{"id":46729,"date":"2025-05-30T01:57:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T08:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=46729"},"modified":"2025-05-28T13:47:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T20:47:56","slug":"or-shalom-breaks-ground-on-renovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2025\/05\/30\/or-shalom-breaks-ground-on-renovations\/","title":{"rendered":"Or Shalom breaks ground on renovations\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Or Shalom held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 27, launching the MoreOR project. (photo from Or Shalom)<\/em><\/p>\n

On Sunday, April 27, Or Shalom Synagogue marked a major milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony, launching the MoreOR project \u2013 a long-anticipated renovation and expansion that will transform the synagogue on East 10th Avenue into a more sustainable, accessible and welcoming community hub for generations to come.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
John Fuerst, lead for Or Shalom\u2019s housing task force, at the April 27 groundbreaking. (photo from Or Shalom)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ceremony began with a niggun<\/i>, a wordless melody, and a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims of the tragic events at the Lapu Lapu Day festival, grounding the day in both reflection and hope.<\/p>\n

Several special guests joined the community to mark the occasion, including David Bogdonov of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation and Quelamia Sparrow, who offered a meaningful land acknowledgement. Sparrow\u2019s words reminded those gathered of the importance of community, and the deep history and ongoing responsibilities connected to the land on which Or Shalom stands.<\/p>\n

Synagogue board member Mira Oreck and project lead John Fuerst shared the story of the MoreOR project. Reflections from Bogdonov and board member Jodie Eaton emphasized the importance of building spaces that will serve future generations.<\/p>\n

Rabbi Arik Labowitz highlighted that MoreOR is far more than a construction project \u2013 it\u2019s a bold investment in the spirit of Or Shalom, a commitment to nurturing Jewish life in Vancouver.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
The shul\u2019s Rabbi Arik Labowitz was one of the speakers. (photo from Or Shalom)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The groundbreaking ceremony included a ritual inspired by Jewish tradition: the breaking of a glass. Commonly seen at Jewish weddings, this act served as a poignant reminder that, even in moments of profound joy, we remain mindful of the brokenness in the world \u2013 a symbol of resilience, responsibility and hope, as Or Shalom embarks on this next chapter.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0MoreOR\u00a0project takes advantage of the current synagogue building\u2019s solid foundation and central location. It will add new classrooms, expand the kitchen, renovate the social hall, improve accessibility with the addition of an elevator and create a zero-carbon, environmentally sustainable facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply grateful to all of our donors and community members, whose vision, commitment and generosity have brought us to this milestone,\u201d said Oreck. \u201cThis project is about more than just bricks and mortar \u2013 it\u2019s about building a future rooted in sustainability, inclusivity and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about the\u00a0MoreOR\u00a0project or to contribute, visit orshalom.ca\/moreor<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013 Courtesy Or Shalom<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Or Shalom held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 27, launching the MoreOR project. (photo from Or Shalom) On Sunday, April 27, Or Shalom Synagogue marked a major milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony, launching the MoreOR project \u2013 a long-anticipated renovation and expansion that will transform the synagogue on East 10th Avenue into a more sustainable, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[7335,6152,24044,22,4764],"class_list":["post-46729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","tag-development","tag-groundbreaking","tag-moreor","tag-or-shalom","tag-synagogues"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}