- Congregation Beth El–Keser Israel
85 Harrison Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1724 | P: 203.389.2108 | office@beki.org
85 Harrison Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1724 | P: 203.389.2108 | office@beki.org
…ts several specific mitsvot. Beyond the value of the animal’s life and well-being in and of itself, and as an independent being in God’s creation, we believe that the way we view and treat an animal affects the way we treat other people. Cruelty toward animals is often a precursor to cruelty toward people. In our panoply of values, we might in general rank our values as human species survival, human group survival, individual human life, then anim…
…m immigrants from Arab countries, Africa and Europe. The fact that my great-great-great grandfather Dov ben Ze’ev lived in northern Israel does not give me a “first come” claim over people who subsequently lived there. But the notion that Arabs are somehow more “native” than Jews is an historical absurdity. Yet it is a notion that underlies much of the writing of the European and American press, and that is held dearly by some Palestinian Arab pro…
…d our world is great compared to that of a dog, and incomparably vast compared to that of a worm. It is said that 500 million years ago, the most advanced life form on Earth was a multicellular worm. As humanity continues to evolve, someday people will reach new levels of consciousness and understanding, such that they will look back at us as primitive and limited. As Rabbi Levitas of Yavne says, “Be very very humble, for a human’s future is to be…
…o be an affiliation of rabbis, cantors and congregations that are community-based, not a hierarchy that imposes its agenda or viewpoint. Minority positions are validated on many issues. Indeed, some individual Committee members have voted for multiple and contradictory positions in the name of diversity, saying that all are “valid.” However, it is one thing to live with differences in kashrut or Shabbat standards, and another to reconcile contradi…
…, he does not want to tell that to the blasphemer, his reason being that he-Moses-had killed the blasphemer’s father. If he sentences the blasphemer to death as well, people may think that Moses does not like the family, and therefore the Israelites will not trust him. Rabbi Heller differs, suggesting that maybe Moses did know the punishment is death, but he did not know what manner of death. In some ways, this story is similar to one about a stic…
…aunched in fall 2022 under the direction of Education Director Annie Norman-Schiff (pictured above) and Rabbi Eric Woodward (pictured at right) brings both continuity and changes. We are implementing a new curriculum based on the insights of our Education Visioning Committee. This includes new approaches to Tefila (prayer); a renewed focus on Jewish character development and values; and a stronger connection between what happens at school and the…
…information on the Ḥavura, or to receive weekly email and monthly mailings on synagogue activities, contact the coordinator at 20s30s@beki.org or our office at office@beki.org 203.389.2108 x14….
…n 31 Feb 14 Feb 28 Mar 13 Mar 27 Apr 10 –Pesach Break– May 1 May 15 May 29 To register for Teen Kesher or for more information, contact Annie Norman-Schiff at: principal@beki.org or Rabbi Woodward at: rabbi@beki.org …
…All worship services and children’s programs are member-led. Education Director Annie Norman Schiff (anormanschiff@beki.org) arranges the rotation for children’s programs. To sign up to lead part of the Saturday morning services, or to read Torah or Haftorah, make your selection via our online spreadsheet. Just scroll down to the proper date to see details about each aliyah. Questions? Consult Rachel Adelstein at ritualcoordinator@beki.org. …
…nch on Saturday, or one of our other services, classes, or events. We invite you to explore our calendar. If you have further questions, please e-mail beki-membership@beki.org. We look forward to meeting you!…
