I asked a rhetorical question on Facebook a few days ago. With 185,000 Jewish people in Toronto, why is there no centre for Jewish Renewal? Vancouver has Or Shalom; there is an effort being made by Rabbi Sherril Gilbert in Montreal; renewal has a beating heart in the U.S. So why not here?

Before I carry on, here is a definition of Renewal that might be helpful:

Jewish Renewal is responding to a different set of questions, opportunities and challenges. It values tikkun olam (repair of the world), combined with tikkun ha-lev (personal spiritual development), reflecting its dual emphasis on healing the external world through the pursuit of social, political and environmental justice, while developing individual spirituality. The blending of mystical and hasidic traditions, along with openness toward other religions and spiritual practices are meant to foster a subjective experience of the Divine.
- Hayim Herring

I belong to a group that operated under the umbrella of Menschworks out of the U.S. Every year, about 90 men gathered for a fall retreat. The Friday night and Saturday service is filled with drums, guitars, dance and joy. It is truly heartening to feel spiritual instead of thinking theologically.

There are shards of renewal light in the GTHA. I wonder how to ignite a lasting flame, one filled with guided meditations, body and breath work, deep ecumenism, song, community, and as Hayim Herring says, openness towards the so called other. I suggest that there is no other if we peer through the lens of oneness. Non-duality. I'll save that for another post.

In the meantime I wonder who among us would like to lift a finger, as opposed to offer a pat on the back, and bring renewal to Toronto and its environs?

Remember to check out my podcast Not That Kind of Rabbi with Ralph Benmergui. My Spiritual Memoir, I Thought He Was Dead, is available through my publisher Wolsak and Wynn and on Amazon and Indigo.