Parashat Toldoth

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Friday Night Shabbat Services
December 2, at the regular time of 7:00 PM.
We have a special guest Gil Levy Director of Jewish Family Services who will give our Dvar Torah. Light deserts following.

Shabbat morning services are Saturday December 10 at 9 AM.

Sunday school THIS Sunday December 4.

Sisterhood painting class also this Sunday December 4 at 1PM. Painting with artist Sharon Yam-Sananes, wine and cheese and camaraderie.

HOLD THE DATE : THE HANNUKAH PARTY OF THE YEAR! Only a month away, plan to join us on Sunday December 25 at 5 PM at Beth El for one cool Hannukah party. Live music, food and candle lighting! Free and open to the community.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:12 PM

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This week we read Parshat Toldoth about the life of Yitzhak, his wife Rivkah, and the conflict between his sons ‘Esav and Ya’akov. The friction between the brothers is not the only conflict in the Parshat, though. Yitzhak is driven out of Gerar because of jealousy over his success. This is a common theme throughout the history of our people-wherever Jews succeed, and we often do, we are resented for it, as though our success is somehow undeserved. Jewish history is littered with sad examples of banishments and pogroms due to envy. Even the Shoah, the greatest tragedy to befall us since the destruction of the Second Temple, was in large part armed robbery of the Jews of Europe, just as the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa were robbed of their property. The Torah, however, gives us hope. Eventually, Avimelech the king of Gerar concludes a treaty with Yitzhak, recognizing the justice of his position. May the day come soon when all envy ceases, and all the nations of the world choose to live in peace with our People. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

HOLD THE DATES: First Friday speakers at Beth El.

We look forward to welcoming Gil Levy, head of Jewish Family Services who will come and give a talk/Dvar Torah on Friday December 2 THIS FRIDAY.

Friday January 6, Rabbi Daniel Septimus CEO of the Austin JCC will likewise be our guest speaker at Beth El.

On the first Friday of February, we welcome Rabbi/Cantor Marie Betcher who will talk about the great work she does as a Police Chaplain. And the third Friday (OK, just to change it up a bit), Jay Rubin, former CEO of Shalom Austin and avid historian will come to speak!

** Sunday school at 10 AM this Sunday with special guests Aviv Canaani who led Birthright trips to Israel while serving in the IDF and Judith Golden who attended Birthright.

PAINTING AND WINE!
**THIS Sunday December 4th at 1 PM please come for a Hannukah themed art project with artist Sharon Yam-Sananes. We will be making a beautiful canvas hamsa. Please also plan to bring items for a clothes exchange that afternoon – adult and children’s clothes, small household items, chachkes, shoes, and other items that we can swap with each other and donate the leftovers to charity. Huge thank you to Sharon for volunteering her time and supplies!!! You may bring a healthy kosher nosh – dairy – to go along with the wine!

**On January 24th at 7:00 p.m. we will be having another book club event, The event will be at the home of Yael Shacham, who has graciously volunteered hosting our evening get together. The name of the book and its author, that we will be discussing, is “A Pigeon and A Boy” by Meir Shalev.

Please consider a generous donation to our shul.

Parashat Chayei Sarah

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Friday Night Shabbat Services
Tonight 11/25, at the regular time of 7:00 PM. Mitzvah of the month is collecting items for the animal shelter. Please see below.

Shabbat morning services are THIS Saturday November 26 at 9 AM. Children’s story time at 10:30 and a lovely kidush lunch generously sponsored by Javis Howeth in gratitude for the bountiful goodness of Hashem.

Sunday school resumes December 4.

