The Song Shul

YOUR UNIQUE TALENT - A Tuesday Message from Aliza Around the time of the first Covid shutdown, I discovered that for some reason, every day of the year has been designated as a celebration of something or other. It turns out that today, November 24th, is "Celebrate-Your-Unique-Talent Day." Believe it or not, that's a real thing. Go ahead and look it up. In this gloomy climate and Return To Lockdown, it's more than slightly important to find things to celebrate regularly. So... I'm ready for this. Ready to celebrate. My unique talents include: 1. Making a bunny puppet out of my dinner napkin. (Yes, I am a very classy dinner guest.) 2. Having the fingers of both hands dance a coordinated can-can on the table. (Again, classy dinner guest.) 2. Remembering lyrics, especially to patter songs. If you ever have a few minutes I'll entertain/bore you with "Trouble in River City" from The Music Man, or Tom Lehrer's 103 chemical elements to the tune of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Modern Major General." That's me. Give me a lampshade and invite me to your party. What's your unique talent? Don't play violin? Big deal. That's not a unique talent anyway. Just look at any orchestra - so many violins!* We're celebrating UNIQUE talents today. Can you imitate the evil laugh from the 1930's radio show The Shadow? That's my dad's unique talent. My sister can turn her tongue over sideways. (That's actually hereditary, and all three of my kids have that talent, too.) My daughter can play piano behind her back. I have a friend who can replicate the sound of a drop of water falling from a faucet, and another friend who can perfectly imitate a newborn baby crying. I know someone else who can touch her tongue to her nose. The days are short. It gets dark early. Businesses are shutting down again. We're locked in again at home. We're waiting for the vaccine. Waiting, waiting, waiting. It's coming. Don't despair. Today is the day for you to celebrate a unique talent. You definitely have one. DEFINITELY. Go practice it, and write to me to share what your unique talent is. Let's feel good together. Let's get through this together. Let's find ways to put smiles on our faces. And if you share your unique talent with someone else, it becomes a mitzvah of entertainment. Happy Celebrate-Your-Unique-Talent Day! May we be blessed with good health to be together again soon! *Before you send me hate mail, please recognize that I'm kidding about the violin. I am a musician and I know what it takes to be a musician. I have the utmost respect for the violin section of an orchestra. Just trying to lighten the mood here, folks!

THANKSGIVING PHOTOS - A Message from Aliza My friend, Micah, always takes out his phone for a photo whenever we get together. "If you don't document it," he says, "then it never happened." While I wouldn't go that far, he does have a good point. Photos help us remember. This Thursday is American Thanksgiving, a really big deal in my family. We all come together in person, no matter what. It's the law. Siblings, spouses, kids gather at my parents' home in Florida for our c...elebration. During our big meal (you guessed it - turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, green bean salad, sweet potato pie), we take turns speaking, acknowledging things in our lives for which we are thankful. Over the years, the thanks have reflected life changes - marriages, babies, graduations, new jobs, new homes, successful surgeries, exciting family trips. The one consistent sentiment? Each one of us always acknowledges how sincerely grateful we are to be together again. Next, we head into the living room for The Family Talent Show. Although my dad always sings, don't be misled -- I am not from a family of performers. But everyone participates one way or another: A poem or the Gettysburg Address, a handstand or karate technique, a drawing or TikTok dance. For her talent when recovering from surgery after a bike accident, someone once took three steps without a walker. The Family Talent Show is a chance to entertain and be entertained, encourage and be encouraged. But kicking off the official Thanksgiving festivities, before any of this happens, there is the annual Thanksgiving Cousins Photo. Every year since 2003, while it's still light outside in the afternoon, my children, nieces and nephews have all posed together in front of the red door of my parents' house. My mother's kitchen wall is covered with the framed Thanksgiving Cousins Photos from over the years. Collectively, hours have been spent gazing at these photos and reminiscing, re-living the Good Old Days. This year we'll be Zooming Thanksgiving from California, New York, Florida, Connecticut, Seattle, Berlin, and Toronto. And the Cousins Photo? It's already been determined that it will be a screen shot of the Zoom. So why am I telling you this? Partly because I can't believe that my family will not be together for Thanksgiving and I can't stop thinking about it. But partly to remind you to get out your cameras and take photos. Document the moments, large and small. Record this point in time. Who cares if you're not wearing make-up or your hair needs a trim or you're still in pajamas? Life is to live, life is to celebrate. Get a photo. Look at it later to remember the Good Old Days. That's right. The Good Old Days. Today. May we be blessed with good health to be together again soon!

