- 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
…bs were expelled (i.e., “ethnically cleansed”) from Kuwait (1991). At least 20,000 ethnic Palestinians left or were chased from Iraq during the current war. In August 2009, the press reported that the United Arab Emirates planned to deport hundreds of ethnic Palestinians, particularly Gazans, in the coming weeks. In contrast, Israel has not forcibly expelled Arabs since Rabin dumped (“deported”) 415 HAMAS terrorists into Lebanon in 1992, but subse…
…help our synagogue be a less threatening place to walk into if you’re not used to it.” Reaching out Kulanu is … run by Johnston, a 35-year-old from out west. Years ago, Johnston converted to Judaism. She then taught Jewish education in synagogues in Iowa, Oregon and Nebraska. Aside from being education coordinator at Congregation Or Shalom in Orange, and teaching courses at MAKOM Hebrew High School in New Haven, she teaches Kulanu classes at BEKI…
…ul enough to hold back G-d’s anger. G-d had promised annihilation; Aaron caused G-d to change His mind. * * * What changed G-d’s mind? Was it Aaron’s careful technical ritual work – His adding of incense to make atonement? Was it his selfless decision to charge into the midst of danger? His heroic decision to stay in the midst of danger, Even when his task was done? His willingness to risk the people’s anger? His willingness to risk G-d’s anger, T…
…im, and to elevate Man above the level of the beasts. Speech should not be used to curse God, and the blasphemer abused this privilege. I do think Moses knew that the punishment for the blasphemer was death, but he wanted to check with God, to make sure he was doing the right thing. Moses did not want to be accused of taking an innocent life. As a bat mitzva, I recognize that I am now responsible for the mitzvot, which Heschel calls “the antidote…
…of kindness within the BEKI family. This project was described in the BEKI 2000 plan, published in 1997 – and it exists because Muriel Banquer made it happen. Social action and tiqun olam have been given new energy this year, thanks to Jennifer Botwick, and projects are in the works that will enable us fulfill the mitzva of giving to the broader community. Our Habitat for Humanity project will break ground in Newhallville in a couple of weeks. Ta…
…of our parts. We are an extended family, a community of friends, a support network, a qehilat qodesh. VaEthanan, the portion of the week, is one of the richest and most interesting in the Torah. Many familiar lines have entered the prayerbook and the hagada: ve-atem hadveqim ba-Adonai; ve-yada`ta ha-yom ve-hashivota el le-vavekha; ve-zot ha-Tora asher sam Moshe. The Ten Commandments, and the Shema and VeAhavta are all in this remarkable parasha. I…
…long tirade against God’s injustice, Job begins to boast about how well he used to treat poor people and his servants. He never allowed poor people to pass by without help, he says, because “I cannot bear God’s threat” (Job 31:23). Explaining why he always attended to servants’ complaints, Job asks: “Did not One God form us both in the womb?” (Job 31:14-15) These explanations give rise to two insights about the old, fenced-in Job. First, his acts…
…iles or even bicycles. As long as it is understood that the device will be used within the eruv (Shabbat boundary) and operated in an especially safe manner, there may not be any specific barrier to their use. We live in a mixed community, and in general, I would not want to deprive my children or myself of available pleasures on Shabbat unless there is a good reason to do so. Especially if riding a Razor helps children or parents come to shul or…
…Voigt]. Maybe it is by order of importance; but if so, which convention is used – is the first most important, or, as the Talmud has it, aharon aharon haviv, is the best saved for last? But where does that leave Ina? Perhaps she is it like a queen traveling with part of her retinue in front and part behind. There were six possible orders, but 70 possible reasons for the order. That is why Talmud scholars can’t navigate – by the time they have cons…
…ties Union and Amnesty International. Yet the issue of rights is sometimes used as a cover for wrongs. Those who defend the hate-radio programs of G. Gordon Liddy, Ken Hamblin and others of their ilk contend that private efforts to silence that hate speech constitute an abridgement of their freedom of speech. Those who appeal to the decency or civic duty of station managers to cancel hate-radio and those who boycott hate-radio sponsors are portray…
