Pride Club

our mission

Kehilateinu

Kehilateinu, is Temple Sholom's LGBTQIA+ Pride club. Co-presidents Danny Lybbert and Cae Rosch Sandeen, along with the support of board member Kim Werker and Cantor Shani Cohen, are working together to organize a gender-inclusive addition to Temple Sholom’s community group offerings.

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Kehilateinu will welcome LGBTQIA+ community members and their friends, family, and allies for social, educational, and philanthropic events aimed at fostering camaraderie among those on this unique path through Jewish life. The group will function, alongside Sisterhood and Men’s Club, as a third pillar of support and community to enhance the already-rich social fabric those groups have established at Temple Sholom.

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Danny Lybbert, co-president
Cae Rosch Sandeen, co-president

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MISSION AND VISION

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VALUES

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Community → Kehilah Kedoshah → קְהִלָּה קְדוֹשָׁה
Inclusivity → Klal Yisrael → כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל
Accessibility → Kol L’Darcho → כָּל לְדַרְכּוֹ
Learning → Talmud Torah → תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה
Safety → Pikuach Nefesh → פִּקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ
Allyship and advocacy → Tikkun Olam → תִּקּוּן עוֹלָם

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MISSION

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Kehilateinu’s mission is to:

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Connect queer Jews and allies in a welcoming, sustained community
Provide a safe space for queer Jews and their allies
Socialize, celebrate, and learn together in the fullness of Jewish life
Support each other in exploring and understanding our identities in the context of Jewish experience
Advocate for a Jewish future in which queer Jews are fully seen and valued

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VISION

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To that end, Kehilateinu will:

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Establish a robust, structured, and sustainable social group for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies that will remain financially accessible and integral to the fabric of synagogue life for generations to come.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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QUEER TORAH STUDY

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Monthly on Saturdays at 12:00 pm at Temple Sholom (following the services)

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Upcoming dates:

June 28, 2025 - discussion led by Charlie Cleugh

July 26, 2025 - discussion led by Danny Lybbert

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Our Temple Sholom Queer Torah Study group is an inclusive space to gather together and study Torah through a queer lens. Our discussion topics range from the weekly Torah portion to Jewish holidays to world events. Participants rotate leading the Torah study, and Cantor Cohen is available to meet and help each leader prepare ahead of time.

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If you are interested in learning more, joining one of our events, or leading a Torah study, please email us us at: kehilateinu@templesholom.ca and join our WhatsApp group. Please email us to be added to the group. If you have any feedback from our last event, or ideas for programming you’d like to see, please let us know!

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21 Jul

Soup Shvesters

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22 Jul

Sholom Shishim Lunch & Learn with Dan Levitt, BC Seniors Advocate

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Sholom Shishim Lunch & Learn with Dan Levitt, BC Seniors Advocate

Dan Levitt, British Columbia Seniors Advocate, will be speaking about current issues for B.C. seniors, the Office of the Seniors Advocate (OSA), and its recent reports.

The OSA monitors and analyzes seniors services and issues in B.C., and makes recommendations to government and service providers to address systemic issues.

The services which the Office monitors are in five key areas: health care, housing, income supports, community supports and transportation. The OSA collaborates with service providers, government and health authorities to improve effectiveness, efficiency and outcomes.

Lunch provided by Nava Creative Kosher Cuisine:

OPTION 1: Susy’s Cheese Blintzes with Homemade Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce and Sour Cream
OPTION 2: Vegan Buddha Bowl: Crispy tofu, Rice noodle, pickled carrot, radish and cucumber

Served with Roasted Garlic Hummus, Israeli Salad and Pita
Assorted pastries for dessert.

COST: $18 Temple Sholom member, $28 Non-member

Bio: Dan Levitt has tirelessly championed the rights of seniors for 30 years at the provincial, national and international levels.

Prior to his appointment as B.C.’s Seniors Advocate, Dan held leadership positions in senior-living and long-term care homes in the Lower Mainland for more than ten years where he helped shape a dementia-friendly future for seniors and their loved ones.

He was an adjunct professor of gerontology at both Simon Fraser University and a former sessional instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He has also been a surveyor with Accreditation Canada, reviewing quality improvement and person-centred care at long-term care homes and community-based service providers across the country.

He is a certified health executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and achieved Fellowship status in the college in July 2024. He also received the Young Executive Award presented by the BC Lower Mainland Chapter Executive of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. On the global stage, Levitt recently served as a member of the board of directors of the Global Ageing Network and the International Federation on Ageing.

Dan earned an undergraduate degree from the UBC and masters degree from the University of North Texas, Center for Studies in Aging. He has served on the board of directors for the Denominational Health Association and the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia. He is inspired by the aging journeys of his grandparents and great-grandparents, and is now supporting his parents, who are living life to the fullest in their mid-80s.

Details:

Tuesday

July

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26 Jul

Sisterhood Rosh Chodesh Torah Study Group

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28 Jul

✡️ Online Morning Minyan

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30 Jul

✡️ Online Morning Minyan

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