Others didn’t belong to any shul.
“One girl who has never come out is now joining the Annex Shul for services,” Polak said.
Rabbi Aaron Levy of the Annex Shul sees this group as a positive opportunity for the community.
“It’s a fantastic initiative. It’s an opportunity for young adults to bring joy to others,” he said.
Polak will continue planning events and is in the process of organizing one for Shavuot. It will be held at the Wolfond Centre at the University of Toronto, in partnership with Reena.
Elana Metter, one of the volunteers, sees the group as an inexpensive way to give back to the community.
“A lot of ways to volunteer are cost prohibitive,” she said. “For this, you’re just giving your time. Everyone can give time.”
Metter also enjoyed the variety of people who came out.
“It covered a broad spectrum,” she said. “I like having people with different Jewish backgrounds there. You get a richer experience.”
Through his new group, Polak is trying to create links in the Jewish community.
“There’s a stratification of Jews. They tend to be friends with [people]from the same backgrounds. I’d like to see groups intermingle more.”
Polak, who was born in Paraguay, has spent time in China, where he became involved in Shanghai’s Jewish community.
He said there’s a difference between that community and Toronto’s.
“In Toronto, synagogues are not focal points. In China, [Judaism] is a societal religion. It’s about people coming together. Here, we don’t reach out. I’d like to see places of worship become more of a community.”
Polak hopes his group will help create some of the connections he saw in China.
“In Shanghai, there is a small Jewish community. In Toronto, there isn’t really a community. It’s harder to live in China – the poverty is so powerful, the suffering is great and the compassion is so little. But having that community there [gives you] a sense of Judaism.”
Polak said he experienced a unique sense of social bonding in China.
“There was one Israeli there that had a wine importing company. He had money troubles, and people in the community [raised] money for him. He was taken care of. I don’t know if that would happen here. That’s how Judaism should be.”
Raviv Israel, one of the group’s co-organizers, sees it as an opportunity to learn about different Jewish communities.
“It helps people connect. There’s Judaism in different countries,” said Israel, who was born in India.
“It’s important that people know that there are Jews in India. A lot of people aren’t aware of that. [Groups like this] help expose them to that, especially if you have people from India or China. People asked me a lot of questions at the event, but that’s good. I’m all for that.”
Israel hopes the group will expand.
“We were [at the seder] for a couple of hours. After that, life goes on. It made Passover better, but it wasn’t life changing. In the future, I want us to establish ourselves. Hopefully we’ll look into ongoing events,” he said.
Metter wants to continue volunteering with Polak’s group.
“I said I’d help his mother cook for the next event,” she said. “I hope it grows but it’s too early to say. Grassroots groups [like this one] start small, but they have the potential to grow.”
