Shaar Shalom Synagogue might be gone, but some vestiges of the Vaughan house of worship continue to live on.
Just as the shul’s tangible assets have been distributed to other congregations throughout Ontario – its Torahs, holy books, chairs and tables have found new homes – so, too, have the synagogue’s intangible assets – its members and programs – gone on to enrich other synagogues.
Last week, Beth David Beth Israel Beth Am Synagogue announced it would host “A New Beginning” dance on Nov. 13 under the auspices of “Shaar Shalom Singles at Beth David.”
Linda Friedman chairs the singles committee, whose name references its origin as a program developed at the Shaar Shalom Synagogue, but which now has been adopted by Beth David.
Friedman, who founded the program in 1999, joined Beth David when Shaar Shalom closed its doors for the last time at the end of June. The synagogue ceased operations when its board and members determined that declining membership, an aging cohort and an absence of clergy made it impossible to function as a going concern.
Former members have been joining other congregations and Friedman is one of a handful of Shaar Shalom alumni to have found a new home at Beth David.
Eager to continue the singles program, she found a receptive audience for her suggestion at Beth David.
READ: SHAAR SHALOM SEEDS OTHER TORONTO SHULS WITH JEWISH ITEMS
“Beth David was super co-operative, friendly and professional,” she said. “Whatever I’ve asked from them, the response has been immediate and positive.”
The singles program is aimed at widowed, divorced or never-married people over 50 who may or may not be members of the synagogue, she said.
The 16-member committee arranges a number of synagogue-based fun events, such as concerts, lectures and dances, that bring together mature singles in a warm and welcoming environment, Friedman said.
Programs generally attract from 60 to 90 people, but have been known to top out at 125 people, she said.
“Our focus is more on having singles feel part of the community,” not arranging a shidduch, she said. “People can have a nice night out and make friends. It’s not necessarily about meeting the love of your life.
“There’s a big need for this demographic to have community programming,” she continued. People who are widowed or divorced “need a place to go, We’re beyond the age of bars or online dating.”
For Friedman, there’s an added element that makes the programming particularly significant.
“It’s a legacy of Shaar Shalom,” she said. “Shaar Shalom was open to this idea 17 years ago, and that’s why, initially at least, we wanted to keep the name.
“There’s a brand, so to speak, that we want to maintain,” Friedman said.
The “New Beginning” dance, which kicks off the singles programming at Beth David, will feature live music by the York Jazz Ensemble, a nine-piece dance band that plays the big band sounds of the 1940s to the 1960s.
Friedman is already at work planning subsequent programs for January and March 2017. The traditions of Shaar Shalom live on. n
