Weekend services

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Friday Night Services, 24 April, at 7pm

Saturday Services, 25 April, at 9am with Kiddush immediately afterward.

Rabbi Gisser’s Kashrut Class will resume on May 10. Final class May 17.

Annual meeting and kosher BBQ Sunday, 17 May, 4:45pm.
Join us for our annual meeting and kosher BBQ cookout. We will start off with our annual meeting followed by good food, conversation and dinner.

As we lead up to this annual meeting, please consider getting more involved in Beth El. We have a number of committees that need help and we have an opening on the Board of Director’s. After several years of dedicated service, Diane Shapiro is stepping down as treasurer. To nominate a member to serve as treasurer, please send an email to Bob Miller, chair of the nominating committee. Nominations should be submitted no later than 15 days before the board meeting – 2 May, 2015.

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
As I write this message, the Jewish world is celebrating Yom Ha’atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day. 67 years ago, we realized our long-held dream of self determination and return to our homeland. While Israel faces challenges, both external-the threat of war and terrorism-and internal, as witnessed by the cowardly attack on a good friend of mine by the hired thugs of the Rabbi of the Kotel-Israel is strong. President Reuven Rivlin, a true statesman, said recently that while we have our challenges, we won’t let fear rule us. Let us celebrate our ability to hold our heads high as full members of the family of nations, and work together to make Israel the best country that it can be-a light unto the nations. Join us this Shabbat as we read the combined parshiot of Tazri’a-Metzor’a, and celebrate Israel. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

Weekend services – Chag sameach

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Friday Night Services, 4/10, at 7:00 pm
Shabbat Morning Services, Saturday, 4/11, at 9:00 am

Upcoming Events:
Community Wide Yom HaShoah Event at JCC* Wed Apr 15, at 7pm…
Mincha & Rabbi Gisser’s Advanced Text Class Sat, 4/18, at 6:30pm
Rabbi Gisser’s Kashrut Class Sun, 4/19, at 10:30am
Rabbi Gisser’s Conversion Class Starts Sun, 4/19, 12:30pm
Community Wide Yom HaZikaron Event at JCC* Wed Apr 22, at 7pm

The events marked with an asterisk (*) & JCC will be held at the Jewish Community Center, 7300 Hart Ln, Austin, TX 78731

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message:
As we come to the end of the Festival of Pesah, we may consider the fact that as they were leaving, the Israelites asked for things of value from their Egyptian neighbors-gold, silver, cloth and others. Presumably, the Mishkan was built from these materials, thereby lending a holiness to the act of taking these things. Yet curiously, the Torah says “vayenatzlu, and they despoiled (or took advantage of) Egypt.” A Hassidic rebbe suggested that we read not “vayenatzlu” but rather “vayatzilu”, and they saved Egypt. By allowing Egypt to pay reparations for hundreds of years of slavery, the Israelites broke a toxic legacy of bitterness between our peoples. This allowed the mitzvah of “Do not hate Egyptians” – our acceptance of reparations and our forgiveness allowed healing to take place. It is worth considering that all the descendants of King Solomon were also descendants of his wife, a princess of Egypt. This includes the Messiah-who will be born in part because of our forgiveness of those who had oppressed us. Shabbat Shalom and Hag Sameah.

 

Passover schedule

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Due to Pesach there will be no Friday Night Services, 4/03,

Mincha Services, 4/04, at 6:30 PM
Second Day Passover Morning Services, Sunday, 4/05, at 10:00 am

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Beth El’s Annual Second Night Seder Sat Night April 4, 2015 at 8:00 PM

Join us for our lively participatory second night seder. An annual tradition, we’ll celebrate the second night, singing and learning while eating a delicious kosher meal. We will begin reading the haggadah with Cantor Ben Moshe around 8:00 pm and this year Rabbi Gisser will join us and help lead us in special programming.

This seder is open to the community with a suggested donation of $18 for adults and $7 for children. Please RSVP so we have an accurate head count.

Weekend and Passover

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Friday Night Services, 3/27, at 7:00 pm

Shabbat Morning Services, 3/28, at 9:00 am

Rabbi Gisser’s Kashrut Class Sunday, 3/29, 10:30 am followed by community cleaning of the Beth El Building. Rabbi Gisser’s Class continues on April 19, May 10, & May 17.

Beth El’s Annual Second Night Seder Saturday Night, April 4, 2015 at 8:00 PM. Join us for our lively participatory second night seder. An annual tradition, we’ll celebrate the second night, singing and learning while eating a delicious kosher meal. We will begin reading the haggadah with Cantor Ben Moshe around 8:00 pm and this year Rabbi Gisser will join us and help lead us in special programming. This seder is open to the community with a suggested donation of $18 for adults and $7 for children. Please RSVP so we have an accurate head count.

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This Shabbat, on which we read Parshat Tzav, is the Shabbat before Passover, known as HaShabbat Hagadol, the Great Shabbat. Originally, there was a “Great Shabbat” before each Festival, on which the traditions of the holiday would be explained. In our day, the one before Pesah remains, most likely because Pesah has more rules than other Festivals. One of these rules is that we may not possess any hametz, any leavened products during the week of Pesah. In the agrarian society in which our ancestors lived this wasn’t a problem, but now we are accustomed to keeping quantities of food which doesn’t spoil, and disposing of it all could be a considerable hardship. It is therefore permissible to sell our hametz to a non-Jew, thereby removing it from our possession, and then buy it back after the conclusion of the holiday. Those who wish can appoint me as their agent to sell their hametz-the sale would take effect on Friday, April 3, midmorning, and the buyback would be Saturday evening, April 11 at the conclusion of Shabbat. A sign-up sheet will be in the entrance lobby of Beth El before services Friday night, and then after Shabbat until next Friday morning. May we all approach this Festival of Freedom lighthearted and thankful for our liberty. Shabbat Shalom.

Results of Running with the Rabbi and shabbat services

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Services Friday Night, 3/06, at 7:00 pm

Shabbat Across America Friday Night March 13, 2015 Services at the Special Time of 6:30 PM Followed by a Community Shabbat Dinner
Suggested Donation $12/person or $25 Family.

Results of Running with the Rabbi
Despite the cold weather Rabbi Gisser, along with congregants Kevin, Yosef, and Art ran and completed the Army Half Marathon on Sunday, 3/01. It was 34 degrees with a wind chill of 28 degrees when they started and only 36 degrees when they finished. Yasher Koach to Rabbi Gisser, Kevin, Yosef, and Art who are still trying to warm up after this freezing event. With this race, Rabbi Michael Gisser has started his goal to run the length of Israel, from the north to the south, a distance of 263 miles. All funds collected will be split between Congregation Beth El and a charity in Israel selected at a later date. To donate to this fundraiser bring or mail a check to Beth El or go online at http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate

Beth El’s Annual Second Night Seder Saturday Night April 4, 2015 at 8:00 PM Join us for our lively participatory second night seder. An annual tradition, we’ll celebrate the second night, singing and learning while eating a delicious kosher meal. We will begin reading the haggadah with Cantor Ben Moshe around 8:00 pm and this year Rabbi Gisser will join us and help lead us in special programming. This seder is open to the community with a suggested donation of $18 for adults and $7 for children. RSVPs are preferred, but not required.