Potluck Dinner and Friday Night Service 10/19

Please join us this Friday night, October 19th, at 6:30 pm for Friday night services followed by a pot luck dinner. What better way to end the hectic week than good food, company, and conversation.

Our potlucks are dairy or parev and if you have any questions, please contact us at bethelaustin@yahoo.com

Cantor Ben Moshe Message: This week’s parashah is Noah, which recounts the famous story of the Great Flood and its aftermath, as well as the story of the Tower of Babel, when humanity fails to prevent dispersion all over the world. The early humans in the story wanted to build the tower to unite themselves, to keep themselves in one place. As Rabbi Dr. Daniel Gordis puts it, that isn’t what God wants of humanity. God wanted humanity to spread out, to create different cultures, to diversify. As the Talmud puts it, God is greater than a human king, who when he makes coins with his image, he makes them identical. When God made humans in the Divine Image, each was different from the other. Human diversity is part of God’s plan, and should be celebrated. We should be glad that different people have different cultures, different languages, different ways of looking at life, so that we can learn from each other. Shabbat Shalom.

Parasha B’reshit

Congregation Beth El we will be having services both Friday night, 10/12, and services this Saturday morning, 10/13.  Friday night services start at 7:00 pm and Saturday morning services start at 9:00 am with the Torah reading around 10:00 am.

 

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message  This Shabbat we begin again the yearly reading of the Torah with Parshat B’reshit.  We will read of the Creation of the Universe, and especially of humanity.  Our Parshah also speaks of the creation of the Shabbat, the Queen of Days.  Perhaps the most important creation was that of rest-the idea that we were not created to labor unceasingly, but to rest and just *be*.  This is the gift of Torah to us, and from us to the entire world.

 

 

Children’s Services on Yom Kippur

Children’s services begin on Yom Kippur (Wednesday) morning after the kids and our child-size Torah scrolls accompany the large Torah scrolls around the sanctuary at the beginning of the Torah service.  (Approximately 10 AM)

The younger children (Pre-K to 2nd grade) will then march out and meet with Morah Betsy during the adult Torah service.  Expect songs, prayer and an animated re-telling of the story of Jonah.  The playground will be closed at that time, and all students 4th grade and up are expected to listen to the Torah reading quietly in the sanctuary. (Third graders get to choose!)  Then we’ll all listen to one of our big brothers or big sisters lead Ashrei in the sanctuary, escort the Torah scrolls back to the ark, and then the younger children will play outside or quietly in the social hall while 4th-6th graders are invited into the mini-sanctuary (formerly referred to as the garage and sometimes called the classroom or expanded social hall) to pray, discuss, sing and study Torah.

All children are welcome in the sanctuary at any time.  We love kids, we welcome them, and we also want to model for them the behavior we expect from them at synagogue, especially on a day as long as Yom Kippur.  Weather permitting, children may use the playground, play quietly in the classroom/mini-sanctuary, read a book in the social hall, or, of course come into the big sanctuary.  They are always welcome if they can maintain the dignity of the holiday and respect the purpose of the room and of all those who pray.  Entries and exits should be limited, and should be timed as to not interrupt the standing portions of the amidah, the barchu, or kaddish.

Please note that there will be games and books available for children on Tuesday evening for the Kol Nidre service, but we will not be providing child-centered programming at that time.

Any questions?   Email Morah Betsy Teacher@BethElAustin.org or  fill in the form below.

Freddie Grant’s z”l Unveiling and Shabbat Shuvah

This Sunday, 9/23, at 10:00 am at Austin Memorial Park will be Freddie Grant’s z”l unveiling ceremony.  The cemetary is at 2800 Hancock Dr, Austin, TX and the Jewish area is the southwest corner, the section closest to MOPAC.  Please plan to join us at 10:00 am on Sunday morning to pay respect to Freddie and honor his memory. 

 

Also, please to join us at Beth El for Shabbat Shuvah services.  Tonight, 9/21, Friday night services will begin at our regular time of 7:00 pm and tomorrow, 9/22, Saturday morning services will begin at our regular time of 9:00 am with the Torah reading around 9:50 am.

 

Cantor’s Message: This Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is known as Shabbat Shuvah, from the first words of the haftarah, “Shuvah Yisrael…”-“Return, O Israel….” The message is of course one of repentance. Though our Tradition maintains that repentance can, and should be done at any time, we are especially mindful of the need to do so now, as the days grow shorter and darkness falls earlier.

In the spirit of the season, let me now ask forgiveness from all in the Beth El family if I have hurt or offended you in any way, whether in word or did, by action or inaction. May we all forgive each other, and ourselves. May we all remember the blessings that we all bring to each other’s lives, beginning this New Year of 5773 with a clean slate. Shabbat Shalom, ug’mar hatimah tovah. May each of us be sealed for good in the coming year.

 

Kol Nidre will be held next Tuesday night, 9/25, at 7:00 pm and Yom Kippur morning services will start next Wednesday morning, 9/26, at 9:00 am.  Please email us at bethelaustin@yahoo.com with any questions or addtional details.