HOLD THE DATE : THE HANNUKAH PARTY OF THE YEAR! Only a month away, plan to join us on Sunday December 25 at 5 PM at Beth El for one cool Hannukah party. Live music, food and candle lighting! Free and open to the community.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:13 PM

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This week in Parshat Hayyei Sarah, we read of the death of our Mother Sarah, and of our Father Avraham’s purchase of a burial plot for her. Significantly, this burial ground, the Cave of Machpelah, is the first land purchase made by our people in the Land of Israel. From this our Sages determined that the first purchase of land made by a Jewish community is a cemetery, even before a synagogue or a school. The cemetery is called a Beit ‘Almin, a House of Eternity. Prayers can be said and Torah may be studied anywhere, but we are to lay our dead to rest only in a proper place. Caring for the dead, who cannot even return the favor, is an important precept of Jewish Tradition. May we always strive to act out of true kindness, to our departed and to all others. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

HOLD THE DATES: First Friday speakers at Beth El.

We look forward to welcoming Gil Levy, head of Jewish Family Services who will come and give a talk/Dvar Torah on Friday December 2.

Friday January 6, Rabbi Daniel Septimus CEO of the Austin JCC will likewise be our guest speaker at Beth El.

On the first Friday of February, we welcome Rabbi/Cantor Marie Betcher who will talk about the great work she does as a Police Chaplain. And the third Friday (OK, just to change it up a bit), Jay Rubin, former CEO of Shalom Austin will come to speak!

**Hold the date for Sunday December 4th at 1 PM for a Hannukah themed art project with artist Sharon Yam-Sananes. Please also plan to bring items for a clothes exchange that afternoon – adult and children’s clothes, small household items, chachkes, shoes, and other items that we can swap with each other and donate the leftovers to charity.

Did you know that any purchases from the Agudas Achim Gift Store at the J can be designated to give 10% to Beth El. Please consider shopping there and let them know that you would like your 10% to go to Beth El. We are so very grateful to them!

And finally, please consider a generous donation to our shul:
http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate/

And please try and have good wishes for the people of Israel. Fires have been raging for four days. 6 Nations have sent fire teams to assist. The Israeli firefighters, first responders, and even the Israeli Air Force are stretched thin. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Study showing those who attend shul live longer

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Friday Night Shabbat Services
Tonight 11/18, at the regular time of 7:00 PM. Mitzvah of the month is collecting items for the animal shelter. Please see below.

Shabbat morning services are a week away Saturday November 26.

AND BY THE WAY, DID YOU KNOW THE FOLLOWING : A new study finds that people who attend religious services live longer; so as well as enjoying great services and lovely company, you will also enjoy terrific health benefits!

http://www.timesofisrael.com/people-who-attend-religious-s…/

Sunday school resumes December 4.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:15 PM

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message

This week’s parshah continues the story of Avraham and Sarah, and of course we are familiar with the major themes-the birth of Yitzhak, the destruction of S’dom and ‘Amorah, and the Binding of Yitzhak. However, there is a small story towards the end of the parshah which is quite instructive. Avraham makes a treaty with Avimelekh, the king of the city-state of G’rar. After an incident in which Avraham once again out of fear claims that Sarah is his sister, he and Avimelekh make peace, and their peace treaty is the foundation of the city of Be’ersheva’. From the beginning of Jewish history, we have been “lovers of peace and pursuers of peace”-with our neighbors in the Land of Israel and outside of it. May we always continue this tradition. Shabbat Shalom.

Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

HOLD THE DATES: First Friday speakers at Beth El.

We look forward to welcoming Gil Levy, head of Jewish Family Services who will come and give a talk/Dvar Torah on Friday December 2.

Friday January 6, Rabbi Daniel Septimus CEO of the Austin JCC will likewise be our guest speaker at Beth El.

On the first Friday of February, we welcome Rabbi/Cantor Marie Betcher who will talk about the great work she does as a Police Chaplain.

Enjoy the photos of the Sunday school with JNF Chair Arielle Levy who came in and gave the children a riveting and interactive talk, which included a passport of JNF’s work and historical timeline, a map of Israel, crayons and of course, the famous blue tzedakah box!

MITZVAH OF THE MONTH:

Please bring items for animals in the animal shelter, such as quality dog food, dog toys, chewy items, blankets or other donations. This mitzvah project is headed by the children of Beth El.