This Sunday morning: LIVE FROM ISRAEL "Books & Music: The National Library of Israel" DJ Schneeweiss, former Consul General of Israel What do you mean - you've never heard of The National Library of Israel?! ... You like to read, don't you? And listen to Jewish music? And you're connected to the Jewish world, right? And when this pandemic is behind us, you're hoping to go to Israel again, aren't you?! Well, this program is for YOU! Join DJ as he introduces you to, and tells the story of, this most unique treasure of the Jewish People. See some of the Library's most exquisite and rare pieces. Get an inside view of the Library’s beautiful, iconic new building, due to open in 2022 in the heart of Jerusalem. Learn about the Library’s innovative digital, cultural and educational initiatives and international partnerships including with the Toronto community. You'll understand why the NLI is one of the most significant cultural institutions, not only in Israel, but in the Jewish world as a whole. This Sunday morning November 15th, 10:30-11:30 AM Register at https://us02web.zoom.us//tZUvceGrpz8rGdPb4tPOed63u96f5jTj6

Tonight at 8 PM! "AN IMPERFECT TOOLKIT FOR COVID-19" Live from Washington: Dr. Joshua Schiffer, Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Schiffer is an Associate Professor in the Vaccine & Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Washington. This past month he was featured in The New York Times and on National Public Radio. ... In this exclusive Song Shul program, Dr. Schiffer will share his insights on Covid-19, and will lead a comprehensive Question/Answer session. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us//tZwufumurD8jGtcRJP0Zkt1ebFmJ6K6gm See more

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS - A Wednesday Message from Aliza There's an interesting term that you may be familiar with: "First World Problems." This refers to things that bother us in our day-to-day comfortable lives here in North America. I never really understood the expression until recently. Here are some examples of First World Problems, all of which I heard directly: 1. My friend's mom: This is SO upsetting! After my manicure I actually have to get BACK in my car and drive ...to a DIFFERENT shopping plaza to get to my hair appointment. Why couldn't they just be in the SAME shopping plaza?! It's exhausting! 2. A wealthy friend after checking in to the Breakers Hotel (a 5-star resort in Palm Beach, Florida, recognized as one of the finest hotels in the United States): The delay at check-in was OUTRAGEOUS! I had to WAIT while they found me a room with a bathtub. I didn't want a SHOWER - I wanted a tub! They sent me to the bar and I had to SIT there with a drink for 20 MINUTES before they found me a room with a tub! Absolutely INEXCUSABLE! 3. My neighbour: I'm so ANGRY with my cleaning lady. She did the LAUNDRY yesterday and washed one of my cream-coloured blouses with some dark things and my blouse came out looking gray. She ruined it! WHAT am I going to do now?! All three of these situations happened to people I know. To people I like. Normal people that you would probably have over for dinner if you knew them. So why am I bringing this up now? Because First World Problems are a luxury. They are a reminder to us that our lives are good. I'm not saying that we don't face frustration from little things, but I am saying to look around. What are we complaining about? Is it a real problem? Or is it a First World Problem, a luxury? Let's develop the ability to differentiate between the two. That's all. And watch our problems disappear. May all our problems be First World Problems!

YESH TIKVAH - A Message from Aliza (and her friend, Daniel) Thursday night is my favourite night. Since The Song Shul began, Thursday has been the night of Song Shul choir rehearsals. One choir is Special Voices, for adults with disabilities. When Covid restrictions prevented our in-person meetings, we switched to Zoom. The problem with Zoom is that only one person can be heard at a time. Plus, there's a time lag, so singing together is just not possible. The solution? Thur...sday night became Solo Night. Special Voices has been going strong through the summer with Solo Night. The solos are terrific, the singers are wonderful, and the camaraderie even better as they catch up each week and give endless enthusiastic encouragement to one another. The members of Special Voices have varied backgrounds. Some have jobs or are in school, others rely on caregivers for pretty much everything. For reasons both logistical and immunity-related, Covid has hit them especially hard as far as social interaction. Last night, one of the singers, Daniel, chose to sing Benny Friedman's "Yesh Tikvah" which he sang beautifully. When he was finished, I asked if anyone knew the meaning of "Yesh Tikvah". Daniel told us, "It means 'There is hope.'" Then Daniel continued. "Even with Covid," he said to the others, "we all need to remember that There Is Hope. One day Covid will be behind us. One day everything will be better." And that, my friends, is Daniel's magnificent message. People everywhere are weary of the situation, and gloomy, and worried about a multitude of things. Daniel's message is something we all need to repeat like a mantra. There is Hope. It's literally the anthem of the Jewish people - HaTikvah ("The Hope"). As you finish the week, reflect on Daniel's words for a peaceful Shabbat. Yesh Tivkah. There is Hope. May we always have hope, and may we be blessed with good health to be together again soon! Shabbat Shalom! The Song Shul's Special Voices Choir Top row: Daniel Krieser, Aliza Spiro, Maya Rubin (absent from photo) Middle row: Alan Bernstein, Danni Lunsky, Jordan Fishbayn Bottom row: Kate Dorfman, Avi Roth, Kenny Freeman

YESH TIKVAH - A Message from Aliza (and her friend, Daniel) Thursday night is my favourite night. Since The Song Shul began, Thursday has been the night of Song Shul choir rehearsals. One choir is Special Voices, for adults with disabilities. When Covid restrictions prevented our in-person meetings, we switched to Zoom. The problem with Zoom is that only one person can be heard at a time. Plus, there's a time lag, so singing together is just not possible. The solution? Thur...sday night became Solo Night. Special Voices has been going strong through the summer with Solo Night. The solos are terrific, the singers are wonderful, and the camaraderie even better as they catch up each week and give endless enthusiastic encouragement to one another. The members of Special Voices have varied backgrounds. Some have jobs or are in school, others rely on caregivers for pretty much everything. For reasons both logistical and immunity-related, Covid has hit them especially hard as far as social interaction. Last night, one of the singers, Daniel, chose to sing Benny Friedman's "Yesh Tikvah" which he sang beautifully. When he was finished, I asked if anyone knew the meaning of "Yesh Tikvah". Daniel told us, "It means 'There is hope.'" Then Daniel continued. "Even with Covid," he said to the others, "we all need to remember that There Is Hope. One day Covid will be behind us. One day everything will be better." And that, my friends, is Daniel's magnificent message. People everywhere are weary of the situation, and gloomy, and worried about a multitude of things. Daniel's message is something we all need to repeat like a mantra. There is Hope. It's literally the anthem of the Jewish people - HaTikvah ("The Hope"). As you finish the week, reflect on Daniel's words for a peaceful Shabbat. Yesh Tivkah. There is Hope. May we always have hope, and may we be blessed with good health to be together again soon! Shabbat Shalom! The Song Shul's Special Voices Choir Top row: Daniel Krieser, Aliza Spiro, Maya Rubin (absent from photo) Middle row: Alan Bernstein, Danni Lunsky, Jordan Fishbayn Bottom row: Kate Dorfman, Avi Roth, Kenny Freeman

THE PLACES WE'LL GO - A Friday Message from Aliza There's an old joke: "How do you make G-d laugh? You tell Him your plans." We have markers in our lives at which we make resolutions and wishes for the future. January 1, Rosh Hashana, our birthdays, maybe other significant dates. We hope but, obviously, things don't always work out as we plan them. Someone just emailed me this light comment: We can all agree that in 2015 not a single person got the answer correct to, "Where ...do you see yourself 5 years from now?" Five years ago there's no way I could have imagined what the next years would bring, let alone envision life in 2020 with a pandemic. In these five years, Cantor Simon and I founded the coolest shul ever with the most sensational team, and we worked on some amazing music projects, too. We explored parts of the world we hadn't seen before and made friends in new areas. I watched my kids graduate, get jobs, win awards, live in Israel, Italy, Germany before ending up in their current abodes. Not all fun and games of course. In these same five years, different family members were in horrific biking accidents, and to this day each celebrates an annual personal "Alive Day" - the day when they averted death. My dad, larger than life, had a stroke which quieted him and changed the lives of everyone who knows him. Ups and downs. Surprises galore. We rolled with the punches and continue to do so as we live with a world-wide pandemic. Tomorrow we read Parshat Lech Lecha, in which G-d tells Abram to leave his home and go to the place that G-d would show him. What a concept. Talk about jumping into the unknown. But off he went, with his wife and household, into the future, led (and carried) by his faith. And so he went. And so we go. No one knows what the next five years will bring, or the next year, or the next week. There will be surprises, some good, some less so. The important thing is to remember that, just as Abram moved forward with confidence and conviction, so, too, should we be living our lives. Make your plans. Move forward. Anything can happen. It might not be your original plan, but hopefully as G-d laughs we'll enjoy the joke, too.

