- 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
…es.” The Besht said: “If your father had money for silverware, it would be better used to provide for poor people and the rest to give to charity.”20 While neither the Besht nor Jewish ethics in general demands such piety of all their followers, the Besht’s attitude is considered the ideal for which we all should ultimately strive. This may mean a measurable change in our lifestyles as we reorder our priorities on the personal level. Means-Ends Re…
…overnment death panels was made by Republicans, I turn to you for help because you are the closest thing we have in Connecticut to a Republican, no offense, and because you are by all accounts highly regarded among your Senate colleagues. I would add that I once supported a Republican in his race for the Senate, and even though he was sentenced to one year of probation after his admission of misuse of public funds, I don’t regret supporting him, s…
…th God–and to use our words, our intellect and compassion, our vision of a better world to counteract the violence that surrounds us. Our sages noted a play on words in the Hebrew text: The phrase “haqol qol ya`aqov — the voice is the voice of Jacob” can also be read “heqel qol ya`aqov” meaning “when the voice of Jacob is stilled, then the hands are the hands of Esau.” When the voice of compassion and intelligence is silent, the forces of violence…
…from Jewish essence. People who use violence against other people just because they are too ignorant to recognize varieties of Jewish ritual are not Jews. People who destroy non-Jewish property because they think the Torah allows to hate non-Jews have not really received the Torah. People who violate the holiness of Shabbat and Yom Tov have not received the Torah properly and do not fear God. People who push and harrass physically and verbally Jew…
…ted our religious priorities? A sanctuary redesign means rethinking how we use BEKI’s sanctuary. The room was designed in the late 1950s for a formal, hierarchical style of worship. The rabbi and cantor led services on a high stage, like performers, with congregants seated like a passive audience. A redesign means creating a sanctuary that reflects our 21st-century values of warmth and inclusiveness, egalitarianism and engagement. It means enhanci…
