Congregation B'nai Israel - St. Catharines, Ontario

09/04/2025

We have a brand new website!

Niagara Jewish Community located in St.Catharines

05/24/2024

We want to express our gratitude to our Delta Bingo Sponsors who are part of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for their financial support of Congregation B'nai Israel. We get a share of the Bingo profits raised locally because we help staff events regularly as a registered charitable organization.



We are proud participants at Delta Bingo and Gaming St. Catharines. When you play, local charities win!

05/20/2024

03/09/2022

We want to express our gratitude to our Delta Bingo Sponsors who are part of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for their financial support of Congregation B'nai Israel. We get a share of the Bingo profits raised locally because we help staff events on a regular basis as a registered charitable organization. The funds received have helped with preparations of safety protocols and supplies as we are slowly returning to in-person services this month.

at Delta Bingo and Gaming

03/06/2022

Our own Rabbi Meirovich had an article in the St. Catharines Standard this weekend. Here it is by permission:

Faith Matters: Purim — Why did Mordecai refuse to bow down to Haman?
By Moshe Meirovich | Contributing Columnist
Sat., March 5, 2022

The last section of the Hebrew Bible, the Writings, incorporates the Scroll of Esther chanted on the Jewish holiday of Purim, which this year is March 16-17.

Purim emanates from the Akkadian word ‘Pur’ or casting lots; specifically, the date on the Jewish calendar that Haman, the arch enemy of the Jewish people decided to commit genocide.

Fate is reversed! The protagonist Mordecai, cousin to the heroine Esther, responded to Haman’s racial anti-Semitism by encouraging Esther to intervene with King Achashverosh on behalf of her people.

Early on, the scroll poignantly asserts that Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman. “All the king’s courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed low to Haman, for such was the King’s order concerning him, but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low.”

It is clear from within biblical tradition, Mordecai’s action cannot be justified in the erroneous belief that Jews only bowed down to God and not humans, a fact refuted by a number of Biblical passages such as Genesis 23:7; 43;28; and Exodus 18:7; 1 Kings 1:23)

So what motivated Mordecai’s behaviour?

Here are two theories:

1) Haman’s Hebrew name is “Haman ben Hamdata HaAggagee-Haman son of Hamdata the Agagite.” What was so important about this lineage? Haman traced his genealogy to the Amalekite King, Agag who warred against King Saul. More specifically, the Amalekites slaughtered the “famished and weary and cut down all stragglers” marching in the rear during the exodus from Egypt. (Deuteronomy 25:17)

Simply stated, bitter enmity existed between these two nations. Is it therefore surprising that Mordecai truly understood who Haman was: the apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

2) A second theory zeroes in on one word, one concept systemic to Jewish theology and linked to Haman’s family history. Focusing on the same passage from Deuteronomy and the ferocious assault by the Amalekites, the Torah asserts that “he did not fear (stand in awe) of God.” We find this same expression linked to the midwives when Pharaoh commands them to kill all Israelite baby boys: “Now the midwives feared (stood in awe) of God and did not do as the king of Egypt told them; they let the boys live.” (Exodus 1:17)

In other words, more than an historical link to the Amalekites, Agag and King Saul, Mordecai intuitively comprehended the true nature of Haman. He, like his ancestors, was “undeterred by fear of God.” As Rabbi Hillel Millgram, biblical scholar living in Jerusalem asserts: “It is more probable that the term ‘Agagite’ is being used as a pejorative epithet when applied to Haman, a description of character, much as one describes someone today as a ‘fascist’ or a ‘Nazi.’ And just as nowadays calling a person a ‘Nazi’ does not mean to suggest that, prior to 1945, the person in question was a card-carrying member of the German National Socialist Party; so calling Haman an ‘Agagite’ may not have been referring to his ancestors, but rather to what he was.”

Consequently, “Mordecai cannot. As a Jew, come what may, Mordecai will not bow down to Haman.”

*Article posted with permission. From March 5th, 2022 in The Standard.

02/16/2022

Thanks to our partnership with Delta Bingo and Gaming, our community has been able to continue to purchase needed equipment for our building. We express our continued gratitude to our friends at Delta Bingo - your support makes a difference.

02/09/2022

Our Rabbi, Moshe Meirovich had an article printed in the St. Catharines Standard this past weekend. Here it is:

Faith Matters: One of God’s creatures: A whale saved her life
By Moshe Meirovich | Contributing Columnist
Sat., Feb. 5, 2022

God said: “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures … God created the great sea monsters, all the living creatures of every kind that creep which the waters brought forth in swarms … God blessed them saying, ‘Be fertile and increase, fill the waters in the seas …’” (Genesis Chapter 1:20-23)

The dates, Sept. 14, 2017 and Sept. 29, 2018 are forever etched in the heart and mind of Nan Hauser, nurse-turned-whale marine biologist.

On the first date her life was miraculously saved. On the second date, well, an event occurred that left her speechless and full of immense gratitude and wonder. Indeed, for more than 30 years Nan has dedicated her life to exploring the mystery of the humpback whale. Through her scientific studies she discovered humpback whales migrate in a linear, constant course segment linked to the 23.439 degree of the Earth’s axis.

The whales internally use this mathematical statistic, not even deviating by one degree, as they turn in multiples of that number. I reference this fact because Nan is a veteran scientist. Yet, her personal encounters with the humpback would forever shape and (perhaps) change her view on life when these two events occurred in Rarotonga, Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

As Nan entered the ocean on that fateful September day in 2017 she noticed a 22,680-kilogram humpback whale swimming rapidly towards her. Her first instinct was to push this gigantic ‘monster’ away, realizing that in an instant she could be crushed to death. Instead, as Nan tried to escape, the humpback tucked her under his pectoral fin.

