- 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
…se points of view. Perhaps we will be able to do this some other time. For today, I would like to recognize that there are also strong forces within Judaism that embrace art, embrace a wider view of religion that encourages the inclusion of beauty in the synagogue and sanctuary. I would like to acknowledge, too, that at times it is difficult to decide where to draw the line when art conflicts with the religion. For example, only a few days ago, th…
…night. We don’t have any such assurance that God is dwelling in our midst today, but we build and maintain synagogues anyway. Is God here in BEKI right now? What is the point of this whole exercise if God isn’t here? I don’t know how you see God — as a watchful Father, the Rock and Redeemer of Israel, the intelligent designer of creation, the force that inspires goodness within us, or some other construct — but however you see God, we build and m…
…ormational experience. * * * * The Jacob we have come to know, as we begin today’s parashah, is not a very attractive fellow. His deceitful behavior in conning his brother Esau out of his birthright, and tricking his father Isaac into bestowing upon him the blessing that belonged to Esau, has portrayed him as a liar, a cheat, a trickster, a crafty, dishonest manipulator. Jacob’s brother threatens to kill him, so Jacob flees from his home in Canaan…
…I was intrigued by this story and its placement, and decided to discuss it today. Perhaps its position in Leviticus is meant to make us question and give it attention. If so, it worked for me, and I enjoyed the variety of opinions and the privilege to decide for myself what I choose to believe. I recently saw the Broadway play Wicked. The author of the book Wicked, Gregory Maguire, writes books based on the point of view of an alternative characte…
…Best Age Moses mentions towards the end of his speech, “I am 120 years old today.” Although Moses is not the oldest person in the Torah (that would be Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah, who lives to be 969), he does live to a good old age while being the best leader our people ever had. Moses’ age is seen as the ideal age for a person to reach. So, one way that Jews wish each other good health, or a happy birthday, is to say “Ad Meah V’Esrim”–Un…
…al Revenue Service as described in section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code; see our Letter of Determination from the IRS. List of Endowments The Ari Nathan Levine Memorial Fund for the Continuity of BEKI The Batsheva Labowe-Stoll Fund for the Support of Jewish Life at Congregation BEKI The Ben & Ruth Marks Endowment The Bessie & Max Levine Children’s Library Endowment The Beth El-Keser Israel Religious School Fund The Borick Family Endowment…
…by tradition. For candle lighting times for the New Haven Area, enter ZIP Code 06515 at Candlelighting Times Guide. For candle lighting times and additional time parameters, see MyZmanim for New Haven and adjust elevation to 21 meters where applicable. The bottom left of the screen provides a date menu. For a Hebrew Calendar Add-on with candle lighting times for Mozilla Firefox, see https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1379. Want to kno…
…shul community. I grew up Modern Orthodox, so over time I have learned to “code switch” between being both frum and secular. I live in New Haven now and hope to become a member of one of the teams for Kiddush. If I could find a fellow member who shared a particular hobby or interest, maybe someone who’s artistic; I love seeing plays and I’ve been playing cello since 4th grade. Jonathan Cohen & Shayna Schor and Caleb Listed from tallest to shortest…
…l Revenue Service as described in section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code; see our Letter of Determination from the IRS. Donate Online – To make a donation online by credit card, complete this form. Contributions of any amount are appreciated. Bill My Account – Donate now and have our office bill you. Members and Supporters may call or email office@beki.org requesting the BEKI office to bill your account. If you’re paying by check, make the…
…from flying apart was a Zionist Chief Rabbinate that made conversion easy. Today , unfortunately, the office and its rabbinic courts have fallen into the hands of the ultra-Orthodox, who ruthlessly conspire to do everything in their power to obstruct passage from one status of Jewishness to the other (witness fewer than 350 conversions in 1996). A few years ago, a number of Russian Jewish families approached the Conservative movement in Israel out…
