- 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
…Wheelchair seating is most convenient in the back, center aisle, and second-row cut-outs in the center. Sound amplification is best in the center of rows six to ten along the Whalley Avenue side. A Hearing Loop system was installed in the Sanctuary in May 2014. Sanctuary seats are fixed and 18″ wide. The George G. Posener Daily Chapel Beit Midrash is accessible on the main floor. Seating is movable and people using wheelchairs can choose almost a…
…ed the first to raise the donkey. The first driver then began to think, “So-and-so is thus my friend, and I did not even know it.” Both entered an inn and ate and drank together. What happened here? The second driver remembered the mitzva of helping others, even a meanie, and so he returned to help the driver whose donkey had the flat tire. Now this little story tells us exactly what was the dynamic that reconciled these two people. That’s what un…
…epigram, Upon three things the world is based: upon the Torah upon divine service and upon acts of kindness. Here at BEKI we read and study Torah and try to observe its mitzvot, so I think we’ve got Torah covered. We certainly hold worship services, which is a conventional way to interpret the second pillar, avoda. It’s that third one that I want to talk about: gemilut hasadim. Doing acts of hesed, kindness. I think we can do that a little better…
…alf way up. My dad waited near the bottom, not wishing to add to the eighty-one years of wear on his knee. We spent a good deal of time at Qibbutz Yizra’el and in New Haven’s sister-city Afula. We went from one end of the country to the other, from Majdal Shams in the far north, to Acco in the west (not really far), to Eilat in the south. Israel is small enough that we were able to drive from one end of the country to the other on a single tank of…
…them. Donʼt tell anyone, but you donʼt really need a rabbi to become a bar- or bat-mitzva, get married or divorced, or have a funeral. It may be desirable to have rabbinic guidance and supervision, but there are really no special “powers” a rabbi has other than the endorsement of some rabbinical school attesting to the rabbiʼs training. The Cemetery Association may require (for good reasons) that a rabbi officiate at a funeral, but there is no su…
…at synagogues adopted the architecture of Protestant churches, with a front-to-back hierarchy. The rabbi teaches from a high platform and prayers are offered from the front of the room on behalf of a largely passive audience. Today we are reclaiming another model, recognizing that the ten people required for our services are equals and that the Torah is meant to be accessible to all. The book of Proverbs teaches b’rov am hadrat hamelekh, the splen…
…11 Mar Abraham’s Tent March 11, 2015 5:30 pm – 11:30 pm BEKI Abraham’s Tent is a community-based program with Columbus House which, through the generosity of local religious congregations and organizations, provides shelter and case management for […] More Info…
…eekly study of the Mishna, leading to Gemara study, will be held in the Beit Midrash on Thursday mornings 10a–11a with Rabbi Tilsen. The Talmud, based on an oral text, has no beginning or end. One can begin study at any point; now is the best time. No prior knowledge is required, but basic facility in English is helpful; students with all backgrounds are welcome, beginner to advanced. Coffee and tea are available in the room. For information conta…
…09 Nov Berakhot Talmud Study Group November 9, 2017 10:00 am – 11:00 am Berakhot Talmud Study Group A weekly study of the Mishna, leading to Gemara study, will be held in the Beit Midrash on Thursday mornings 10a–11a […] More Info…
…eekly study of the Mishna, leading to Gemara study, will be held in the Beit Midrash on Thursday mornings 10a–11a with Rabbi Tilsen. The Talmud, based on an oral text, has no beginning or end. One can begin study at any point; now is the best time. No prior knowledge is required, but basic facility in English is helpful; students with all backgrounds are welcome, beginner to advanced. Coffee and tea are available in the room. For information conta…
