Weekend services and a hearty Mazal Tov

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Congregants and Friends,

We look forward to seeing you for our regular Friday night services tonight, November 8th, at 7pm.
On Saturday November 9 at 9 am we will have our Shabbat morning services in which we will also celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Noy Lohr.  We would like to wish her parents Gil and Michelle and her sister Eden a hearty Mazal Tov and thank the Lohr family for sponsoring the kidish in honor of their daughter.
Other exciting events at Beth El include the following:
Davening for Dummies
Interested in sharpening your synagogue skills and learning more about the service?  Gabbai Bam Rubenstein will be teaching an ongoing Davening for Dummies class on second Wednesdays of the month at 7:00 pm at Congregation Beth El. Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 pm This class will cover the reasons and meaning for saying Kaddish, including sitting Shiva and the mourning period.  The class will also briefly provide an overview of Jewish burial practices.  Great for all levels.
Crypto Judaism Lecture – November 16 at 6:30 pm Rabbi Tarlow will continue his fascinating series of lectures on Crypto Judaism.  We will have havdallah led by Cantor Ben-Moshe.
HOLD THE DATE:  Channukah is early this year.  Hold the date for our annual Channukah party on Sunday NOVEMBER 24 at 5pm.  Huge thank you to the sisterhood and Elaine and Hal Jacobs for sponsoring this annual Beth El tradition. 

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s Message:
This week we read in Parshat Vayetze the famous story of Sulam Ya’akov, Jacob’s Ladder.  This takes place in a field outside the town of Luz, later renamed Beit (Beth) El, “The House of God”.  Ya’akov of course has no idea that he is in a sacred place when he stops for the night-in fact, he says “Indeed God is in this place and I didn’t know it!”.  We know, actually that God is in every place-if we can perceive the Divine Presence.  Perhaps we don’t have prophetic dreams, but we can be alert to the subtle signs that we are indeed in the House of God at all times, whether we are at Beth El or in any other place.  Shabbat Shalom.  Community News:
Haddasah’s monthly Brunch Bunch meeting will be on Friday, November 15 at 10:00 a.m. held at 3418 N. Lamar in the private room of Cafe Express. We will feature our local expert in cold caps therapy. Patsy Morgenstern Graham, a cancer survivor, started the non-profit, Cold Caps Assistance Projects, to assist chemotherapy patients with cold caps to minimize hair loss due to chemotherapy.  RSVP to Rochelle Kraus at (512)294-0006 or rochelle_kraus@yahoo.com.

Attend the Friends of Jewish Family Service 2013 Benefit on November 19 and enjoy Merlin Works Improv Comedy!  Help honor JFS Friend of the Year Barbara Barron as you support critical mental health and social services in Austin and Central Texas. Register at www.shalomaustin.org/jfs.

Hebrew school students create their own Jewish board games

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Siddur treasure hunt in the playground

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The students in Kita Bet are completing a siddur treasure hunt in the playground at Beth El.

The clues are hanging up throughout the playground.

Friday night services at Beth El and upcoming events – Parashat Toldot

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Congregants and Friends,

Please join us for our regular Friday night services , November 1st, at 7pm in which we will usher in Shabbat with our beautiful song filled services.

Upcoming events at Beth El – HOLD THE DATE:

Davening for Dummies
Interested in sharpening your synagogue skills and learning more about the service?  Gabbai Bam Rubenstein will be teaching an ongoing Davening for Dummies class on second Wednesdays of the month at 7:00 pm at Congregation Beth El.
Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 pm This class will cover the reasons and meaning for saying Kaddish, including sitting Shiva and the mourning period.  The class will also briefly provide an overview of Jewish burial practices.
Wednesday, December 11 at 7:00 pm This class will cover and discuss the tallit, t’fellin, and the basis and reasons for a minyan.    Wanting to share his knowledge and help inform and educate the community, Bam Rubenstein is a lively speaker whose classes are sure to be educational and entertaining.  Bam, a native of New York, grew up in Queens, graduated from Hebrew High School at Forest Hills Jewish Center, and attended both extension courses and Torah Leadership Seminars at Yeshiva University.  Bam will share his knowledge and education in this ongoing series. 
Crypto Judaism Lecture – November 16 at 6:30 pm  Rabbi Peter Tarlow of A&M Hillel will continue his ongoing series of lectures on Crypto Judaism, Saturday night November 16, at Congregation Beth El.

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s Message: This week’s parshah, Toldot Yitzhak, deals extensively with the conflict between Esav and Ya’akov, the twin sons of Yitzhak and Rivkah.  The conflict begins in the womb, and as the brothers grow older they take on two distinct personalities. Esav is a hunter, a man of action, but his courage and strength are offset by his impulsiveness and tendency towards violence.  Ya’akov, the younger, is more thoughtful and introspective, but is afraid of direct confrontation, often resorting to trickery and deceit to get his way.  Neither brother is complete-each has good qualities which the other lacks.  It is not until two weeks from now that we will see Ya’akov face his brother head-on, when he earns the name Yisrael and becomes worthy of being the ancestor of the People of Israel.  At that point, the Torah also describes him as ‘shalem’, ‘whole’.  May we, the descendants of Ya’akov/Yisrael, combine intelligence and thoughtfulness with courage, so that we can be shlemim, wholehearted in our devotion to doing God’s work.  Shabbat Shalom.