Beth El Happenings – classes, pot luck dinner and more.

Dear Congregants and friends,

This Tuesday night, January 10, at 7pm we will continue our Judaism 201 course. This class will discuss the Saturday morning service. This class will be relevant for all levels of knowledge and light refreshments will be served.

The new religious school semester for students in kindergarten to third grade begins this afternoon at 4 pm with Morah Betsy.

This coming Friday, January 13 at the slightly earlier time of 6:30, we will have our first potluck dinner of 2012. Please RSVP to Iris at bethelaustin@yahoo.com if you can make it and if you can bring a dairy or parev dish to share.
We look forward to seeing everyone at Beth El.

Congregation Beth El

www.bethelaustin.org

Shabbat Vayehi — Friday and Saturday Services

Please join us Friday night at 7PM and Saturday morning at 9AM for Shabbat services.  There will also be a children’s service beginning at approximately 10:30 AM.

From the Cantor:

Some 1000 years ago, the great commentator Rash”i said that the Torah could have begun in the Book of Exodus, but that the preceding parts were necessary for background.  Indeed, the Book of Genesis can almost stand alone.  While most of the Torah is the story of the People of Israel, the Book of Genesis is mainly the story of the family of Avraham Avinu, our ancestor Abraham.  Just as the Torah finishes with words of blessing-the last parashah of the Torah is called V’zot Hab’rachah, “This is the blessing…”, our parashah this week, Vayehi, is one of blessing.  In our parashah, the patriarch Ya’kov/Yisrael blesses his children before his death, with words that are echoed by Moshe in his blessing.  The saga of one family is about to turn into the saga of a people.  May God bless us with the blessings of our ancestor Yisrael, as well as the blessings of our Teacher Moshe.  Shabbat Shalom.
Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe
8902 Mesa Drive
Austin, TX 78759
Religious school classes resume next Monday, January 9.

Shabbat Service Tonight, but NOT Tomorrow

Dear Congregants,
We would love to invite you all to join us tonight at our regular time of 7pm for Kaballat shabbat services.  Please note that the next Saturday morning services are January 7th at 9am.
Cantor Ben-Moshe’s weekly message:
This week in Parshat Vayigash, the Joseph story reaches its dramatic conclusion.  Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and brings his family down to Egypt, saving them from famine.  The divine plan that was foreshadowed by Joseph’s boyhood dreams, and set in motion by his sale into slavery, has now come to its culmination.  What started as a crime became the agency by which a large family (and indeed a whole nation) was saved, and eventually a nation was born.  We never know what can come of any action-even evil can turn into good.
Shabbat Shalom, and a Happy secular New Year.
Congregation Beth El

Shabbat Vayeshev

We will be having our Friday night services tonight December 16 at 7pm and our shabbat morning services, December 17 at 9am, with the Torah reading at 9:45.  We hope to see you at both.

From the Cantor:

This week we read parshat Vayeshev, the beginning of the story of “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat”. We see in this story the propensity of the Torah to present its heroes, our ancestors, as fully human, warts and all. Jacob has not learned the bitter lesson of what happens when parents play favorites with their children, even though he was harmed by that sort of favoritism. Joseph’s older brothers allow themselves to be consumed by jealousy. Joseph himself comes off as an insufferable braggart. We are left with no illusions about our forebears-but this is what makes their stories such an inspiration to us. The Rabbis said in the Talmud that “the deeds of the ancestors are a sign for their descendants”. We are to learn from the example of the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs-they are archetypes for our own lives. But because they are presented as flawed human beings, they can set the very best example for us-the example of repentance and redemption. As they overcame their flaws, so too can we overcome ours. We can follow their example, because it is within our reach. May we always live up to the best in our tradition, and may we certainly always strive to do so. Shabbat Shalom.

Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

We will be having our annual  Channukah Latkes pot-luck dinner on Thursday December 22nd at 6pm.  Please bring a dairy or parev dish to share – for example, casseroles, fruit, salads, salmon, tuna dishes, deserts, drinks, etc.   Also, bring your menorah and candles to light together. Free and open to all.

Shabbat Vayetze – Services Friday 7pm & Saturday 9am

Cantor’s message

This week’s parshah, Vayetze, is one which should be near and dear to our hearts as a community. At the beginning of our reading, Jacob is fleeing for his life and camps near the village of Luz. While there, he has his famous vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder. Moved by his vision, he renames the place “The House of God”-Beit El, or Beth El. This Shabbat, we will discuss Jacob’s vision and its implications for us today. We hope to see you on Friday night and Saturday morning. Shabbat Shalom.

Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe