Schedule of Services

/in , , /by

Please plan to join us for Friday night services, August 31, at 7:00 PM

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s Weekly message:
 
In this week’s parshah, Ki Tetze, we have a very early example of a building code-the commandment to build a rampart or railing around the roof of one’s house. By way of background, houses in the Middle East traditionally have flat roofs, which serve as kind of an outdoor room, especially in hot weather. The Torah commands us to make sure that anyone on such a roof doesn’t fall off. This commandment has been extended by the Rabbis to include safety features of all kinds. Some might see this as unwarranted interference in the right of individuals to build their houses as they see fit. Our Torah, though, always balances individual rights with an individual’s responsibility to others. Kol Yisrael ‘arevim zeh bazeh-all Jews are responsible to one another, and to humanity at large. We are each precious in God’s sight, but also part of the larger whole of creation.
 
Congregation Beth El’s schedule of services for the next few weeks including the High Holidays.    Our High Holiday services are open to the community, but we request you provide a donation to help us cover our costs and expenses.  In addition to regular services, we will have special children’s services on all of the Holidays.  For additional information or questions, please email us at bethelaustin@yahoo.com

Friday Night, September 7                   Friday Night Services at 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 8,                          Saturday Morning Torah Services at 9:00 AM

September 8 – Saturday                         Havdallah and Selichot Services at 8:00 PM

Rosh Hashanah

September 16 – Sunday Rosh Hashanah Evening Service at 7:00 PM

September 17 – Monday Rosh Hashanah Shachrit Service at 9:00 AM

                                  Rosh Hashanah Torah Service around 10:00 AM

                                  Tashlikh Service at 4:00 PM at Old Spicewood Springs at 360 Under Bridge

September 18 – Tuesday Rosh Hashanah Shachrit Service at 9:00 AM

                                  Rosh Hashanah Torah Service around 10:00 AM                                

September 21 – Friday Shabbat Shuvah Evening Services at 7:00 PM

September 22 – Saturday Shabbat Shuvah Morning Services at 9:00 AM

Yom Kippur

September 25 – Tuesday Kol Nidrei at 7:00 PM

September 26 – Wednesday Yom Kippur Shachrit Service at 9 AM

                                 Yom Kippur Torah Service around 10:15 AM

                                 Mincha at 5:30 PM, Neilah at 6:45 PM

 September 29 – Saturday        Shabbat Morning Services at 9:00 AM

Yom Kippur message from Cantor Ben Moshe

/in , /by
Cantor Ben-Moshe’s weekly message:
We are about to enter Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.  Yom Kippur is called by the Torah Shabbat Shabbaton-a Sabbath of Sabbaths.  Let us remember that Shabbat is a time of joy.  In ancient times, the afternoon of Yom Kippur was a celebration, and was considered a good time for matchmaking, as the people felt assured of God’s forgiveness.  Similarly, the s’udah mafseket, the meal before Yom Kippur, should be a festive holiday dinner.  Yom Kippur is a serious day, but not a sad one.
I’d like to remind everyone that if you have a medical condition that would make you sick if you fast, please don’t fast.  We are commanded by the Torah to live by themitzvot, not to die by them.  If you are pregnant or nursing, diabetic or hypoglycemic, or if you need to take medicine with food, please eat.
G’mar hatimah tovah-may we all be sealed in the Book of Life.
Cantor Ben-Moshe

Kol Nidre

/in , , /by

Kol Nidre services will begin this Friday at 6:45 sharp!  The calendar for Yom Kippur (and the next few months) is here, and you can learn more about Kol Nidre and the customs of Yom Kippur here. Customs and blessings for the meal before Yom Kippur are here, and there are notes about the liturgy here.

Yom Kippur Calendar:

Friday: Kol Nidre 6:45 SHARP!
Saturday: morning services at 9 am
Torah service at 10:30 am
children’s service 1t 10:30
Mincha at 5:30 pm
Neilah at 6:45 pm

Special notes:

  • Yertzheit candles are lit after the meal at home, but before the holiday candles.
  • It is customary to give tzedakah before the holiday.  In addition to your usual tzedakah donations, please consider giving specifically to organizations that help the homeless and hungry.  Our morning haftarah teaches (Isaiah 58):

5 Is such the fast I desire,
A day for men to starve their bodies?
Is it bowing the head like a bulrush
And lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call that a fast,
A day when the Lord is favorable?
6 No, this is the fast I desire:
To unlock the fetters of wickedness,
And untie the cords of the yoke
To let the oppressed go free;
To break off every yoke.
7 It is to share your bread with the hungry,
And to take the wretched poor into your home;
When you see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to ignore your own kin.

  • If you are accustomed to wearing a tallit, please bring one for Kol Nidre.  It is the only evening service of the year when congregants wear a tallit.
  • Please plan to park at the office park across the street or a few blocks away at Grace Church.  The driveway is reserved for disabled visitors and the residents of Dominion Cove have asked that we NOT use the north side of their street for parking.  The south side is available but limited.
  • Come early!

Did you know ???

This is the only Shabbat of the entire year that does not include a kiddush?  Come anyway!

Children’s Service for First Day Rosh Hashanah

/in , , /by


Once again this year, Morah Betsy will be leading a service for 6-12 year old students on the First Day of Rosh Hashanah (Thursday 9/29/11) at approximately 10:30 AM.  We will pray, have a Torah service with the congregation’s brand new student Torah scroll, read the Torah readings in English, discuss the prayers, and blow shofar.

We will also join the adult service in the sanctuary briefly for the sounding of the shofar there.

For our prayers and Torah selection, we will using the Tiku Shofar Machzor, kindly loaned to us from Congregation Agudas Achim, and we hope to use it again on Yom Kippur.

A Very Special Shabbat

/in , , /by

Dear Congregants and Friends,

Please join us this Friday night, September 23 at 7 pm as we welcome back Colonel and Elinor Pusin who are visiting from San Antonio for Friday night services.

As many of you know, Colonel Pusin, who is 93 and a founding member at Beth El, recently moved to San Antonio after many years in Austin and at Beth El.  He will be coming to Beth El to see old friends and the new sanctuary in his beloved shul.  His friends from the Jewish War Veterans will be joining us too and we will have a kiddish and kibbitz after services.
Tomorrow night, September 24 at 8 pm, we will be having a havdallah, followed by slichot services.  Again, please join us for this “kick-off” to the High Holidays.

Cantor Ben-Moshe’s weekly message:

This Shabbat, the last before Rosh Hashanah, is the double parshah of Nitzavim-VaYelech.  Moses’ final oration to the People of Israel is drawing to a close, and he says “You are present here, today, all of you.”  All of B’nai Yisrael were listening to Moses, from the highest to the lowest.  These words were not just for those who were standing on the border of the Land of Israel, though.  They are addressed to us as well.  We must be present, here, today.  Jewish tradition bids us to practice mindfulness through the practice of mitzvot.  At this time of year, when the shofar wakes us up from our stale routine, we must remember to be present.  Here.  Today.
Shabbat Shalom and G’mar hatimah tovah.

Congregation Beth El

8902 Mesa Drive

Austin TX 78759