Today, Monday, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM! Ladies Rosh Chodesh Group for the month of Cheshvan. This is a fun and fabulous meeting, led by Aliza, to discuss insights and significance of the new month. No experience or previous knowledge required. Aliza explains it all and you will want to be involved in the discussion! Note: Today is the last time that the Rosh Chodesh Group meeting will be free to non-members. Contact [email protected] for today's Zoom link.

YOU ARE AMAZING!! - A Friday Message from Aliza I'm not especially organized. Well, okay. I'm actually terribly UN-organized. I make lists but forget to look at them. I put something important in a "special place", only to forget where exactly that special place was. I wouldn't say that my life is chaotic, but military precision and I are not so well acquainted. Maybe that's why I love this week's parsha so much. It's Shabbat Breisheet, when we read the first parsha of the ...Torah, all about the creation of the world. Everything is chaos at the start, and G-d takes that chaos and creates order from it as the components of the universe come into being. Now here's the part that gives me ENORMOUS comfort. On the sixth day, G-d creates man in His image. My natural conclusion from this is that if we are, in fact, created in G-d's image, then we, too, create order out of chaos. I mean, that's the very first thing that G-d does! I think of that a lot. Each one of us has the capacity to create order from chaos in the world. Obviously, if you're a professional cleaner it's easy to spot the correlation, but you can actually find the parallel in any profession, any role. An accountant takes a mishmash of numbers and organizes it into order in a ledger (and believe me, in that respect, my own accountant is extremely G-dlike!). A dentist takes a mess of oral problems and creates a healthy mouth. An architect, a builder, a construction worker all create structure from blocks and ideas. A chef mixes together different flavours to create a meal. Even setting the table before eating is creating order. Each one of us creates order from chaos on a regular basis. (I include even myself since, as a songwriter, I take thoughts, give them meter, make them rhyme, and set them to musical pitches.) As we enter this Shabbat of new beginnings in the Torah, I urge you to consider all of the order you make from chaos. You will be shocked and thrilled to discover how amazing you are! But then, it's no surprise really. After all, you're created in G-d's image. Thank you for being amazing! Shabbat Shalom!

A HUNK, A CHUNK, A DRUNK - A Message from Aliza According to my brother, each one of us will ultimately emerge from this pandemic shutdown one of three things: A hunk, a chunk, or a drunk. The first category refers to those of us who have taken our health seriously - exercising and eating right, and overall getting in shape. A chunk is someone who enjoyed visiting the refrigerator a bit too much during these past months, and a drunk is, well, pretty self-explanatory. Today I... saw someone I hadn't seen since February. After the initial exchanges of "How's the family?" our conversation revealed that my acquaintance had gotten fit (hunk), then eaten back the weight he'd lost (chunk), and been drinking his way through the days ever since (drunk). Now he was just plain bored. If he's bored, I thought, then most likely others must be bored, too. And so, for those of you who are facing any degree of boredom, I've come up with the antidote. Here is your defense against the Hunk-Chunk-Drunk cycle: Quite simply, think Heart-Smart-Dart. 1. Begin with HEART. Think of people in need, people you know personally or organizations that help the needy, and get involved. Make someone a meal, phone someone to check in, do an errand for your housebound neighbour. Decide each day what your mitzvah will be. It's all about love. Use your HEART. 2. Next, be SMART. Read some books or watch some documentaries to educate yourself in a new area. Stimulate your brain with crossword puzzles, Sudoku or brain teasers. Study some Torah or any Jewish writings. There are plenty of online sources that discuss the weekly parsha and offer commentaries for every level. Psalms, Proverbs, Ethics of our Fathers - all good places to begin. Be SMART. 3. Finally, think DART. Focus on a project. Like to knit? Decide to make sweaters or blankets or mittens. Like to write? Focus on writing stories about your life and these stories will serve as a type of memoir for your kids. Need to get organized? Focus on cleaning out that closet or the garage once and for all. Start playing an instrument or learn a new language. Master a computer skill or do a 30-day challenge in any area, and focus on it every day. Choose a project and shoot that dart to its bullseye. Concentrate on where you're headed. No one should be bored. If you are for a minute, you're not thinking Heart-Smart-Dart. Let's make the days count. And let us emerge better people.

