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.

Parshat Tetzaveh, Purim and Children’s Service

Dear Congregants and Friends,

Services for the coming week:

• Friday night, 7pm, Kabbalat Shabbat
• Saturday, 9am, Shabbat morning service
• Saturday, 10am, Children’s Shabbat Service
• Wednesday night 6:30pm – PURIM!  Including appetizer & dessert potluck (dairy or pareve), megilla reading, and a Purim puppet play presented by the religious school students.

From the Cantor:

This Shabbat we have an opportunity to perform an extra mitzvah, in addition to the mitzvot of Shabbat, and that is to “Remember what ‘Amalek did to you on your way out of Egypt”.  The Rabbis decreed that this week’s additional reading, Zachor, is one of the 613 commandments of the Torah-all the more reason to make a special effort to attend services this weekend.  Remembrance is actually one of the key values of our Tradition.  We are commanded to “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy”, and to remember many other things as well.  We remember those who are no longer with us, on the yahrtzheit, the anniversary of their passing.  Remembrance alone is not enough, though.  We must remember certain things so that those memories can inspire us in the present.  Please come this Shabbat at 7PM Friday and 9AM Saturday, as we explore what we are to remember, and why.

Shabbat Shalom.

Shabbat Vayehi — Friday and Saturday Services

Please join us Friday night at 7PM and Saturday morning at 9AM for Shabbat services.  There will also be a children’s service beginning at approximately 10:30 AM.

From the Cantor:

Some 1000 years ago, the great commentator Rash”i said that the Torah could have begun in the Book of Exodus, but that the preceding parts were necessary for background.  Indeed, the Book of Genesis can almost stand alone.  While most of the Torah is the story of the People of Israel, the Book of Genesis is mainly the story of the family of Avraham Avinu, our ancestor Abraham.  Just as the Torah finishes with words of blessing-the last parashah of the Torah is called V’zot Hab’rachah, “This is the blessing…”, our parashah this week, Vayehi, is one of blessing.  In our parashah, the patriarch Ya’kov/Yisrael blesses his children before his death, with words that are echoed by Moshe in his blessing.  The saga of one family is about to turn into the saga of a people.  May God bless us with the blessings of our ancestor Yisrael, as well as the blessings of our Teacher Moshe.  Shabbat Shalom.

Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe
8902 Mesa Drive
Austin, TX 78759

Religious school classes resume next Monday, January 9.

Services Tonight and Tomorrow Morning

image via http://www.pomegranatestudios.com/

Dear Congregants & Guests,

Please note that we have weekly shabbat services Friday November 4th at 7pm and Shabbat morning, November 5, starting at 9 am with the Torah service at 9:45 am.

Children’s services will be at 11 am.

We look forward to seeing you all and please be sure to HOLD THE DATE: November 13 at 4pm for the Beth El Annual meeting and cookout!  Don’t miss this yearly event.

This week’s parshah is Lekh L’kha, in which our ancestors Avram and Sarai (later Avraham and Sarah) first make the move to the Promised Land, the Land that would become Israel.  Avram is told by God to leave everything that is familiar and comfortable to go to a place which he has never seen.  This is the first of Avraham’s ten trials, and like the last, the Binding of Isaac, involves a great leap of faith.  Because this parshah speaks of the first ‘aliyah, going up to the Land of Israel, it is customary in Israeli synagogues to honor new ‘olim, immigrants, on this Shabbat.

May our Land and our People know peace and prosperity, on this and on every Shabbat.

Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

8902 Mesa Drive

Austin, TX 78759

www.bethelaustin.org

Children’s Service for First Day Rosh Hashanah

Once again this year, Morah Betsy will be leading a service for 6-12 year old students on the First Day of Rosh Hashanah (Thursday 9/29/11) at approximately 10:30 AM.  We will pray, have a Torah service with the congregation’s brand new student Torah scroll, read the Torah readings in English, discuss the prayers, and blow shofar.

We will also join the adult service in the sanctuary briefly for the sounding of the shofar there.

For our prayers and Torah selection, we will using the Tiku Shofar Machzor, kindly loaned to us from Congregation Agudas Achim, and we hope to use it again on Yom Kippur.