Shabbat & Blue Horizon Party

We celebrated the end of week #1 at sea and our first Shabbat with over 50 guests as I led Services with Paul playing cantor, leading us in song. We thoroughly enjoyed this new group of people that joined us, many of them will be with us for 4 months. I made a few changes to the Service based upon requests and added Shalom Aleichem adapting the Service to the group. I prepared 3 handouts (see photos) as the pastry chef supported us in our celebration of Purim once more this week. I provided our first two ”Challahs of the Week” photos (thank you Rabbi Harper) and explanations which everyone seemed to enjoy. Also, I did a commentary on "Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazeik” ("Be strong, be strong, and we will strengthen one another"), as we completed the second book of Torah, Exodus.

During our oneg, with delicious challah and hamantaschen, one of our guests told the story of the tragic event she was victim of and lived through 6 months ago and how wonderful it is for Jews to still congregate and to be together as group supporting each other (to read about the horrific antisemetic hate crime stabbing at the College Square Loblaws see https://ottawacitizen.com/news/jewish-woman-sta…. In direct response to her stabbing, on March 11, 2026, the Government of Canada announced $10 million in immediate funding through the Canada Community Security Program with $7.5 million for Toronto and Montreal, $2.5 million is earmarked for other communities, including Ottawa to "fortify Jewish spaces," including synagogues, schools, and childcare centers.
It brought a somber reality check to the fragility of life and the reminder that there is a balance between the good and bad times of life and that we always pray for better times to come and stay.

Much later that evening after Shabbat dinner we celebrated at the Blue Horizon Party. They asked people to wear blue, the place was decorated in blue, and they served blue drinks (which we did not order). The band danced around people and people were having fun until the band stopped playing.Lue lisää