**Hold the date for Sunday December 4th at 1 PM for a Hannukah themed art project with artist Sharon Yam-Sananes. Please also plan to bring items for a clothes exchange that afternoon – adult and children’s clothes, small household items, chachkes, shoes, and other items that we can swap with each other and donate the leftovers to charity.

Huge thank you to Mirit Solomon-Shimony for an absolutely terrific cooking class! Pictured is Mirit preparing the three layered vegan chocolate cake and riced cauliflower salad. Mirit is the owner of “Delish”, a local catering company and can be reached at delishkitchenatx@gmail.com or 734-846 6011. Or reach Mirit on Facebook at Delishkitchenatx.

Community News:

Safesplash Swim school with Yael Shacham!

Safesplash Swimming school is now open in Austin on Anderson Mill Road – an indoor heated pool offering classes for children aged 6 months to adults with certified swim coach and Beth El friend Yael Shacham.

Yael has many years experience as a swim coach and instructor and makes swimming fun and successful. Class sizes are small and tailored to each child’s needs.
Yael teaches classes in Hebrew or English on Fridays and Sundays either in small groups or individual lessons.
To register please go to the website www.safesplash.com or contact Yael directly at 512 318 7744.

SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE TO YOUR LOVELY SHUL! Please donate to Beth El. We have an absolute gem in the Austin Jewish community!

http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate/

Please consider a tax deductible donation to help us
http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate/
Other ways to help include, sponsoring a kidush for a special event or in memory of a loved one, or bringing needed supplies. Ask us how you can help.

Community News:

Snout by Snoutwest at the JCC. This Sunday come and enjoy a fun afternoon with dogs galore at the J. From 12- 4 PM.

11707 South Sam Houston Pkwy West Suite R
Houston Texas 77031

Parashat Lech Lecha

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JNF talkFriday Night Shabbat Services
Tonight 11/11, at the regular time of 7:00 PM. Mitzvah of the month is collecting canned goods for the Food Bank. Please bring your non perishable food and drop it off at Beth El. We salute our Veterans today and give a big shout out to the wonderful veterans from Beth El!

Shabbat morning services are this shabbat Saturday November 12 (shhh – it’s the birthday of a very special person in the shul who also goes by the name, Chazzan, Cantor or Tzahi ) so please come and celebrate!

Sunday school November 13 we continue our special guest line up with Arielle Levy of the Jewish National Fund who will come and talk to the children and parents about the amazing work that JNF does.

See the article in the Jewish Outlook by Shereen Ben-Moshe about the Sunday school.

https://www.etypeservices.com/…/Magazine14…/Full/index.aspx…

Sunday November 13 at 1 PM, also at Beth El please join us for a great cooking class hosted by the sisterhood. See below for details.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:18 PM

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This week in Parshat Lekh L’kha we read of the first ‘olim to the Land of Israel (then called Canaan). Avram and Sarai set out on the journey when they were already advanced in years, and the Torah teaches that they had no clear idea of their final destination. The philosopher Kierkegaard called Avram/Avraham the “perfect knight of faith” for his willingness to do as God asked willingly, even not knowing the outcome. May we always aspire to the faith of our ancestors Avraham and Sarah, and always willingly do that which is right, even if we don’t know exactly what will come of it. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

HOLD THE DATES: First Friday speakers at Beth El. We look forward to welcoming Gil Levy, head of Jewish Family Services who will come and give a talk/Dvar Torah on Friday December 2. Friday January 6, Rabbi Daniel Septimus CEO of the Austin JCC will likewise be our guest speaker at Beth El.
On the first Friday of February, we welcome Rabbi/Cantor Marie Betcher who will talk about the great work she does as a Police Chaplain.

We would love to see you and greatly look forward to hearing these dynamic speakers.

Happy November birthdays! Claudia Aguilar, Diana Jurist, Sarah Butler, Bob Miller, Hannah Cramer, Cayla Canady, Claire Warech (Michelle’s Mom), and of course, Cantor Ben-Moshe!

Please send us your birthday so we can give you a shout out.

The sisterhood cooking class THIS Sunday!

