Lifecycle Events

Our Jewish tradition heightens meaning in times of joy, helps find clarity in times of confusion, and strives to ease the pain in times of loss. Let us share your joys and help you navigate your sorrows. Contact our office to speak with a Rabbi about honouring - in a meaningful manner - a significant occasion in your life, be it retirement, moving house, going on a journey, finding love, marking the start or completion of medical treatment, mourning a miscarriage, or any of the following traditional milestones:

Brit Milah/Simchat Bat (Circumcision and Baby Naming)

There are few joys greater than the birth of a child, and as a Progressive synagogue we celebrate the birth of girls and boys equally, through a circumcision for boys and a naming ceremony for girls.  We can help you lovingly welcome your daughter or son into our community and into the Jewish covenant.

B'nei Mitzvah (Coming of Age Ritual)

There are few things as joyful and soul satisfying for a parent as watching a son or daughter take hold of the Torah and carry it through the congregation on the day of their bar/bat mitzvah.  It is a sublime moment.  But it does not happen miraculously!  At NSTE, we believe the preparation for that moment is key to its magic.  It is also the key to a lifetime of engagement with Jewish community, as it affords our children the skills they need to participate meaningfully in Jewish life cycle events of their own and of their loved ones, and starts them on a path of lifelong Jewish learning and lifelong Jewish living.  For information on how to get started, please see our Bnei Mitzvah page or contact our office.

The 40 year old B'nei Mitzvah

Rabbi Akiva didn't learn to read hebrew until he was 40, so it is never too late.  Whether you're 40, 80, or 120 (oy, that's biblical!) contact us and we'll set you on an age appropriate path.

Weddings

Our Rabbis will help you to craft a ceremony that reflects you and your relationship, understand the rich texture and meaning of a Jewish wedding, and provide expert pre-marital counseling.  Our calendar fills quickly, so please contact us before you select a date.

Funerals

When you suffer a bereavement, we are here to help.  One of our Rabbis will meet with you and prepare a service that is meaningful, honours your loved one, and follows the Jewish tradition, while also being present for those who choose to open their home for a shiva minyan (prayers) and those who wish to hold a consecration ceremony (dedication of the grave stone) a year or so later.  Please contact our office for guidance on what to do upon the death of a loved one.  We will walk you through every step of the way. 

Yahrzeit (Anniversary of the Day of Death)

We will notify you of upcoming Yahrzeits of your loved ones who have died, so that you may come to shul to say kaddish for them. Our Rabbis will recite their names at Shabbat services before the Yahrzeit which corresponds to the Hebrew date of death. Please contact the office if you prefer that your loved one's name be read on the English date instead of the Hebrew date.

Counselling

Rabbi Nicole is specially trained to provide one-on-one short-term counselling services.