City Shul Shabbat Details
Takes place on Saturday mornings beginning at 10 am
Once-a-month we offer Tot Shabbat for families with younger children: see below
Once-a-month Friday nights at 6:30 pm
ALL services and events meet at 300 Bloor Street West.
Please check the schedule below as we DO NOT meet every week.
All City Shul Shabbat Services are free and all are welcome, whether you are a member or not. Visitors, guests, newcomers, those just visiting Toronto on business or vacation, those just curious, shul-shoppers and shul-hoppers and regulars all can join us at any and all of our Shabbat services, kiddush, and Friday night services and dinners. We never have "private" services or a "private" kiddush of "invited-only" folks - whether or not there is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, babynaming, aufruf, or any other simcha.
City Shul is a children friendly environment Children are always welcome at our Saturday services. If there's a time we need quiet-like the mourner's Kaddish, for example, or during the dvar Torah-we will ask them to wait outside for a moment. Family Friday nights are totally geared for children. Older children who can sit through an hour service without activities or childcare are welcome to attend our Adult Kabbalat Shabbat. On Saturdays we always-even on Bar/Bat Mitzvah days-have Club Katan (ages 7-11, crafts, music, discussion, and Judaic-themed games) plus the "Prayground"-an area in the sanctuary where parents can sit with playing toddlers-for little ones.
Children begin with us in the "main" service up until after the silent Amidah, then are welcome to stay or go off to their various activities. At the end of the service the children are invited to come up for a blessing, and to get a treat if they haven't already gathered and thrown candies at our Bar/Bat Mitzvah child! Throughout the year, about once a month, we add a Saturday Family "Mishpacha" service filled with music and family-friendly activities for all ages and Tot Shabbat, a 60 minute programme for ages 1-5 that focuses on song, movement, a fun and do-able craft, and Jewish time together with a parent; and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Club, a special programme with our shins for grades 6 and 7. Dates for these special programmes appear under "service dates."
New to our synagogue? Just checking us out? Haven't been to synagogue in who-knows-how-long? We will provide a "shul buddy" to sit with you and help you feel welcome and at home at our Shabbat services! Email the Rabbi to be matched up. (Please note we need 2-3 days lead notice for a buddy-match).
Saturday Shabbat Morning and Special Services
Jan 25 - Liron Taub with Jeff Bernstein PLUS SHABBATOT
Feb 1 - Jonathan Wyman with Jeff Bernstein
Feb 8 - Shabbat Shira with Cantor Cheryl Wunch and our Shira Harmony Group
Feb 15 - NO SERVICE
Feb 22 - Lorne Opler with Yona Lunsky PLUS BBM CLUB grades 6 and 7
Feb 29 - Cantor Cheryl Wunch PLUS SHABBATOT
Mar 7 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Yona Lunsky. We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Brandon Adler
Monday Mar 9 - Purim
Mar 14 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Yona Lunsky. The Rev Neil Young from St. Andrew's will give a guest sermon.
Mar 21 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein PLUS SHABBATOT
Mar 28 -Cantor Cheryl Wunch. Rabbi Sits as a Jew-in-the Pew Service! PLUS KITCHEN KIDDUSH!
Apr 4 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Cantor Cheryl Wunch. We celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Prokaziuk
Apr 11 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Yona Lunsky. Passover Shabbat with Kosher-for-Passover kiddush.
Thursday, Apr 16, 9:30 am - Passover Yizkor
Apr 18 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein andYona Lunsky. We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Charlie Rosenthal
Apr 25 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Jeff Bernstein. We welcome El Al pilots! PLUS KITCHEN KIDDUSH!
May 2 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Cantor Cheryl Wunch. Israel Shabbat
May 9 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Cantor Cheryl Wunch. We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Ari de Lara
May 16 - NO SERVICE
May 23 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Yona Lunsky
May 30 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Jeff Bernstein. We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Milo Green; Shavout yizkor.
June 6 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Cantor Cheryl Wunch. We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Isaiah Steinman Gould
June 13 - Rabbi Goldstein and Yona Lunsky; Kitchen Kiddush
June 20 - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Jeff Bernstein. We celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Laura Kirsch
June 27 - NO SERVICE
Co-Sponsor a Kiddush!
We welcome you to co-sponsor our Saturday morning kiddush in honour of a simcha or special birthday/ anniversary, in memory of a loved one, in commemoration of a yartzeit, or just because! Sponsorships are tax receipted. Just choose your date (non Bar/ Bat Mitzvah) and email Casey.
What and Who to expect at our Services
SATURDAY MORNING SERVICES are geared for all ages: Our Shabbat morning services include Torah reading and dvar Torah. We offer Club Katan every week for grades SK-4 with snack, story, crafts, and more.
SHABBAT-TOT with Bryna and friends (YOU!). Join us for songs, snack, story and crafts. A once a month 60 minute programme for parent and tot ages 1-5.
BAR/BAT MITZVAH CLUB for grades 6 and 7 only, is a special 45 minute programme during Shabbat morning service, with the shins, that will include snack, dynamic conversation on current topics, and a monthly prayer focus. No pre-registration needed!
KABBALAT SHABBAT Friday night once a month services are geared to adults and children who don't need childcare. There are no children's activities or childcare at these services but children are welcome to experience this quieter musical service. Followed by dinner.
FRIDAY NIGHT FAMILY SERVICE is a story and songs service geared to people with younger children, followed by dinner.
Sat, 25 January 2020
28 Tevet 5780
City Shul Shabbat Services
Click here for our Shabbat service schedule.
City Shul School
Click here to learn more about our shul's school.
City Shul Family Programming
Click here to see our upcoming family programmes.
City Shul Adult Ed and Adult Programmes
Click here to see our upcoming adult programmes.
