Parashat Tetzaveh

barry sraelJoin us for our friendly, warm and welcoming Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat Services at 7 PM Friday February 23!

Shabbat morning services are this weekend, Saturday February 24th starting at 9:00 am, with the Torah service at 9:45 am, children’s story time with Morah Shereen, and a delicious sit down lunch immediately following services*.

SAVE THE DATE:
PURIM – WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28 AT 6:45 PM.

BETH EL SECOND NIGHT SEDER – SATURDAY MARCH 31 AT 6:30 PM.

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s weekly message:
This week’s parshah, Tetzaveh, concerns itself largely with the clothing of the Kohanim, the priests, and especially the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. This perhaps especially apt for the Shabbat before Purim, an holiday when we dress in costumes. Two elements of the vestments of the Kohen Gadol were two stones to be worn on his shoulders, each bearing the names of aisle of the twelve Tribes of Israel, and a breastplate with twelve stones, each representing one of the Tribes. The Kohen Gadol was to be reminded constantly on whose behalf he served-that of the People of Israel. He had to always know that he was to represent their interests as a leader, and not his own. The Torah thus gives us a concrete example of how a true leader should act. May we, who live in a democratic society, always choose leaders who work in the public interest, and be Mordechai and not Hamans. Shabbat Shalom and Hag Purim Sameah.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

“We achieve our greatness by passing on our values to the next generation and empowering them to go and build the future” (Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks). Our enriching and creative Sunday School truly inspires us to do just that. The BERS will be meeting this Sunday at 10 am along with the Chai Mitzvah Teens.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 6:08 p.m.

In honor of this week’s Parasha, a photo of Barry in full Kohen Ha Gadol regalia, taken on his trip to Israel this month with Bob and Kathy. They returned safely after the trip of a life time to Eretz Israel.

Save the date for the Purim Party you won’t want to miss! Wednesday February 28 at 6:45 in the evening. Megillah reading, face painting, food, fun and quite a few L’Chaims!

Enjoy a couple of photos of the Men’s Club event last Sunday. Chillin and Grillin was a huge hit. Thank you to all who came and to all who helped. Looking forward to the next event – Bowling!

SAVE THE DATE: Congregation Beth El’s 2nd Night Seder.
PASSOVER ACROSS AMERICA!
Saturday March 31 at 6:30 PM.

In partnership with the National Jewish Outreach Program, Congregation Beth El is proud to host a second night seder, open to the Austin Jewish Community. Please RSVP to save your spot for our fun and interactive second night seder, with delicious kosher food, wine and friends. Led by Cantor Ben-Moshe. info@bethelaustin.org

Congregation Beth El Sisterhood Book Club
Join us as we read By Light of Hidden Candles by Daniella Levy.
We will be meeting at the home of Gail Ellenbogen on Wednesday, March 21 to discuss the book and socialize.

The Congregation Beth El Sisterhood invites all Jewish women to join us for any of our events. Please bring a friend. It is our hope to provide programming to bring us all together. For more information about our events and becoming more active, please contact Shereen Ben-Moshe at shereen@homewyrks.com.

* Huge kudos to our Shabbat Shefs, Claudia, Anita, Yesenia , Genesis and Shereen. We meet on the Thursday evening before shabbat morning services to help cook and always welcome any help.

Family Fun Day at the J is this Sunday!
https://shalomaustin.org/FFD

Save the dates in April for this very special month of remembrance and celebration at the
Dell Jewish Community Campus.

April 8 at 7 p.m. Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance

April 17 at 7 p.m. Yom HaZikaron
Israel’s Memorial Day
Chazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe, IDF Veteran, will be part of this moving ceremony.

April 22 at 11 a.m. Yom HaAtzmaut
Israel’s 70th Birthday Celebration.

Film Screening: Arabic Movie & Q&A w/ Director Eyal Sagui Bizawe
Thursday, February 15
8 – 9:30 PM
College of Liberal Arts Building
Room 1.302B
305 E. 23rd St
The Institute of Israeli Studies hopes you will join them for a film screening of the documentary “Arabic Movie,” followed by a Q&A with director Eyal Sagui Bizawe

Film Screening: Arabic Movie & Q&A w/ Director Eyal Sagui Bizawe
Thursday, February 15
8 – 9:30 PM
College of Liberal Arts Building
Room 1.302B
305 E. 23rd St
The Institute of Israeli Studies hopes you will join them for a film screening of the documentary “Arabic Movie,” followed by a Q&A with director Eyal Sagui Bizawe

Straining to Get Rich – Blog post by Sandy Kress
Posted February 2018
https://sandykress.wordpress.com/

I’m now teaching a six-part seminar at UT SAGE on wisdom sayings from the Jewish tradition. The focus this week is on work – ways in which it can be highly virtuous as well as ways in which it can be harmfully distorted. Love of work is essential, the wisdom teaches, but we must be careful that that love doesn’t seductively morph into something else that is damaging.

Here’s a proverb to consider.
“Do not strain to get rich. Leave off your staring! If you but let your eye fly on it, it is no more, for it will surely make itself wings like eagle’s and fly off to the sky.” Proverbs 23:4-5

Does this proverb forbid or discourage wealth or attainment of riches? I don’t see that it does. Work can be appropriately fruitful in many ways, including the earning of material reward.

The concern seems instead to be with “straining” and “staring.” First, what is meant by straining to get rich?
It could be what we do when we exhibit an unhealthy devotion of excessive time or effort to the attainment of riches. Our enterprise then becomes less about the intrinsic value, joy, and yield of work, and more about an obsession with the desire for riches.

So, what’s “staring?” Staring at riches suggests being fixated on them. Such fixation is wrong because just as easily as wealth comes along, it can be lost. Even if excessive wealth remains, its value tends to be more ephemeral than enduring. This is what is meant, I think, by likening the outcome of obsession with riches to something that will “make itself wings like eagle’s and fly off to the sky.”

Instead of staring and straining to get rich, we should understand that that which deeply satisfies is the feeling of a job well done; a contribution of work, often done with others, that enables and ennobles; and accomplishments through service that add to our ongoing wellbeing and that of our community. For it is there that we find true treasure.

Please consider a donation to Austin’s friendly neighborhood shul! Your tax deductible donation (T’rumah) helps us immensely. You can sponsor a kidish lunch for $100, co-sponsor Purim or Passover, or just help those in our shul who need an extra hand.
Every dollar does good! Every volunteer is treasured.

Parashat Trumah

MC BBQJoin us for our friendly, warm and welcoming Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat Services at 7 PM tonight!

SAVE THE DATE:

Men’s club BBQ THIS SUNDAY AT 2 PM.

PURIM – WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28 AT 6:45 PM.

BETH EL SECOND NIGHT SEDER – SATURDAY MARCH 31 AT 6:30 PM.

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s weekly message:

This week’s parshah, T’rumah, is notoriously one of the most difficult for divrei Torah, since it is entirely concerned with the details of materials needed for the building of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle in the desert. The parshah comes across as dry and technical. However, one of those details is instructive. The Torah commands that the Holy Ark be built of acacia wood, and plated inside and out with gold. The Sages point out that once the Tablets of the Covenant were placed inside, no one would ever see the inside of the Ark, so no one would see the gold plating inside. We are taught that this is a teaching for us-that what is inside of us should match the outside. This is a warning against hypocrisy and deceit, and an encouragement for personal integrity. We always want to make a good impression on others-let that good impression be a reflection of internal reality. Shabbat Shalom.

“When (the month of) Adar enters, joy increases.

Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

NO Sunday School with the BERS
this weekend.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 6:02p.m.

Join the Men’s Club for another in the popular Sunday afternoon BBQs! Yosef has a brand new grill and is dying to use it. Looking forward to chillin’ and grillin’ with the guys. Open to all.

THIS SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18 at 2 PM.

Save the date for the Purim Party you won’t want to miss! Wednesday February 28 at 6:45 in the evening. Megillah reading, face painting, food, fun and quite a few L’Chaims!

Todah rabah to Ruth Stavchansky for hosting such a fun Sisterhood event this week. We are all off to a great start crocheting and look forward to another class later in the Spring!

SAVE THE DATE: Congregation Beth El’s 2nd Night Seder.

PASSOVER ACROSS AMERICA!

Saturday March 31 at 6:30 PM.

In partnership with the National Jewish Outreach Program, Congregation Beth El is proud to host a second night seder, open to the Austin Jewish Community. Please RSVP to save your spot for our fun and interactive second night seder, with delicious kosher food, wine and friends. Led by Cantor Ben-Moshe. info@bethelaustin.org

Congregation Beth El Sisterhood Book Club

Join us as we read By Light of Hidden Candles by Daniella Levy.

We will be meeting at the home of Gail Ellenbogen on Wednesday, March 21 to discuss the book and socialize.

The Congregation Beth El Sisterhood invites all Jewish women to join us for any of our events. Please bring a friend. It is our hope to provide programming to bring us all together. For more information about our events and becoming more active, please contact Shereen Ben-Moshe at shereen@homewyrks.com.

No Sunday school this weekend, but please enjoy the photos from last week’s Havdallah, Hebrew and Pre-Purim Fun!

Save the dates in April for this very special month of remembrance and celebration at the
Dell Jewish Community Campus.

April 8 at 7 p.m. Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance

April 17 at 7 p.m. Yom HaZikaron
Israel’s Memorial Day

April 22 at 11 a.m. Yom HaAtzmaut
Israel’s 70th Birthday Celebration.

Please consider a donation to Austin’s friendly neighborhood shul! Your tax deductible donation (T’rumah) helps us immensely. You can sponsor a kidish lunch for $100, co-sponsor Purim or Passover,or just help those in our shul who need an extra hand.
Every dollar does good!

Parashat Mishpatim

crochet 2
L’chu n’ra’n’na La’Adonai : (Oh, go forth, let us express our joy) These are the first words of the traditional Kabbalat Shabbat Service. They are meant to move us out of our complacency and awaken us to the miracle of Shabbat which is just happening. What better place to do this then your very own shul, Beth El, where everybody knows your name and cares about you! Happening Friday night at 7 PM!

Shabbat morning services are also this weekend, February 10th, starting at 9 AM. Join us for beautiful davening, an inspiring drash, children’s services and a delicious lunch, shared with friends. By popular demand, Bob’s Israeli cholent and the Cantor’s famous lentil soup will be on the menu.

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s weekly message:

This week’s parshah, Mishpatim, continues where last week’s left off – the continuation of Revelation at Mount Sinai. Mishpatim contains many laws, both civil and ritual in nature. One of the most significant is Chapter 23:9 – “And you shall not oppress the stranger, for you know the soul of the stranger, since you were strangers in the Land of Egypt.” We know what it is like to be an oppressed minority, what it is like to be without a homeland. We have experienced this throughout our history, from ancient times until very recently. We are commanded to show empathy and to treat strangers kindly – in our own Land of Israel, and wherever we are in our dispersion. May we always be able to see ourselves in the faces of “the other”, and treat them as our Torah bids us. Shabbat Shalom.

Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

Sunday School with the BERS
is THIS Sunday February 11

Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:57 p.m.

Save the date for the Purim Party you won’t want to miss! Wednesday February 28 at 6:45 in the evening. Megillah reading, face painting, food, fun and quite a few L’Chaims!

Sisterhood Crochet Class!

Please join the sisterhood on Tuesday February 13 at 7PM as we learn the basics of crocheting and basically have an amazing time together. All are welcome. From beginner crocheters, to advanced, as well as those who just want to hang out. It will be at the home of Ruth Stavchansky, and we look forward to seeing you! RSVP to Shereen at
shereen@homewyrks.com. Don’t drive at night, no problem! Just give us a holler and we’ll find you a ride. Everyone’s welcome at the Sisterhood events.

Congregation Beth El Sisterhood Book Club

Join us as we read By Light of Hidden Candles by Daniella Levy.

We will be meeting at the home of Gail Ellenbogen on Wednesday, March 21 to discuss the book and socialize.

The Congregation Beth El Sisterhood invites all Jewish women to join us for any of our events. Please bring a friend. It is our hope to provide programming to bring us all together. For more information about our events and becoming more active, please contact Shereen Ben-Moshe at shereen@homewyrks.com.

COMMUNITY NEWS:

Save the dates in April for this very special month of remembrance and celebration at the Dell Jewish Community Campus.

April 8 at 7 p.m. Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance
April 17 at 7 p.m. Yom HaZikaron
Israel’s Memorial Day
April 22 at 11 a.m. Yom HaAtzmaut
Israel’s 70th Birthday Celebration.

The Weekly Parashah from the Center for Latino – Jewish Relations. Dr Peter Tarlow

Last week we studied Parashat Yitro. It is in that parashah that we read about the giving of the Ten Commandments. This week we turn to Parashat Mishpatim. If we see the Ten Commandments as the theory of law, then this week’s parashah is the text’s first attempt to fill out the law. From this parashah we derive not only many of Judaism’s basic legal principles but also the basis for much of Western law and civilization.