A LITTLE BIT NORMAL - A Sukkot Message from Aliza This morning was amazing. Beginning at 9:00 AM, I was at The Song Shul office as people came in to pick up the lulav/etrog sets that they had ordered. One by one they wandered in, and as I handed out the lulavim, we caught up. We chatted about the Covid situation and how bizarre the world is. We spoke of families and High Holy Days and food and cottages and travel and Israel. In between I got to shmooze with Barbara, our ne...w Office Manager (you have got to meet this woman -- you will absolutely LOVE her!) And this is what was so amazing: It felt normal. Face to face (well, okay, it was mask-to-mask, but you get the idea). One celebrated a family bris yesterday, one had kids in a new school, one filled me in on his parents and wife, one decided to donate two lulavim to someone in need. A longstanding member was dealing with the heartbreak of having her sister in ICU, while a new member just wanted to share with me how much she loved our High Holy Day services. Next came the deliveries to people who can not leave their homes. In someone's garage we spoke about her new house, from behind someone's apartment door I had a lovely conversation with a member who could see me through her peep-hole but whom I could not see. Lovely to hear her voice, nevertheless, in a memorable and meaningful exchange. A little bit normal. Of course, like everyone else, I've known that I miss social contact with others. But to actually experience it - even standing apart, even with masks or with a door in between - gave me a delicious taste of what exactly I have missed. It felt like a massage on tired muscles, like a thirst-quencher in the desert, like a Viennese Waltz in my ears after months of hearing only a buzz-saw. Sukkot is a social holiday. This week I pray that each of you is able to safely find a social moment with A Little Bit of Normal. And next year at this time, may our Sukkahs be filled with the sound of laughter, song and merriment, and may our only worry be the rain coming in from above. Silly old rain.

Just posted on YouTube! The history-making radio broadcast of Kol Nidre, featuring Cantor Simon Spiro and the Toronto Festival Singers, with introductions by Aliza Spiro. See why tens of thousands tuned in to experience Yom Kippur with The Song Shul!

FILL IN THE BLANKS - A Yom Kippur Message from Aliza Yom Kippur is my favourite day of the year. While others around me are bemoaning the fast, worrying about the long day, the hunger, other little things they have had to juggle in order to take the day off, I revel in the luxury of having an entire day to spend in thought with no distractions. Life is hectic with little time to think. Yom Kippur, to me, is indulgent. So I stand in shul. The words in the machzor cover pretty ...much all of the bases. The history of the Jewish people, the good, the bad, the connection to G-d, the hope for the future. I speak Hebrew fluently, but there are a few places with language more difficult to understand. That's when I "fill in the blanks." I always start with my family. I imagine the faces of family members as I pray for specific blessings for each one in the coming year. Then my thoughts go to my friends. If I've forgotten someone, I'm convinced that G-d understands. I think of the world at war, natural disasters, Israeli soldiers and then all soldiers, and of course, this raging pandemic that has created a world no one recognizes and no one understands. I ask forgiveness. Although I have approached a number of people this past week to ask forgiveness, I am sure there are those I have forgotten. And health. There is always the issue of health, especially now. Health has its mysteries. Why does a fit, athletic 28-year old, non-smoking, honest and kind vegetarian get cancer and die (my daughter's friend)? Or a 79-year old man, for that matter (my friend, Bob)? What about the 52-year old who left this world in a matter of weeks upon contracting Covid-19 (the wonderful songwriter Adam Schlesinger)? So I fill in the blanks with fervent prayers of good health for all I know, for cures to diseases. We all pray for a good year. We all ask to be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life. I wish that for all of you and your loved ones. I pray for a world at peace. And I wish for you all that, however you fill in the blanks, your prayers are answered in the coming year.

Coming down to the wire... The video portion of tomorrow's Yom Kippur morning program (the last of four special broadcasts) on The New Classical 96.3 FM is now ...more than halfway done! The amount of work the folks from The Song Shul, Zoomer and others put in to make all of these radio and video stream broadcasts happen was monumental. What a crazy 4+ weeks it's been! If you're at home for Yom Kippur, I HIGHLY suggest you tune in to 96.3 FM in Toronto, or go to classicalfm.ca and leave the video stream running over the holiday. Kol Nidre will run 7-8 tonight, and the morning service will run 10-11 tomorrow morning! #YomKippur #roshhashanah #videoediting

