Parashat Ki Tetze

Friday Night Shabbat Services
Tonight 9/16, at the regular time of 7:00 PM.
Shabbat morning services are next Saturday September 25.
Check out the High Holiday schedule at www.bethelaustin.org
We’ll have a Beth El work day September 25 12:30-3:00 to get the shul beautified for the High Holidays.
Sunday school September 18 at 10 AM.
Slichot only a week away. Saturday September 25 at 8 PM. We’ll start with Havdallah. Kids can wear PJ’s and as always are welcome in the sanctuary with us.
Candle lighting in Austin is at 7:15 PM Please note that you can light candles at shul just before services.
Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This week we read Parshath Ki Tetze, which begins with a set of rules for dealing with captive women. A captive woman may not simply be abused, as was the common practice among soldiers worldwide until fairly recently (and unfortunately still occurs at times even in our day). Rather, she must shave her head and wear unattractive clothing for a month-then, if her captor still desired her he could marry her, and if not he was to set her free. In an age when women were regarded as spoils of war, this was an important protection. Needless to say, this law is no longer applicable in our day-civilians are no longer considered spoils of war, and may not be taken captive in this way. However, there is still a spiritual lesson to be learned from this law. Rabbi Alan Lew, z”l, in his book “This Is Real, And You Are Completely Unprepared”, points out that this law illustrates the importance of sitting with our impulses. We have strong drives in our lives-some of those drives can be destructive, at least when taken to excess. But if we wait to act on an impulse-perhaps we feel like eating, but if we wait we realize that we weren’t actually hungry-then the impulse might pass without our indulging it. In this way we may avoid situations in our lives where we say or do something that we come to regret. Self discipline and impulse control are important spiritual precepts in our Tradition, and practicing them can lead us to more fulfilling lives and better relationships with our fellow human beings and with God. May we always seek to control our inclinations, especially as we approach the most holy time of the year. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe
Sunday school is this Sunday September 18 at 10 AM. Honey cakes will be baked as a Tzedakah project. Learning and fun will continue.
Looking for sweet volunteers!
We will be making honey cakes with the children at the Beth El Religious School soon and need a few volunteers to come help the children. No experience is necessary, just the desire to do this mitzvah.
We plan on making many cakes and then delivering them to some of our congregants and friends to wish them L’Shana Tovah.
Here is what we need:
*Volunteers to help with baking
*Volunteers to make deliveries
*Donations of ingredients
If you can help with any of the above,
please email Shereen Ben-Moshe at shereen@homewyrks.com.
Have a beautiful day!
Shereen Ben-Moshe
Beth El Board meeting will be this Sunday evening, September 18 at 7 P.M. at Beth El. We will plan for the High Holidays and for the year ahead. All members are welcome to join.
Happy September birthdays to Carmen Rodriguez, Kay Shapiro, Judith Golden, Doris Hochman, Orli Carmel and Gail Ellenbogen. May you have an amazing and blessed year ahead. If we don’t have your birthday, please do send it to us.
COMMUNITY NEWS:
Jewish Family Service presents Personal Development Series
Maintaining Emotional Well Being : September 21, 2016 at 7:00pm
Are you hard on yourself or others? Do you tend to overthink things? This educational development workshop offers the skills to strengthen emotional balance and peace-of-mind. Topics will include increasing self-acceptance, practicing flexible thinking, emotional problem-solving and developing self-care habits.
Coping Better with Stress: September 28, 2016 at 7:00pm
Stress is unavoidable and it’s up to us to react in ways that don’t end up making a bad situation worse. This personal development workshop will offer creative, scientifically-tested skills for coping through tough times. Don’t let life take you by surprise – learn some new ways to cope with those inevitable speed bumps!
$10/session
Meets in the AJA Library, Room 226
For more information, contact Emma Howitt at
512-250-1043 or emma.howitt@shalomaustin.org
All sessions are 7:00-8:30pm
Did you know that if you make a purchase at the Agudas Achim gift store, you can designate 10% of the sale to go towards your congregation, Beth El. This week they sent us a lovely check as many of our congregants have indeed been shopping for their Judaica there and designating Beth El as the recipient. What a great deal!
High Holiday letters, schedule and statements will be going out this week and next. Please let us know if you did not receive one. We appreciate all our members, supporters and community.
PLEASE donate generously to Beth El! We keep expenses barebone, but rely on the generosity of our members and community to maintain this beautiful Jewel in the Austin Jewish Community.