** THIS SUNDAY November 13 at Beth El at 1 PM we will be having a cooking class with chef Mirit Solomon-Shimoni, chef and caterer, yoga instructor and Mom extraordinaire. Mirit will be making a three layered parev Israeli cake as well as a parev side dish to accompany your Thanksgiving meal! All sisterhood members, friends and older kiddos are welcome. Bring a side dish to share.

**Hold the date for Sunday December 4th at 1 PM for Hannukah themed art project with artist Sharon Yam-Sananes.

Cool happenings at Sunday School!

Sundays at Beth El are the place to be! By Shereen Ben-Moshe

Today was packed with learning, creativity, and fun!
So, what did the kids at the BERS do?
*Special Visitors: Michelle & Gregg Philipson shared their knowledge, artifacts and interest in Jewish athletes. We learned about Mark Spitz, Michael Philips, Hank Greenberg, Fanny (Bobbie) Rosenfeld, Abe Saperstein, Daniel Mendoza, Mo Berg and more.
Gregg shared that there are, “Jewish athletes all over the world and that many overcame great adversity to attain greatness.”
He and Michelle shared the benefits of being active and healthy. The kids had great comments to add.
The chat ended with a Q & A and a brief talk about the Maccabi Games. Did you know you can get your kids involved in the Jr. Maccabi games? Check out the listings at the JCC.
A big thank you to Gregg and Michelle!
This was just part of the morning.
The parshah shared was Lech Lecha. Morah Anat’s group had a very insightful discussion about how it feels to move, and to be new in a place. They also spoke about Abraham and Lot and how they fought. They talked about what it is like when siblings argue and where to ask for help. They spoke about when adults fight and finally about when countries fight and the role of the United Nations.
Meanwhile in the other classes, Morah Lital’s class is really coming along nicely on reading and writing in Hebrew. It is so beautiful to hear her Israeli accent and the Hebrew she infuses into her teaching. Sweet music was coming from Morah Bev’s class. They are practicing with both Morah Bev and Cantor Ben-Moshe, Shabbat prayers. This group will soon begin to prepare for their B’Nei Mitzvah. Sweet Marina, is coming along nicely with her practice.
We also began a project that will take the collaborative efforts of all the kids and teachers at BERS. They started to create their own version of a Torah. Today Vania, Marina and a few little helpers cut the fabric upon which we will glue each parshah. Several students took part in creating pictures to represent B’reishit, Noah, and Lech Lecha. Stay tuned for pictures as our project continues. This will be a year long project that will be revealed and given to Congregation Beth El on Simchat Torah 5778!
Next week we will welcome another special guest, Arielle Levy who works for the Jewish National Fund in Austin. Parents are welcome to join us at 11:30 as well to learn about all the wonderful work JNF is doing in Israel. Please send in tzedakah with your children next Sunday. We hope to have enough to buy a JNF tree in Israel ($18).
Also, please remember that our family mitzvah project in November is to collect food to donate to the food pantry. Let’s try to fill up the box in our lobby several times. A BIG thank you to the anonymous donor of a large bag of food that was dropped off at the BE doorstep this past week. xoxo
Have a super week!
L’Shalom,
Shereen Ben-Moshe
P.S. Did you see the great article about our school in the Outlook? Check it out!!

COMMUNITY NEWS:

The annual Jewish Film is currently running. For a full list of films, please see the link below. Congregation Beth El is a proud co sponsor of the Austin Jewish Film Society. Please support the community by seeing some of these wonderful movies.

http://austinjff.org/wordpress/

Check out the wonderful article about Gregg and Michelle Philipson’s collection on exhibit at the Bob Bullock Museum.

http://www.mystatesman.com/…/collecting-family-artif…/ns2JD/

Mazal Tov to Bob Miller on the opening of his new store in Houston! Miller Uniforms and Emblems, which has proudly served the Austin community for 30 years, is now also in Houston at the following location.
11707 South Sam Houston Pkwy West Suite R Houston Texas 77031. We are so proud of you Bob!

