City Shul's Vision and Mission

Our spiritual leader is Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, known for 20 years in Toronto as a leading teacher, spiritual mentor, speaker, and community activist. 

We invite you to become involved.

Community Statement

Events are usually beyond our control, but our reactions and responses to those events are completely our own. The current social upheaval we see around us in Canada and the United States as a result of systemic racism against Black and Indigenous people and police brutality towards these parts of our population requires such a response. As a community we must actively work harder to fight against the racism and oppression that continues to plague our world.

City Shul, with one voice, stands up to say that racism against Black and Indigenous people must stop.

As a people our history as victims of oppression and violent Anti-semitism helps us sympathize with Black and Indigenous peoples, but this alone does not free us of our obligation to fight against racism and oppression now.

As a community, City Shul is made up of many with a history of standing up and speaking out in the face of oppression. We have members who left their homelands in the face of apartheid and unjust wars, members who led marches against police brutality that victimized LGBTQ citizens, and members who have worked tirelessly for the struggle for human rights in Canada and beyond.

As individuals, we must all do the necessary heshbon nefesh (soul-searching) to recognize our own privilege and the underlying racism in our country, province, city, Jewish community and homes and to learn how to respond appropriately.

At this time, we must do more as a community. City Shul must work every day to make us a place of true inclusion, acceptance and safety for all, ensuring that we all do more than cursory acts, but rather are compelled to action.

There are actions we can all take immediately: 

• We can listen and relisten to An Evening of Deep Listening: Facing and Combating Racism With/In the Jewish Community, introduced by our own Rabbi Goldstein, and featuring City Shul member Emery Warner (moderator) and our former Administrator, Rivka Campbell.
• We can support local protests, adding our voices to those of our community, while taking all safety precautions in our COVID-19 reality.
• We can support local Black and Indigenous businesses and causes.
• We can write letters to newspapers and journals, and post anti-racist articles in our social media.
• We can educate ourselves more fully about the history of racism in our own country.
• We can listen carefully to the advice and requests of Black and Indigenous leaders as to what steps are best in becoming true allies.
• We can keep this topic on our agenda for discussion and adult education programming at City Shul.

Barbara Wade Rose, President of the City Shul Leadership Team

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein