Shabbat Pinhas – Services tonight at 7pm

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Dear Congregants and Friends,
We look forward to seeing you tonight, July 15 for Friday evening services, starting at 7 pm.  Our next shabbat morning services are a week from now, July 23.
Cantor’s message:
This week’s parshah, Pinhas, is familiar to those who know the Musaph, the Additional Service on Shabbat and Holidays.  Parshat Pinhas details the additional offerings in the Temple Service for Shabbat, the New Month and all of the major holidays.  As such, it is also the source of maftir readings for Rosh Hodesh and the Holidays.  While we no longer offer sacrifices in the Temple, may we always remember the spirit of thanksgiving to God which inspired those sacrifices.  Wishing a Shabbat Shalom to all.
Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe
www.bethelaustin.org

Shabbat Chukat and Museum Announcement

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Congregants and Friends,

We look forward to seeing you tonight, 7/1 for Friday night services. Please note that our next Saturday morning services are in one week’s time, July 9th.

Last week we proudly hosted the Jewish War Veterans at Beth El. One of our congregants, Gregg Phillipson mentioned that there are two wonderful Jewish Military exhibits in Houston . Gregg will be speaking at the opening of the exhibits in Houston Holocaust Museum. Please see links below.

“Ours to Fight For: American Jews in the Second World War”

“We Fought, Too – Jewish Soldiers in America’s Wars”


Cantor’s Weekly Message:

This week’s parshah, Hukkat, is a very rich one in terms of both law and narrative. One point of interest is the passage which gives rise to the legend of Miriam’s well. According to the Torah, Miriam dies and is buried. Immediately afterwards in the text, the people complain that they have no water. This led the Rabbis to come up with the idea that while Miriam was alive, a well followed the people around during their wanderings, providing water for the People of Israel.

Some have the custom of placing a goblet of water on the Seder table to commemorate Miriam’s Well. Shabbat Shalom, Hodesh Tov and a Happy Fourth of July to all.

Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

Shabbat Korach, Jewish War Veterans & a Children’s Service

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Dear Congregants and Friends,

Please note that we have our regular Friday night services tonight 6/23 at 7 pm and tomorrow morning, 6/24 at 9 am. We are very excited to welcome the Jewish War Veterans of Texas, Oklahoma and elsewhere to celebrate Saturday morning services with us.

We will also have children’s services at 11 am with our very own Morah Betsy, presenting the rebellion of Korach using stuffed animals and a rebel-swallowing bed sheet.

We look forward to seeing you all.

The Cantor’s Message:

This Shabbat we read Parshat Korah, the chronicle of the first serious challenge to Moses’ (and Aaron’s) authority. The Torah records that the earth opened up and swallowed Korah alive. In Pirkei Avot, the Rabbi’s state that the pit which swallowed Korah was created on the Sixth Day, just before Shabbat. The Rabbis thus averred their belief that even miracles do not work outside the laws of nature.

Wishing everyone a restful and rejuvenating Shabbat, and welcome to the Jewish War Veterans.

Shabbat Bamidbar

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Shabbat shalom to all and we look forward to seeing you tonight at 7 for our Friday night services and tomorrow morning at 9 am for our Shabbat morning services.


Cantor Ben-Moshe’s Message:

This week we begin Sefer B’midbar, the Book of Numbers.  After two years at Sinai, the People of Israel are ready to move on, and a census is taken to see the strength of ‘Am Yisrael.  On the Jewish calendar, we are one week away from the end of the counting of the ‘Omer and the Festival of Shavuot, and on the secular calendar we are at Memorial Day.  To those who are traveling, safe journeys, and we hope to see those who are staying in Austin Friday night and Shabbat morning.  To all of the Beth El family and our guests, Shabbat Shalom.
Cantor Yitzhak  Ben-Moshe
www.bethelaustin.org

editorial note: Our apologies for the weeks where we have not been updating the website.  The website editor has been recovering from surgery.

Weekend Events — Shabbat K’doshim

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Congregants and Friends,

 

What an exciting weekend at Beth El.  Tonight we will have our regular Friday night services at 7 pm.

 

Tomorrow morning, starting at 9 am, we will have shabbat morning services and the baby naming of our newest twin congregants. We hope you can all join us for this special happy occasion.  Mazal tov to grandparents, parents, and the extendend family.  Welcome girls!

 

Also, please participate in the collection of toiletries for Caritas of Austin – the box is by the door and would love to be filled with shampoos, conditioners and soap for the less fortunate in our community.

Message from Cantor  Ben – Moshe

This week we read Parshat K’doshim, the Holiness Code of the Torah.  This parshah contains, as we might expect, rules about rituals, purity and impurity, and the like.  Interestingly though, the first elements of holiness in the parshah have to do with helping the poorest and weakest members of society.  Whether it is providing for the poor, protecting the disabled, or making sure that justice is available to the powerless, it is clear that holiness begins with social justice.  Indeed, that is the message of Passover-that God looks out for the most oppressed of society.  May we strive to fulfill the vision of holiness of our Holy Torah.  Shabbat Shalom.