Small Healings for a Strong Community: Jewish New Year Practices

Small Healings for a Strong Community: Jewish New Year Practices – The Jewish New Year always begins with small acts of interpersonal healing. Each fall, we learn together about repentance, forgiveness and atonement. Then we reach out to repair the small ruptures that stress friendships. And we take a deeper look at the bigger hurts that haunt us. While it is not always easy, it always strengthens our community.

Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan-Kaplan is Director of Inter-Religious Studies and Professor of Jewish Studies at the Vancouver School of Theology and Rabbi Emerita of Or Shalom Synagogue. She is author of The Infinity Inside: Jewish Spiritual Practice Through a Multifaith Lens. Laura lives in Vancouver with her husband/musical partner Charles, their young adult children, and a changing array of companion animals.

In response to the COVID-19 health concerns, we are meeting online via the Zoom videoconferencing service. To join us, please complete the form found on Access Our Online Worship and you will be emailed access. We meet every Sunday at 1:30 – 230 pm. Newcomers ( to our church or Zoom) are encouraged to join in about 15 minutes early to get set up, oriented and meet a few of our members. We invite your participation in our Protest Against Racism on Saturday Sept 12 1-2 pm in front of the Sunnyside location

In community we strive to Connect — forming meaningful relationships, Change — growing spiritually and personally, and Care — supporting each other as we work for a just and sustainable world.

Rev. Samaya

Welcome from our Minister, Rev. Samaya Oakley

Welcome – and thank you for your interest in learning more about and exploring the possibility of making South Fraser Unitarian Congregation your spiritual community. Come join us for worship on Sunday afternoon or come participate in one of our community groups. I hope you’ll come see all that our congregation has to offer.

My Most Recent Minister’s Column

How Are We Going to Do This? 3 weeks ago This has been a question that I've been pondering over the summer. There is just so much happening in the world, I wonder just how we are going to do this – to get through it all! We find ourselves in unprecedented times – we haven't lived through a pandemic like this for close to 100 years, the western world has not lived through times like this since the end of the Second World War. At the same time, I have to acknowledge that there are those living in the world that live through what we would call unprecedented times… Read more