High Holidays at Beth El

Congregation Beth El’s schedule of services for the next few weeks including the High Holidays.    Our High Holiday services are open to the community, but we request you provide a donation to help us cover our costs and expenses.  In addition to regular services, we will have special children’s services on all of the Holidays.  For additional information or questions, please email us at bethelaustin@yahoo.com

Friday Night, September 7                   Friday Night Services at 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 8,                          Saturday Morning Torah Services at 9:00 AM

September 8 – Saturday                         Havdallah and Selichot Services at 8:00 PM

Rosh Hashanah

September 16 – Sunday Rosh Hashanah Evening Service at 7:00 PM

September 17 – Monday Rosh Hashanah Shachrit Service at 9:00 AM

                                  Rosh Hashanah Torah Service around 10:00 AM

                                  Tashlikh Service at 4:00 PM at Old Spicewood Springs at 360 Under Bridge

September 18 – Tuesday Rosh Hashanah Shachrit Service at 9:00 AM

                                  Rosh Hashanah Torah Service around 10:00 AM                                

September 21 – Friday Shabbat Shuvah Evening Services at 7:00 PM

September 22 – Saturday Shabbat Shuvah Morning Services at 9:00 AM

Yom Kippur

September 25 – Tuesday Kol Nidrei at 7:00 PM

September 26 – Wednesday Yom Kippur Shachrit Service at 9 AM

                                 Yom Kippur Torah Service around 10:15 AM

                                 Mincha at 5:30 PM, Neilah at 6:45 PM

 September 29 – Saturday        Shabbat Morning Services at 9:00 AM

Schedule of Services

Please plan to join us for Friday night services, August 31, at 7:00 PM

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s Weekly message:

 

In this week’s parshah, Ki Tetze, we have a very early example of a building code-the commandment to build a rampart or railing around the roof of one’s house. By way of background, houses in the Middle East traditionally have flat roofs, which serve as kind of an outdoor room, especially in hot weather. The Torah commands us to make sure that anyone on such a roof doesn’t fall off. This commandment has been extended by the Rabbis to include safety features of all kinds. Some might see this as unwarranted interference in the right of individuals to build their houses as they see fit. Our Torah, though, always balances individual rights with an individual’s responsibility to others. Kol Yisrael ‘arevim zeh bazeh-all Jews are responsible to one another, and to humanity at large. We are each precious in God’s sight, but also part of the larger whole of creation.

 

Congregation Beth El’s schedule of services for the next few weeks including the High Holidays.    Our High Holiday services are open to the community, but we request you provide a donation to help us cover our costs and expenses.  In addition to regular services, we will have special children’s services on all of the Holidays.  For additional information or questions, please email us at bethelaustin@yahoo.com

Friday Night, September 7                   Friday Night Services at 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 8,                          Saturday Morning Torah Services at 9:00 AM

September 8 – Saturday                         Havdallah and Selichot Services at 8:00 PM

Rosh Hashanah

September 16 – Sunday Rosh Hashanah Evening Service at 7:00 PM

September 17 – Monday Rosh Hashanah Shachrit Service at 9:00 AM

                                  Rosh Hashanah Torah Service around 10:00 AM

                                  Tashlikh Service at 4:00 PM at Old Spicewood Springs at 360 Under Bridge

September 18 – Tuesday Rosh Hashanah Shachrit Service at 9:00 AM

                                  Rosh Hashanah Torah Service around 10:00 AM                                

September 21 – Friday Shabbat Shuvah Evening Services at 7:00 PM

September 22 – Saturday Shabbat Shuvah Morning Services at 9:00 AM

Yom Kippur

September 25 – Tuesday Kol Nidrei at 7:00 PM

September 26 – Wednesday Yom Kippur Shachrit Service at 9 AM

                                 Yom Kippur Torah Service around 10:15 AM

                                 Mincha at 5:30 PM, Neilah at 6:45 PM

 September 29 – Saturday        Shabbat Morning Services at 9:00 AM

Shabbat Re’eh and Rosh Chodesh Elul

image via http://davidonthelake.blogspot.com

 

Please join us this evening for Shabbat services at 7 PM.

Cantor’s message:

This week we read Parshat Re’eh, and celebrate Rosh Hodesh Elul, the New Month of Elul.  The month of Elul is of course dedicated to preparing for the High Holidays-we blow the shofar every weekday of Elul to remind us to examine ourselves, and the Sepharadi tradition begins s’lihot, penitential prayers at the beginning of the month.  The parshah itself points us in this direction-“Re’eh Anochi noten lifneichem hayom b’rachah u’klalah“-“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse”.  We need to choose, today and every day, whether we will bring good or evil upon ourselves.  May we all avail ourselves of this time of introspection to improve ourselves, and in so doing improve the world in which we live.  Shabbat Shalom.

In Loving Memory of Miriam Margulis

Dear Congregants and Friends,

Please join our community tomorrow, Monday August 13th, at 2pm at Cook Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Austin, 78752, for the funeral of our beloved friend and congregant Miriam Margulis (of blessed memory).

May Miriam’s soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life and may her family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Burial will take place in New York, and Miriam’s son David will be sitting shiva there.  A memorial service is planned at  Beth El in the coming weeks.

Congregation Beth El

http://www.bethelaustin.org/