MIXED EMOTIONS - A Friday Message from Aliza Weirdest Rosh Hashana ever. Capacity restrictions and people socially isolating meant that sanctuaries around the world were pretty empty. There have been many creative solutions for dealing with distancing but we all miss being together. We pray for this virus to be eradicated so that we can resume living with physical closeness. On the other hand, I have heard from many people who were happy about being at home for Rosh Hashan...a. The comments ranged from "It was so nice not having to put on make-up" and "Don't tell anyone, but I davened in my pajamas" to "I liked the shorter service" and "It's a good thing I was alone because the music always makes me cry my eyes out." Yes, these people appreciated the current set-up. Perfect example of mixed emotions. My own heart was quite heavy before we started, thinking about the sparsely-filled space in front of me. I was longing to see my friends, my shul, my community. Sadly wishing for the Rosh Hashana format that I count on each year. But then came the prayers. Then came the music. Then came the familiar. The reliable sound that means more each year as I get older. The memories come flooding in, and those memories give comfort as they envelop every part of me. Some people have passed on and I think of them and bless their memory and thank them, wherever they are, for having touched my life. Others are alive and celebrating the High Holy Days in different cities, and I think of them and smile from the memories of shared holidays. The musical sound of the prayers is what brings it all back to me. However this pandemic unfolds, and whatever world emerges afterwards, let us always be comforted by the words and music of the High Holy Days. Wherever we are, let us allow the sound to connect us to each other and to those in our lives who are not with us any more. It's a beautiful time of year, a meaningful period. Let us become better people for what we are going through now. Gmar Chatima Tova. May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life, and may we be blessed with good health to be together for many more Yamim Noraim!

The Song Shul's history-making High Holy Day radio broadcast is now on YouTube! Gorgeous music, English translation included. Shana Tova to all! A good year of health and blessings! This is Rosh Hashana Day 1

THE MAKING OF A COVID-SAFE HIGH HOLY DAY RECORDING. Here's a step-by-step guide to safely recording a 20-voice choir for Canada's historical HHDay radio broadcast: 1. Custom-build plexiglass dividers to separate the singers (That's the easy part.)... 2. Divide the choir in half for recording sessions of smaller groups. 3. Record Group One first, keeping singers separated by plexiglass. 4. While Cantor Simon conducts from the other side of the room, make a video recording of him conducting. (Yes. VIDEO. Now it starts to get tricky.) 5. A week later, record Group Two as they sing with the recording of Group One. 6. To ensure that both groups of singers are in sync, have Group Two watch - from huge video monitors throughout the studio - the video of Cantor Simon conducting the previous session. (Get it? Identical conducting for both groups.) 7. Cantor Simon oversees the second session from the safety of the control room, watching the session on multiple TV monitors, and speaking to the singers through Talkback intercom. 8. Cantor Simon works with Patric, the Zoomer sound engineer, to ensure that the signature blend of The Toronto Festival Singers is not compromised. 9. The next week Cantor Simon records his Chazzanut and any TFS soloists. (But wait, there's more.) 10. Eli Green, The Song Shul's resident tech director, works with Aliza Spiro to create the Hebrew text (with English translation) that will appear on the computer screen for people watching on classicalfm.ca. 11. Eli then syncs the recording with the visual, and. . . . MAZAL TOV - The first ever High Holy Day recording for Canadian radio! Now everyone can experience the music of The Song Shul on Rosh Hashana. SHANA TOVA! 10:00 - 11:00 AM, Rosh Hashana mornings. The New Classical 96.3FM www.classicalfm.ca We thank our generous sponsors for making this recorded broadcast possible: Steeles Memorial Chapel The Paul Bronfman Family Foundation Harvey Kalles Real Estate The Toronto Star ZoomerMedia Ron Lustig and Dr. Naomi Himmel and many anonymous individual sponsors((

Check us out in the Toronto Star!

Our In-Person Rosh Hashana service is full. If you did not already register, you will not be admitted. We invite you to enjoy the High Holy Day music of The Song Shul from your home: 1. Members: You will receive private link to be part of our full service. 2. Non-members: Tune your radio to The New Classical 96.3 FM, or watch online at www.classicalfm.ca. 10:00 - 11:00 AM both mornings of Rosh Hashana Wishing you all a safe and healthy New Year! Shana Tova!

CHORAL SLICHOT SERVICE - from the comfort and safety of your own home! On this most mystical night of the year, join us to experience The Song Shul's very first Slichot service, originally broadcast on The New Classical 96.3FM, hosted by Marilyn Lightstone. This spellbinding 60-minute service features: Cantor Simon and the Toronto Festival Singers Ancient melodies and contemporary arrangements... Marilyn Lightstone guiding us through and explaining the prayers Authentic Chazzanut and smooth modern harmonies Hebrew text of the prayers on the screen for you to follow along The signature sound of The Song Shul, YOUR shul! Available on YouTube beginning Saturday night at 9 PM. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oy88rCjFWM See more