Please donate to your lovely shul!

http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate/

Please consider a tax deductible donation to help us
http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate/
Other ways to help include, sponsoring a kidush for a special event or in memory of a loved one, or bringing needed supplies. Ask us how you can help.

Community News:

Snout by Snoutwest at the JCC. This Sunday come and enjoy a fun afternoon with dogs galore at the J. From 12- 4 PM.

11707 South Sam Houston Pkwy West Suite R
Houston Texas 77031

Parashat Noah 2016

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noahFriday Night Shabbat Services
Tonight 11/03, at the regular time of 7:00 PM. Mitzvah of the month is collecting canned goods for the Food Bank, especially as we approach Thanksgiving. We have a box by the front door. Please bring your non perishable food and drop it off at Beth El.
Shabbat morning services are a week away Saturday November 12 (shhh – it’s the birthday of a very special person in the shul who also goes by the name, Chazzan, Cantor or Tzahi ) so please come and celebrate!
Sunday school this Sunday November 6 at 10 AM. We welcome Gregg Philipson to talk to the students (and interested parents) about famous Jews in Sports. ** See below for more upcoming guests.
See the article in the Jewish Outlook by Shereen Ben-Moshe about the Sunday school.
https://www.etypeservices.com/…/Magazine14…/Full/index.aspx…
Huge thank you to Arie Stavchansky and Josh Kadosh, our Baalei Kriya last week who valiantly read from the Torah’s first book, Bereisheet.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 6:23 PM
Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message

This week we read Parshat Noah, in which the eponymous hero is instructed by God to build an ark in order to save his family as well as animals and birds from a world-destroying flood. Many have noted similarities to the story of Utnapishtim from the Babylonian “Epic of Gilgamesh”. Here, the gods decide to flood the world, but a human names Utnapishtim builds an ark and escapes with his family and animals.
Obviously, both stories draw from a common source, a story perhaps of a great flood in Mesopotamia. There is however, a crucial difference. In the “Epic of Gilgamesh”, the gods send the flood as part of an internecine conflict, almost out of caprice, and Utnapishtim is saved because the gods like him. The Biblical account is quite clear-the Flood is meant to cleanse the earth of violence and other wrongdoing, and Noah is saved because of his righteousness. The difference between the pagan and the Israelite world-view is thus plain. To the pagan Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians (as well as to most other pagans), the gods act out of motives that may or may not be noble. They fight, they quarrel, they abuse humans-they are basically humans with superpowers, no more moral than any mortal. God in the story of the Flood is the arbiter of morality-the Ultimate Judge, Whose own morals are absolute. Our Tradition insists that there is an absolute standard of righteousness which applies to the whole universe, and which our Torah comes to teach. May we always strive to live up to that standard, even if we cannot, as God comes to realize in our parshah, always live up to it. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

HOLD THE DATES: First Friday speakers at Beth El. We look forward to welcoming Gil Levy, head of Jewish Family Services who will come and give a talk/Dvar Torah on Friday December 2. Friday January 6, Rabbi Daniel Septimus CEO of the Austin JCC will likewise be our guest speaker at Beth El. We would love to see you and greatly look forward to hearing these dynamic speakers.
Happy November birthdays! Diana Jurist, Sarah Butler, Bob Miller, Hannah Cramer, Cayla Canady and of course, Cantor Ben-Moshe!
Please send us your birthday so we can give you a shout out.

Thank you to our teachers including our amazing Morah Bev for cleaning and sorting the teacher resource room. It was truly a labor of love!

The sisterhood is planning some exciting events.
** November 13 at Beth El at 1 PM we will be having a cooking class with chef Mirit Solomon-Shimoni, chef and caterer, yoga instructor and Mom extraordinaire. Mirit will be making a three layered parev Israeli cake as well as a parev side dish to accompany your Thanksgiving meal! All sisterhood members and older kiddos are welcome.
**Hold the date for Sunday December 4th at 1 PM for Hannukah themed art project with artist Sharon Yam-Sananes.
Pictured above at the Austin Jewish Book Fair are Michelle, Bertha, Claudia and Doris. A fun evening enjoying a great author.
Cool happenings at Sunday School!
We have some exciting guests who will be coming to Sunday school classes in the coming weeks and will help enrich the lovely experience our children are having.

