Lifecycle Planning
Shining a Spotlight on Life’s Beginning, Middle and End
Shaare Zion Beth-El provides guidance and support through the various cycles of life. We walk beside you down the roads that bring you great joy and laughter as well as the detours that lead to sorrow and loss.
We provide a sense of belonging, a place of comfort, spirituality and inclusiveness.
We respect and understand that everyone’s journey is multi-faceted.
We always look forward to sharing life’s celebrations with our members. We also invite those considering joining the synagogue, to experience any single event as an introduction to our warm and inviting environment.
There are moments in life that do not call for celebration. We are here for you as you struggle to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. We stand alongside of you, in prayer and in spirit.
The loss of a loved one is overwhelming on so many levels. Having a place to honour them, to mourn, to seek pastoral support, to acknowledge a life well lived, is exactly what Shaare Zion Beth-El represents. We have guided families through this painstaking process for almost 100 years. We provide a place of prayer, 365 days a year, twice daily.
Our clergy are compassionate individuals, ready to listen, ready to provide you with a source of comfort and support. We recognize that having someone as an objective source to confide in, and who is present in every sense, is integral to the healing process.
Judaism shines a spotlight on all the moments that make up a life and we are here to walk each pathway with you.
Babies are our future and we like nothing more than to welcome them to the Jewish community at Shaare Zion Beth-El Congregation.
Birth Celebrations
Brit Milah – baby boys
Eight days after the birth of your healthy baby boy, have a meaningful ceremony in our sanctuary, with an approved mohel of your choosing. You will have access to a private room to prepare the baby (and mom!) and one of our halls for the celebratory Seudat Mitzvah (special meal) afterwards.
Baby Naming – baby girls
Traditionally, newborn girls are named on the first Torah reading day after birth. At Shaare Zion Beth-El Congregation baby girls may be named during any Torah reading service. The baby girl and her parents receive a special blessing on the bimah while she’s snuggled in loving arms. Use one of our halls for the celebratory Seudat Mitzvah (special meal) afterwards.
To book a Brit Milah or baby naming please contact Rosanne Puritz, Office Manager at 514-481-7727 ext.225 or rosanne.puritz@szbe.org
Individual Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Shaare Zion Beth-El Congregation is proud to be the synagogue of choice for dozens of B’nai Mitzvah celebrations annually. We pride ourselves on our excellent teachers, engaging monthly program, the beauty of our religious services and elegance of our halls.
There are several opportunities for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah to be called to the Torah:
- Shabbat Morning
- Shabbat Minchah-Ma’ariv-Havdallah
- Monday or Thursday Morning
- Festival days (Rosh Chodesh, Sukkot, Chanukah, etc)
Both boys (age 13) and girls (age 12-13) are eligible to have an aliyah, read from the Torah and chant the Haftarah. For non-Shabbat morning celebrations, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah can learn to lead elements of the prayer service. Use one of our halls for the celebratory Seudat Mitzvah (special meal) afterwards.
The office will take reservations up to three years in advance. To make your Bar/Bat Mitzvah reservation, please contact Rosanne Puritz, Office Manager at 514-481-7727 ext. 225 or rosanne.puritz@szbe.org
Wedding Celebrations
A marriage is a beautiful time in a couple’s life, a time of merging two lives, two families, into one future.
Shaare Zion Beth-El Congregation offers a magnificent sanctuary, effused with gold accents, breathtaking light and a very long aisle. It’s our pleasure to include a decorative white Chuppah, which some couples choose to embellish with floral arrangements. Our halls embody elegance with newly polished hardwood floors and an adjustable light system.
Reverend Asher Tannenbaum and Cantor Adam Stotland welcome you in your time of celebration. Cantor Adam Stotland will enhance your ceremony with his beautiful tenor voice as he sings all the blessings bestowed upon the bride and groom. Reverend Asher Tannenbaum will lead prayers and guide you through the Jewish traditions of marriage.
To book your wedding at Shaare Zion Beth-El Congregation, please contact Rosanne Puritz, Office Manager at 514-481-7727 ext. 225 or rosanne.puritz@szbe.org
Praised are You Adonai our God, who rules the universe, creating joy and gladness, bride and groom, pleasure, song, delight, laughter, love and harmony, peace and companionship. Praised are You Adonai, who causes groom and bride to rejoice in each other.
- Sheva Brahot
Funeral, Shiva, Kaddish, Unveiling
Our sages teach us, from the Book of Kohelet 7:2 “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the banquet hall, for from the house of mourning, the living learn a moral lesson”.
We recognize that not every life cycle event is a joyous one. The loss of a family member can be overwhelming and sad. Our clergy will guide your family through this emotional time by helping you navigate the Jewish mourning rituals and allowing you the opportunity to express your grief.
For those who are unable to attend services to say Kaddish, we can arrange for a clergy member to recite the prayers on your behalf. If you would like to take advantage of this service, please contact Asher Tannenbaum, Ritual Director at 514-481-7727 ext. 237 or reverend@szbe.org
Our Rabbis teach us that mourners are not alone in their grief; that through the ages, others have experienced the pain of loss and that there is a rich legacy of Jewish tradition which exists to offer comfort and communal support.