Why? Because the whale perceived (confirmed by Nan seconds later) swimming at an alarming speed towards her was a 15-foot tiger shark, one of the deadliest predators in the ocean.

At the same time, another humpback whale continually slapped its tail as a warning of danger lurking beneath. Altruistic by nature, the humpback sensing a frontal attack, immediately placed himself between Nan and the shark thereby saving her life by continually pushing Nan with his nose until she arrived at the side of the boat.

A wondrous event and a deep sense of gratitude Nan felt for saving her life.

But, the adventure was not yet over. Exactly one year and 15 days later, Nan heard that a humpback had entered the harbour near her boat. As she approached, she could not believe the wondrous sight before her. Here was her ‘guardian angel’ as she recognized deep gouges, one on each side of the top of his fluke, the same images from a year ago.

Nan writes: “I thought there was a good possibility that it might be him. I still wasn’t completely sure. The scientist part of me had doubts. He swam to the side of the boat a few feet away from where I was standing when he looked hard and long directly at me. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that he recognized me. He got closer and then I saw the white spot on the side of his head and I knew for sure that it was him. I screamed and shouted with glee. ‘Hello my friend, you’re back. I can’t believe it … [I entered the water]. He swam up to me and I had a good hard look. If whales could smile, he DID! He nudged me with his gigantic head. He kept nudging me gently and I held onto the tubercles on his face and gave him a warm hello … My heart was full of such unconditional love and excitement … he was as gentle as a 50,000-pound whale can be with a 132-pound human. There was no sense of fear in his eyes this time and the encounter was kind and graceful … I hugged the whale’s pectoral fin … I felt safe and kept wondering how I was once again graced by the presence of this incredible whale.”

Recognizing Nan, the whale then put her on the top of his head and carefully lifted her out of the water. Reflecting on this extraordinary journey, Nan asserted that being a scientist, she would not have believed anyone if they had shared such a story.

Why so?

As she asserted: “As a scientist … I’m almost afraid to say it … it’s a mystery — it’s a gift.”

*Article posted with permission. From February 5th, 2022 in The Standard.

01/18/2022

Congregation B'nai Israel is grateful to our Delta Bingo sponsors for their generosity. Funds that are provided allow us to continue providing much-needed quality programming for our community during covid. We appreciate our partnership. It truly makes a difference.

11/17/2021

Our friends at Judaic Sacred Music Foundation are holding a Hanukkah Festival of Music on Sunday, November 21st @ 8 pm EST.

Register here: https://judaicsacredmusicfoundation.org/
and click on
PLEASE REGISTER FOR OUR HANUKKAH FESTIVAL OF MUSIC HERE

10/21/2021

CBI Member Harvey Brownstone hosts a talk show on Youtube: Harvey Brownstone Interviews

One of his most recent interviews is with Dara Horn, author of
'People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present'.

It is a book of extreme importance to the Jewish Community at large and is being talked about and discussed in many Congregations and other institutions by Rabbis, Scholars and others.

You can watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFGM7wosqXo

10/17/2021

Faith Matters:
God willing, we will come through our pandemic trial

By Moshe Meirovich Contributing Columnist
Sat., Oct. 16, 2021

There is no doubt that we are living through trying times.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented medical challenges that by its very nature has sequestered us one from the other, isolating us from social contact that is systemic to our very nature. At the end of the day we are ‘social’ creatures.

How very fortunate we are to receive the life-saving vaccines and to also have at our disposal technology that enables us to connect with family and friends at the push of a button. It’s certainly our collective hope and prayer that ‘sooner than later’ we will be blessed with a return to more normalcy.

In the meantime, I share with you a ‘perspective’ on living: a story that resonates with the Jewish people’s deep belief and trust in an all-knowing God that we are never alone in this vast universe. In her book “My Grandfather’s Blessing,” Dr. Rachel Nemen reminisces about her grandfather’s perspective on life.

She writes: “My Zadie (Yiddish for grandfather) never made an appointment or spoke of any event in the future without adding the words: ‘Im Yirtzeh Hashem-God-willing.’ Why? Because one does not make a promise without this ‘tip of the hat’ to God’s sovereignty. So when someone said, ‘I’ll see you next Tuesday’ or ‘We will have dinner in an hour,’ Zadie would invariably respond ‘God-Willing.’

“There was never any fear in his voice when he said this: just a simple reminder to himself that everything was in God’s hands. To be alive was to wait for the will of God to reveal itself. And one waited with curiosity ... If the fulfilment of every promise or plan rests on God’s approval, then God’s hand is hidden in everything that happens. According to my grandfather, all tragedy or blessing was a part of some unknowable and dynamic purpose. One might not always get one’s way, but one possessed faith, trusting in God absolutely.

At any given time the will of God might be unknown, but the presence of God was the only certainty anyone needed in order to live ... And so ... in my heart I still hear my Zadie saying, “In Yirtzeh Hashem-God-willing.”

A thought to help us as we slowly emerge from darkness to a time of light and hope!

*Article posted with permission. From October 23rd, 2021 in The Standard.

10/14/2021

We are very thankful for our partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in its DELTA BINGO program in support of charitable organizations. The monies we derive in exchange for our participation as volunteers have helped support our online Zoom programs such as 'Who Wants To Be A Mensch?' which is a takeoff of Jeopardy and CBI's 'Israeli Music Cafe' which is not unlike American Bandstand. Congregation B’nai Israel is celebrating its over 40-year association with this very important OLG program.