- 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
…Signed, Dying to Know Dear Dying, It is not a symbol. It is part of an actual burial. The first shovels of dirt at a burial service can be a very difficult moment for the mourners, because it brings home the reality of the death in a very direct way. While some mourners choose not to attend the burial service, it is important to understand that the actual burial is a specific mitzva (religious imperative) and it is considered a great act of kindne…
…his celebration at Kiddush. However, for me, this celebration is, in part, also a small but important statement. It is, for me, a religious statement. It is a statement that stands, at the least, as a counterpoint to one that I think is made by the censuses described in today’s parshah. Maybe my statement stands in stark opposition to it. In none of these censuses do they count the women. I think that sends a message about whether women count in g…
…. I’d like to spend a few minutes trying to define the emotional and physical qualities that I think that BEKI congregants might seek in a beautiful sanctuary. The sanctuary’s design should first and foremost be respectful of the BEKI aesthetic. I perceive this aesthetic to be one that encourages the traditional and communal, that rejects symbols of wealth or hierarchy, is respectful informality, is perhaps at times slightly anarchic. Abraham Hesc…
…come in the United States: 2001, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2002.) Even more: On the global level, I am in the top 1%. So when I say that the rich should pay, I am including myself. When we share our spiritual, financial and other blessings with others and consequently see their Hanuka lights — or their Holiday Candles — glowing in their windows, then we are truly fulfilling the mandate of Hanuka: Pirsuma Nesa, Proclaiming th…
…the atmosphere for some can heighten their spiritual awareness. But ultimately, God can hear you anywhere. There are many approaches to prayer. As the Psalmist says, “God is near unto all who call, unto all who call upon God sincerely.” May all of our prayers be from our heart and may they rise to heaven. (c) Jon-Jay Tilsen…
…programs. Rides for kids when their parent is unable to drive. An occasional phone call or visit to someone who lives alone or in assisted living. A cooked meals or groceries for someone recuperating from illness or surgery. Of course, we can’t provide regular nursing service or permanent carpooling, but we can extend a helping hand, and we should. How will this work? Well, were just getting started, and there may be some kinks till we work out t…
…es welcoming a newborn into the home. In addition, volunteers make occasional calls to BEKI members who may benefit from contact on account of illness or isolation. The Committee also provides meals to families during the shiva mourning period. History of Completed Service Projects Covenant to Care: Adopt a Social Worker – Through Covenant to Care’s Adopt a Social Worker program, our congregation was matched with a child protection social worker i…
…r now, and praised each of my little successes. And Bruce stood by my side all along…cheering me on, sharing my excitement, honoring the path my life was taking. Last summer I went up to the bima for the first time. I heard myself singing to God sacred words that had been sung so many times before me. I loved this person who was singing, and I wondered, “Why did I have to wait so long when this is where my happiness is and this is where my truth i…
…greater New Haven area. ‘Kulanu Ke’Ehad Havura’ The program started last fall. Called “Kulanu Ke’Ehad Havura” (a phrase Tilsen picked from [traditional liturgy]), it means, “all as one.” “This program,” Tilsen explained, “addresses a need unmet by the Jewish community of Greater New Haven. It incorporates a component to explore how participants can make Jewish observance more a part of their home lives, just as they may learn in their residential…
…(converts) Jews in mixed marriages and couples who are both Jewish Jews of all races Jews of all gender identities or sexual orientations. BEKI believes in taking a robustly welcoming stance toward interfaith families. Coming from an interfaith and multi-racial family himself, Rabbi Woodward considers the inclusion of non-Jewish relatives in the community to be deeply important. The same goes for Jews of all income levels. Membership at BEKI is no…