Sunday November 6 – 11:30 AM Gregg Philipson avid historian and collector will talk to the kids about famous Jewish men and women in sports.
Sunday November 13 – 11:30 AM Arielle Levy of Jewish National Fund will come to talk to the children about the amazing work that JNF does in Israel.
Sunday December 4 – 11:30 AM Aviv Canaani will talk about his experience leading Birthright trips to Israel and Judith Golden will talk to the kids about being a participant in this life changing trip to Israel.
If you would like to share something fun with the kids, please let us know. Pictured below is the awesome Ms. Carol Rubin and Anat Inbar singing and dancing with the BERS (Beth El Religious School)!
RABBI DR. PETER TARLOW, EMERITUS RABBI TEXAS A&M AND CENTER FOR JEWISH HISPANIC RELATIONS.

If Genesis’ first parashah was both problematic and puzzling, this second parashah, named after Noah serves only to increase our sense of bewilderment,
You can find this week’s parashah, called “Noach” in Hebrew, in the Book of Genesis 6:9-11:32. Based around the story of climate change, known in the Bible as the great flood, this week’s section addresses a world gone mad with violence. We find a world where violence becomes justified by political double-speak, truth has given way to lies, murder lurks everywhere, and hope has been replaced by despair.
The section begins with a verse that is easy to read and hard to understand. In the original Hebrew it reads: “Noach ish tzadik tamim haya bdorotav et ha’elokim hithalech Noach/Noah was a naively righteous/just man for (in) his generations (times) who walked (around) with G’d.” The Hebrew leads us to a number of questions: What does it mean to be naively righteous? Are righteous people naïve? Was Noah really a good person, or did G’d have to settle for the least bad? Would we have called Noah righteous if he had lived in another generation? It is less difficult to be righteous in a righteous generation but almost impossible to be righteous when everyone else lives in a world bereft of morality, does this mean that to be righteous in a generation of crime is to be more righteous than in a generation filled with good people? Finally, exactly how does one “walk with G’d?
These are eternal questions without exact answers; we have nothing more than personal interpretations and ideas. Perhaps we can find one possibility for the reason that G’d brought about the flood because (6:13) the earth is filled with “hamas” meaning “lawlessness” or “terrorism.” In other words, G’d had no alternative; simply put, the experiment called creation needed major adjustments.
The text forces us to ask if civilization can exist in a world of terrorism, in a world where people are willing to kill other people in order to express through violence their political agenda and express their frustrations and aspirations. If there is no truth, can there be justice?
If that is an underlying message in this week’s section, then we are forced to ask still some other questions: Was Noah too trusting? Is there room for good but naive people in places where violence exists? Is the text telling us that when we are offered panaceas we must be careful, and when we confuse style with policy then societies begin to crumble.
How do we balance our need for a just/righteous society in a world where some are intent on murder?
These are hard questions that still plague us to this very day. What do you think?
COMMUNITY NEWS:
The annual Jewish Book Fair at the J is currently on and has some amazing authors featured. Check out the website below.
http://www.jewishbookfair.org/
The annual Jewish Film is hot on the heels and starts this Saturday night. Again, for a full list of films, please see the link below. Congregation Beth El is a proud co sponsor of the Austin Jewish Film Society. Please support the community by seeing some of these wonderful movies.
http://austinjff.org/wordpress/
Check out the wonderful article about Gregg and Michelle Philipson’s collection on exhibit at the Bob Bullock Museum.
http://www.mystatesman.com/…/collecting-family-artif…/ns2JD/
Please consider a tax deductible donation to help us
http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate/
Other ways to help include, sponsoring a kidush for a special event or in memory of a loved one, or bringing needed supplies. Ask us how you can help.
Community News:
Snout by Snoutwest at the JCC. This Sunday come and enjoy a fun afternoon with dogs galore at the J. From 12- 4 PM