Mishpatim is the only ancient Middle Eastern code of law that begins with the topic of “avdut” meaning: “slavery” or “indenture servitude.”. Not only does this week’s code begin with the rights of the “eved/slave”, but also it quickly progresses to one of the stranger sections of the code. In chapter 21, verses 5-6, the reader learns that if the slave is set free but chooses not to accept his freedom, then his master is to “bring him to a door and pierce his ear with an awl..” How come? Such a position seems to be counter intuitive and even if the slave did not want to leave his wife and/or children, once free there was nothing from preventing him from earning the money to buy his loved ones out of slavery and give them their freedom.

Perhaps the answer is found in the fact that we ought not to read the word “avdut” too narrowly. In its broadest meaning, avedut may not only refer to bodily servitude but also to a state of mental stagnation. That is to say, there are those who fear freedom and the responsibilities of freedom. How many people seek eternal childhood rather than growing up and becoming adults?

To be free is not easy. It means judging oneself, facing the challenges of life, exploring the depths of our souls and not blaming others for our own failures. In that sense, the pursuit of ignorance is the desire to stay a slave. Is not our desire to hold back the clock a way in which we construct the walls of our mental imprisonment?

Our challenge then is not just to approach the door of freedom but also to make the leap of faith by walking through it and becoming free. Such a leap is not an easy task, either for those who lived in the Biblical period or for those who are alive today. Do you agree?

Parashat Yithro and The Band’s Visit

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band's visit

See you TONIGHT Friday February 2, at 7 PM for song and soul filled Kabbalat shabbat services.
Movie Night and Havdallah this Saturday evening, February 3 at 7PM. Please see below and come enjoy The Band’s Visit and a child friendly movie. Snacks and lots of fun promised!

ערב קולנוע בק״ק בית אל! מוצ״ש, 02/03/18 בשעה 21:00. חינם ופתוח לכל הקהילה. נתחיל עם הבדלה, ואז נקרין את הסרט ״ביקור התזמורת״, ובשביל הילדים ״ווילי וונקא ומפעל השוקולד״. כיף לכל הגילאים!
**התלבשו בנח-הילדים אולי ירצו לבוא בפיג׳מה

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s weekly message:

This week’s parshah, Yithro, details the peak moment of Torah-Ma’amad Har Sinai, Revelation at Sinai. The text of the Torah speaks of the loud sounds of that day-the thunder and the “sound of the shofar” coming from the mountain, and then the Divine Voice Itself. The Midrash states that at that time, all sound on Earth was silenced except for Sinai. On the other hand, when Elijah the Prophet, fleeing for his life from the vengeance of King Ahav and Queen Izevel, hears God speaking to him at Sinai, he hears a “kol d’mamah dakkah”, a “still, small voice.” Which voice of God are we most likely to hear-the thunderous one, or the still, almost silent one? And if we do hear, will we listen?

Shabbat Shalom. Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

Sunday School with the BERS is THIS Sunday February 4

Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:51 p.m.

To my congregation,

This is an open letter to tell you how I felt on January 27th when I went to services. No where would you find a congregation like I’m a member of. I was very fortunate to have an aliyah and then followed by a wonderful blessing by the Cantor. On the way back to my seat, I had a hand shake from everyone on the way. What a feeling this was! The people were genuinely happy that I was going on a trip to Israel. I would like to thank each and every one of you for the great feeling and love that I received from you all.

I realize when you will be reading this I will have just woken up in Israel to start my journey where I look forward to experiencing many spiritual moments along with a fun time with my fellow travelers.

Much love to all of you,

Barry Mann

Movie Night at Beth El
February 3, 7 P.M. The Band’s Visit!
Celebrate havdallah and watch the hilarious Israeli movie, The Band’s Visit on Saturday February 3rd, at 7 PM. We will also be screening a children’s movie. Popcorn, snacks, fun and laughs!

Sisterhood Crochet Class!

Please join the sisterhood on Tuesday February 13 at 7PM as we learn the basics of crocheting and basically have an amazing time together. All are welcome. From beginner crocheters, to advanced, as well as those who just want to hang out. It will be at the home of Ruth Stavchansky, and we look forward to seeing you!

Congregation Beth El Sisterhood Book Club

Join us as we read By Light of Hidden Candles by Daniella Levy.

We will be meeting at the home of Gail Ellenbogen on Wednesday, March 21 to discuss the book and socialize.

The Congregation Beth El Sisterhood invites all Jewish women to join us for any of our events. Please bring a friend. It is our hope to provide programming to bring us all together. For more information about our events and becoming more active, please contact Shereen Canady Ben-Moshe at shereen@homewyrks.com.